Qantas cabin baggage change worth weight

Qantas is changing the rules for cabin baggage after feedback from passengers who think the 7kg per piece limit is too little.

The Flight Attendants Association has ‘seriou­s concerns about the number of career-ending injuries’ to crew because of heavy baggage.

Qantas is changing the rules for cabin baggage in response to feedback from passengers who think the 7kg per piece limit is too little.

From March 25, travellers will be allowed to carry on one item up to 10kg, and a second piece up to 4kg. Currently, Qantas passengers can carry on two pieces of luggage up to 7kg each.

The physical size limits impose­d remain the same.

That follows a trial conducted by Qantas over summer that involved­ weighing passengers’ carry-on bags at the boarding gate, and interviewing hundreds of customers across all frequent-flyer levels.

Feedback from the trial was that although passengers were happy with the total of 14kg in carry-on luggage, they felt the 7kg limit on individual bags was too low and difficult to adhere to.

The trial also found that 90 per cent of customers trav­elle­d with 10kg or less of cabin baggage and, of those, 40 per cent travelled with one bag weighing 7- 10kg. Only one in 10 customers’ bags exceeded 10kg.

Qantas Domestic chief executive officer Andrew David said the changes ultimately gave customers more choice as to how they used their 14kg carry-on allowan­ce. “Most customers on short business trips and weekends away only travel with one carry-on bag plus a small personal­ item,” Mr David said.

“Focusing on the amount of baggage customers are bringing on board helps flights to depart on time.”

He said bags that were too heavy and overloaded baggage compartments could pose a safety risk to passengers and crew.

Qantas employees would continue to monitor carry-on bags at the check-in area and before­ security to ensure passengers were adhering to the limits.

The Flight Attendants Assoc­i­ation of Australia was contin­uing to talk with Qantas over cabin baggage, which was the subject of a “provisional improve­ment notice” issued by a staff-elected health and safety representative.

Assistant secretary Gareth Uren said the FAAA had “seriou­s concerns about the number of career-ending injuries occurring already to domestic and international crew”.

“We are awaiting appropriate consultation with the company in relation to any policy change,” Mr Uren said.