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).

You’ve made your point.

Nobody’s talking about you and your washing machine villa holiday.

The weight limit should be a lot less than 10 kilos to discourage people from doing it, and there is no way a party of 5 people, each with a cabin sized case, isn't taking up a disproportionate amount of space. If it's allowed it doesn't mean it's considerate to others.

You do realise that most of the airlines want to encourage the hand luggage not discourage it. They sell the space underneath for shipping!

There are fixed dimensions for cabin bags, chargeable.
If they're oversized they'll be checked in and charged more for.
The cabin bags are to go in the overhead lockers, that's what is paid for. A separate bag again with fixed dimensions goes under the seat.
The lockers are not being 'clogged up'.
They are being used for their rightful purpose.

Agree with that last para.

I used to do be able to do 10 day blocks of work away from home travelling with a soft sided briefcase and a (BA size compliant) wheelie.

No, they won’t be checked in and charged for. That’s the whole problem.

Too many people now expect to get on with over-sized cabin baggage and avoid a wait at the carousel.

It's one of the reasons I book seats as near to the front of the plane as possible - to avoid people like that.

And of course you'll be told it isn't oversized. That's why the size and weight limits should be reduced - to stop these piss takers faffing around in the aisles.

I’ve been on a number of long haul flights where those with suitcases have been asked to check them into hold. More and more people are taking them as hand luggage and there just isn’t the room in the overhead lockers. This is why I only ever take a small backpack, it’ll fit nicely under the seat in front.

I don't consider my self a frugal packer at all and this isn't any type of competitive undepacking thing. But I've never really understood why people have such huge luggage for a generic AI holiday. Last time me and bf went to Spain we had one cabin bag and one backpack between the two of us and no space issues. Where as the the others that came to hotel had these huge checked luggages, cabin bags and personal items.

I only own cabin bag sized luggage so that helps, only time it has been an issue (for holiday) was when I was going to Austria. Basic hiking gear take surprising amount of space.Even the personal item sized packpack fits surprisingly much when you buy the travel vacuum bags for your clothes.

I wasn't aware of this. I assumed rules is rules and anything oversized or over weight would be checked in.

I think it’s the luggage version of the tiny salad here on MN.

I mean yes I too can pack for two months in a small underseat bag. However I also don’t want to stink, wear the same clothes day after day, wash my undies in a sink with a bar of soap , break the handle off my toothbrush to save room, and/or try to wear one pair of shoes to every activity on my holiday.

If I’m on a work trip I don’t want to be frantically buying work appropriate clothes in the middle of a small town only shop that’s open on a Sunday when my checked luggage didn’t make the connection and I have a meeting the next morning. (Ask me how I learned this particular lesson).

If others want to do that… great you do you and have fun feeling smug with your alleged packing prowess. Not for me! I’m using the overhead bin and the under seat in front of me 🤷‍♀️

You’d hope so. But that’s not what happens.

I flew back recently from T5 to Spain with a correctly sized but wheelie cabin bag. I was asked to check it but I couldn’t as it contained a very well bubble wrapped delicate antique which was an inheritance, I explained this and they moved on to others. When I did get on, there were acres of space in the overhead bins, and I was one of the last groups to board. Feel I was lucky, but am still slightly baffled at the amount of space still available in the bins as we took off.

I really don’t understand why people are getting so het up about other travellers that are following the rules. If it was puss taking to take a wheel case then the rules would state that they aren’t allowed.

Do you buy theme park tickets to go and watch the rides, or concert tickets and wear ear plugs? You used what your purchase allows you to use.

I easily pack for a sun holiday into a cabin approved wheely case. How much room does a few bikinis and sun dresses take?

We are checking our cases tomorrow but we have still only packed cabin sized cases, that’s all we need.

This all seems like a lot of drama over very little.

Most (all?) airlines offer a free personal item that must be stored under your seat. This is generally big enough to hold anything that you absolutely must have on your journey - including laptops, medication, books etc . I appreciate it might be a bit limited if you are travelling with children - although they usually also get an allowance (assuming they are over 2).

After that, some airlines will include a larger cabin bag/case, that goes in the overhead locker. Just make sure that this doesn't contain any journey essentials, as you may be asked to put it in the hold at the gate. Slightly annoying maybe, but not worth the amount of fuss that's going on in this thread.

Other airlines that don't include a cabin bag, you can usually purchase this. Check the small print to see if this is guaranteed or not.

At the end of the day, choose an airline to travel with that meets with your requirements. Don't book with an airline that may take your bag off you, then kick off when they do exactly that!

If there no room in the overhead lockers of course they can tell you to check your bag in.You can’t have luggage unstowed during take off or landing, that’s a regulation. Either check it in or you can pay to change your flight to a less full one (or pay for priority)

I mean basically airlines have broad latitude to do lots of things you might not think are reasonable: bump you off a flight (with compensation), is an example.

Yes they can. If you were flying BA then there are numerous instances of this happening previously and folks having to take prohibited items out before it goes in the hold such as power banks . Anything you don’t want going in the hold has to go in your small bag under the seat in front on a short haul flight. BA make clear in their T&Cs that they reserve the right to put your larger cabin bag in the hold. This is often done to those without status or not flying business class i.e. boarding groups 4 and above. Not usually an issue on long haul flights where there’s more overhead bin space.

BA insisted I checked my small wheelie case in at the gate due to lack of space on a flight back from France. I have never seen the overhead lockers so empty so I don’t know what they were thinking. The one above my seat was completely empty for the duration of the flight. I wished I had refused or at least made them check locker space first.

Have also been on BA flights where they have done this to others and not reminded them to remove their passport first leaving them stranded at passport control when they arrive.

Use a soft bag and they wont ask you..they go for the mini cases .

Sounds familiar.

There's been a feeling amongst regulars for a while now that at least one BA outstation in France has adopted a policy of hold loading x number of carry on bags, almost regardless of booked passenger load.

If there is such a directive I suspect it's come from the managers of the local sub-contractors, not BA head office, but that's just speculation.

Problem with always waiting until problems arise on board before resorting to hold loading of carry on is it jeopardises on time departures, achieveing ATC slots etc.. so there is some logic to the ground staff being proactive on some flights.

To avoid being told to put my handluggage in the hold I always only take an underseat-bag and a small handbag. We always check all of our luggage, it's included in our ticket anyway. The only thing I'll eventually put in the overhead bin is a (winter)coat. And yes it has happened that the overheads were so full with wheelies that the flighthost took my coat and put it in their cupboard.

The guidance about hand luggage does say that essential things eg medicines (and as you say, a book!) should be in a smaller bag that can fit under the seat - that’s “guaranteed” to be allowed in the cabin. Larger bags that have to go in the overhead lockers are fair game, especially now that so many people travel with large wheelies as well as the under-seat bag.

I was going to comment was this BA. They always do it. And they do it to make room for those in business/ on the priority programmes to carry bigger/ multiple items. It's so annoying. I often travel just with hand luggage for work so I can be in and out quick.

I always tell them about my medication which cant go in the hold, they're normally very reasonable