To think it cannot be mandatory to be asked to check in hand luggage at the gate

[NameChanger401]

I was about to board a flight today and, as often happens, an announcement was made asking passengers to come forward to check in hand luggage as flight is full and not enough space. The announcement said ‘we reiterate this is a mandatory requirement, without priority boarding group must check in hand luggage if requested’.

i usually wouldn’t mind, but today I realised I (stupidly) didn’t have a separate bag to my small suitcase. It contained items I really wouldn’t want to check in - laptop, power bank (don’t think this is allowed), valuables and medication. I therefore basically ‘hid’ away from the gate and came forward at the last minute when I thought enough people had had their bag confiscated (there was plenty of overhead space on board thankfully). However, it got me thinking if I could politely refuse (but didn’t want confrontation which is never a good idea at a boarding gate).

Yes…why is this a face palm? Again this is within the allowance the airline give me. I don’t understand why people feel this is the fault of people like me? If we purchase a ticket and stay with it the rules and confines of this ticket your issue is not with me or people like me, your issue is with how the airlines sell their tickets!

Taking the overhead locker case was actually more expensive than a hold case this year!

We paid the slight bit extra because we prefer not to wait for luggage

And for PPs - yes, all 4 of us took the overhead locker cases we had paid for. Those lockers are not for small bags - they are supposed to go under the seat - states that very clearly on most websites. The poor cabin crew had to ask over and over again for people to remove handbags, carrier bags and jackets from the overhead bins!

It’s the airlines’ rules and we abide by them - that’s not selfish. Wanting to put your small bags in a locker you haven’t paid to use, is

And yes, we fitted in everything for a full week’s holiday - villa with pool so towels provided there which helped

I did see a lady earlier this year have to pay €59 as her case was too big for the sizer so had to go in the hold (Ryanair, Italy)

I would have asked if they had a small carrier bag.
Fumbling with a cabin size case on a plane for personal items isn't ideal either.

Perhaps they should decrease the capacity of the sizers and increase the charges and reduce the weight limits for cabin luggage in the overhead lockers.

I’m amazed at these frugal packers. Two weeks in Spain, France, Greece, or wherever, with only a cabin bag and a ‘personal item’ of regulation size? Chinny reck-on.

Couldn’t do it for a winter or walking holiday - but a beach trip with swimwear, few dresses, sandals - absolutely!

I’m used to travelling for work too and used to do a week in the US with office and evening wear with just carry on. Was a bit tight when I had to include a breast pump!

Again….we stay in self catering accommodation with a washing machine in a hot country. How hard do you think it is to wash and dry some clothes a few times whilst you are on holiday?

My packing list is 7 pairs of shorts, 7 vest tops, 7 pants, 7 trainer socks, 2 x bras, a pair of flip flops, a bikini, a nice play suit and randomly also in this years case was a snorkel mask and tube. My shorts are all polyester sports style ones and primark £2.50 vest tops which are thin so they don’t take up a lot of room.

Yup, totally clear what they mean: 'If you've paid for priority boarding you can take your luggage on, if you haven't, tough!'

These are all just gimmicks to make people pay more.

But you’re part of the problem that created this “rule”. Too many people see hand luggage as an extension of their checked luggage. “Small suitcase” - your words - is what you had. I assume you mean a roll aboard bag. You don’t need everything in that for the duration of the flight. That’s what hand luggage is for - laptop, medications, documents, keys, etc, things that can’t/shouldn’t be checked in. Not the overflow of your checked bag. Because people are bringing such big bags on board (as well as a small bag that is truly hand luggage such as a hand bag), they run out of space. Hence the policy to force people to check large bags in that they suddenly - surprise, surprise - can live without for the duration of the flight. So they were never really hand luggage to start with.

So, think about it, if everyone paid for guaranteed cabin baggage, there would suddenly be room...? 🤔

No, because the number of people allowed to pay is limited.

Apparently you are still travelling in the 1990’s. Air travel has moved on from the days where everyone checked everything but the stuff they need for the flight.

Hand baggage is now perfectly acceptable for those who don’t want to check a large case. The fact that airports are rolling out new security systems that allow the liquid limit to be scrapped shows that this is how more and more people travel.

No, 'guaranteed cabin bag' is now a thing... you have an underseat allowance which is free but if you want to ensure you can take your cabin bag on you now have to pay. It's something like £15 each way.

That's literally not true. Every ticket has a guaranteed cabin bag option when booking.

I assumed that if you booked later you wouldn't be offered the option. I might be wrong.

This happened to me when I was quite heavily pregnant, about 30 weeks, when flying BA. I was the only person “targeted”. I had brought my wheelie bag specifically to help carry my laptop, which was heavy and walking was very uncomfortable at that’s stage. I just replied: “Does it really have to be me? I’m very very pregnant, my back is very sore and i have a very heavy laptop that I have to lug around.”
She walked off. I felt a bit bad as she had clearly not given it any consideration, but I was very relieved I didn’t have to carry my laptop! And I also felt that although they were well within their rights to ask me to check my bag, they should probably ask someone fit and healthy and not pregnant first!

We go on holiday hand luggage only. We pay for priority boarding which gives you the 10kg cabin case and an under the seat bag with Ryanair. We are going away next week to Lanzarote for a week, in my case will be
5 x evening outfits (normally dresses, jumpsuits)
2 x swimwear
1 beach cover up
4 shorts
4 vest tops
2x flip flops
evening sandals
underwear
2 pjs
book
beach bag

I take my normal handbag which has the things we need ready access to like phone, medication, sunglasses, passport, money,cards etc.

DH and DCs will also have a cabin case with weeks worth of clothes and a small rucksack each for items they want to use on the flight electricals, etc and toiletries we buy once through security. Once our cases are in the overhead bins we don’t touch them until we get off. Last year we were through immigration and in a cab on the way to our hotel within 20 minutes of landing. We like the convenience and are willing to pay extra for it.

Immediately post 9/11, all airlines required that every piece of luggage was checked in. No cabin baggage at all except things which were strictly needed for the flight only, in clear plastic bags only.

Yes but that was for national security reasons. Not because that’s the way airlines want to operate.

YABU, it’s pretty obvious that there isn’t room inside the plane if everyone tries to take the max amount of carry on, and obviously they’ll prioritise people who’ve paid extra. Just pack more flexibly next time.

having said that, perhaps airlines could help themselves by allowing everyone to have a small hold case free of charge - most of them you have to pay if you want to check a case in even if it’s only cabin size.

I wonder how easy it is to lift some of these cases into the overhead lockers. I wouldn't be able to do so without assistance, which is one of the reasons I don't take one.

@ErrolTheDragon

having said that, perhaps airlines could help themselves by allowing everyone to have a small hold case free of charge

You mean how it used to be until the LoCos really worked out how to unbundle fares...

Good luck getting that genie back in the bottle.

I’ve seen endless perfectly physically able people need help getting their ‘in-size’ bags with just a few ‘lightweight garments’ into lockers. It’s pathetic pisstaking.

My suitcase was weighed at the check in desk (couldn’t check in online this year due to some glitch)….it weighed 6.7kg. It got its approved hand luggage tag stuck to it before we went off to security with our boarding passes.

5 carry on suitcases…all weighed at the desk, all weighed between 6 and 8kg. (For the record the limit is 10kg).

I feel like I’m going blue in the face explaining that it is perfectly possible to travel for 2 weeks lightly-even if it’s not something you personally can do.

If you can't lift the case into the locker without assistance it is indeed piss taking.