How much attention, if any, do you pay to the carry-on size and weight requirements that airlines have that are often cabin dependent?
When I took a couple of flights from Finland recently, the airport operator had these displays on airports that passengers could check if their carry-on met the requirements of the operating airlines.
As you can see from the enlarged image below, dimension requirements and weight allowances considerably fluctuate between airlines.
How can BA allow your carry-on weight to be 23 kilos while Finnair only accepts 8 kilos? The maximum dimensions of the bag are identical.
Airlines often claim that the weight limit is due to cabin safety but have we heard about any injuries or deaths due to BA’s generous allowance?
You could argue that BA saves cash when it allows passengers to handle their heavier bags as long as they easily fit the overhead compartment.
I am sure that the extremely low allowance (size and weight), or no allowance at all beyond a backpack that can fit under the seat, is a revenue enhancer for many LCCs that rely on advertising ridiculously low fares that can easily double/triple/quadruple after all “mandatory” add-ons are included.
Conclusion
I have ever since the pandemic began started to check in my carry-on that is “black 22” in airline lingo and fits the overhead compartment wheels on, excluding super tiny planes like the Bangkok Airways ATR today. It weighs 15 to 18 kilos and is heavier than all airlines allow, except BA, but it is usually not an issue on widebodies.
I wouldn’t mind checking in a bag always, but do you want to wait 30 to 60 minutes for your checked bag in cities such as Amsterdam or Barcelona?
There was once a “situation” in Sydney where the Emirates or Etihad check-in agent (outsourced) insisted that I need to check a bag when flying in F, where you have more than enough space for everyone’s carry-ons. So I had to get the airline’s airport manager to waive it.
A few weeks ago in Tallin, I had paid for one checked bag with Airbaltic. Only two agents were handling two flights leaving roughly at the same time and a hundred or so passengers in the line. There was no way that I would have made the checked bag cut off time and decided to check the bag at the gate. Well. That cost me an extra 60 euros.
Easyjet has no weight limit at all (as shown in your image). As long as the size is ok, and the passenger is able to carry it, they have no problem.
What you did not realize is that Easyjet changed their rules on 10 February 2021 (this picture is outdated/misleading about EZ), and that now the free size allowed is ONLY 45x36x20cm, it’s really a tiny size.
Unless you bought a Up Front seat or Extra legroom then you can have one additional cabin luggage of 56x45x25cm (like before).
This is a really ridiculous move and one of the reason I never flight with EZ, when you add-on all the cost, it’s never cheaper than the other airlines if you book at the right moment your flight.
And the airlines tweak these allowable sizes and weight to make it even more confusing and more money for them to collect at the gate. That couldn’t be the reason, right?
I find all the different rules across the airlines for carry-on hugely frustrating
I once had a bad experience at Heathrow. It was one of the times that I was flying in coach. I was in Europe for two weeks visiting different cities and flying into and out of Heathrow. When I got to the gate for one of my flights near the end of my trip (can’t remember where I was flying to). The gate agent looked at my bag and insisted that it was too large to fit in the overhead bin. When I tried to explain that it was an international carry-on size and I had already flown on other BA flights with no problem. He wasn’t hearing it. I even tried to ask if this was a regional jet that would have smaller overhead bins. However, he just ignored me and told me to check it. He apparently was on some major power trip. I was so frustrated because this meant pulling out a number of valuable things, laptop as well as cosmetics (in case something happened with the bag). I only had a small bag to try and stuff everything in. Of course I got onto the plane and there was plenty of overhead bin space. Heck one passenger even bought on a big guitar in the case that she put that into an overhead bin, taking up most of the bin space. I should have questioned the gate agent more but I did not want to start anything. So rules can be very arbitrary apparently.
Jetstar NZ, weigh and measure bags just before boarding. I always have the correct size and weight, it is good to see people with over size and weight get pinged for it.
I have also help a few people out who did not meet the requirements.