I’ve travel quite a lot and have noticed that as airlines have started charging extra fees for checked luggage that some people now use carry-on bags that are quite large and heavy. In response, some airlines have started imposing stricter baggage limits for carry on and they are now getting tougher on enforcement.
On a recent trip where one leg of my journey was on Jetstar my hand luggage was weighed and tagged as it was under the 7kg weight limit. Having been caught out on a previous trip, when luggage limits were 10kg and my bag weighed 11kg, I had to fork out $50 on the spot to get my bag checked. That was an overnight trip and I thought I’d packed pretty light.
Another colleague had the two item limit enforced riduclously when they were carrying two small bags and a magazine. My colleague was told the magazine was not permissible as it was a third item. But once it was placed in one of the bags it was OK.
Former Lifehacker editor and all-round nice guy Angus Kidman noticed that TigerAir has become more organised about catching people loading up their carry-on. Bags are checked when passengers check in and are tagged. If you make it to the gate with an untagged bag, it can be easily identified by the staff and then checked there.
Both our low-cost carriers are making it harder for passengers to bypass the baggage limits.
I’ve just travelled to India for a work trip and have my carry-on down to well inside the 7kg mark. I use a small satchel that can carry a change of t-shirt and jocks, basic toiletries, my iPad, wallet, passport, phone and charging cables and international adaptors. The same bag, without the change of clothes, covers me for interstate day trips.
Have the enforced carry-on limits changed your travel habits? What tips do you have for ensuring you stay under the 7kg limit?
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