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Excess baggage: The airline carry-on craze is spiralling out of control

IT’S enough to make you fly off your handle - passengers taking huge bags on to cramped planes. Well now there’s a push to shame them.

Kate Schneider and TRAVEL EDITOR
3 min read
June 10, 2014 - 3:11PM
One man, seventy items of clothing

IT’S a scenario we’re all too familiar with.

You finally step on board your flight only to find the overhead lockers near your seat overflowing with bags. And not just any bags. Gigantic bags. Monstrous bags. Bags the size of small children.

So you’re forced to store your carry-on luggage ten rows away or underneath your already crammed feet.

“On my way from Hobart to Sydney on Monday night after a long weekend I was shocked at the size, weight and number of carry-on luggage items people were trying to cram on a two-hour flight,” says frequent flyer Will Overman.

“There was even an announcement on the flight asking 10 people to volunteer to have their hand luggage stowed underneath because the overhead lockers were so over-crowded.”

So what’s with the pack horse mentality?

The simple fact is, with checked baggage now attracting increasingly higher charges, more travellers are opting to bring only carry-on bags on board, which in turn creates a logistical nightmare for crew and fellow passengers.

This is the airline seat that nobody wants

It can cost up to $160 for Jetstar passengers to check in their luggage at the airport, and up to $85 on Tiger Air which is quite a hit on the hip pocket. But does that mean you can take up all the locker room with your huge pink wheelie bag?

A new Twitter campaign is hoping to put an end to the carry-on madness by shaming those with ridiculously large bags.

The campaign was started by San-Francisco based reporter Spud Hilton from SFGate.com, and has clearly hit a nerve as it has quickly gained momentum on the social media site.

Your say: Is carry-on baggage out of control? Tell us below.

Eager to share their stories of overhead bin hoggers, passengers have posted dozens of images in response:

Australian airlines set their own policies for carry-on baggage size and weight. But despite their attempts to enforce the rules, passengers often sneak extra items on board.

One man, seventy items of clothing

A Tiger Air spokesperson says it’s crucial that passengers abide by the rules and insist that its staff weigh carry-on bags at the check-in: “We need to be strict about carry-on luggage weight and size restrictions to enable them to fit into our overhead lockers and for safety reasons. Therefore the carry-on luggage restrictions are never compromised.

“Our staff will check at the check in counter and also at the boarding gate to ensure the policy is applied correctly.”

Meanwhile, a Qantas spokesperson said oversized carry-ons can cause headaches for fellow passengers: “It’s really important that passengers comply with the requirements for carry-on baggage. The restrictions on size mean that everyone gets a fair allocation of space on board the aircraft. They also help speed up the boarding process so that our flights can depart on time – which is especially important over the busy Christmas period.”

Excess baggage is not just an inconvenience. According to the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA), it’s extremely dangerous.

In fact, the FAAA is so concerned that it launched its own campaign to end the madness last year.

According to the FAAA website: “Cabin baggage is one of the most common causes of injury to cabin crew and also to come customer service/ground staff. Some of these injuries have been career ending.

“There are also the issues of stress and pressure on crew to stow excessive cabin baggage which often results in being abused by passengers.”

Excess baggage. Picture: Michael Cote
Excess baggage. Picture: Michael Cote

Australia’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), also warns of the dangers of excess baggage, particularly in an emergency: “In an accident, the more baggage on board, the greater the likelihood of baggage compartments spilling open, and the greater the chance of injury from flying objects. Evacuation times are slowed by baggage cluttering aisles.”

The increasingly concerning situation has prompted the FAAA to join forces with the Australian Services Union to lobby CASA, WorkCover authorities and airlines to take action and enforce the rules.

Carry on limits for Australian airlines:

Virgin Australia

Up to two pieces are allowed on board weighing a total of 7kg, as well as a personal item such as a computer.

Jetstar

The airline allows for one main item of carry-on baggage and another small item weighing a combination of 10kg.

Tiger Air

Up to 10kg of carry-on luggage in two bags is free, provided they each don’t exceed the dimensions of 54cm X 38cm X 23cm.

Qantas

Carry-on bags are limited to 7kg per piece with up to two pieces allowed for domestic flights and one for international. There are size restrictions as well, more information here.

Tell us what you think. Are people taking too many liberties with carry-on luggage? Tell us in the comments below and send any pictures to us at news@news.com.au.

What not to do on a plane

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/excess-baggage-the-airline-carryon-craze-is-spiralling-out-of-control/news-story/61d9f5e91b1ff036d71d1f3eb11181e8