Delayed flight due to so many people being charged for luggage

kinger101

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80025349#Comment_80025349

The challenge here is the amount of space for cabin baggage varies between different aircraft.

If flying to or within the US, I also try to avoid hold luggage as much as possible. You can have a very long wait at the carosel in the US, and US airlines seem much better at putting your baggage on a different flight. Meaning you have to wait around the next day for a van to deliver your suitcase.

I can't be the only one with bad luck on that front given the amount of cabin baggage many Americans seem to carry on. I make sure I'm always within the weight and size limits, but when 200+ people on the same flight are doing the same, there can be a rush for the overhead lockers.

maman

You're right @kinger101, about different aircraft having different amounts of space for cabin luggage. My bugbear is about different airlines having different baggage rules for the same aircraft.

Our local airport used to run Flybe for domestic flights so I had a particular small bag for cabin luggage. Flybe went bust but the same aircraft under a new carrier changed the rules.

But, as another poster said earlier, it was cheaper to buy a new bag than the cost of just the price of a single trip's baggage charge.

CKhalvashi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80028386#Comment_80028386

And that's how business works.

Not an airline but we offer something unique from every other business doing something similar, aimed at a particular market. That can be very profitable as a niche, far more so than fighting with the competition for the same people.

There's no reason why airlines shouldn't and can't be the same, whether that be destinations, prices, other services or terms such as baggage allowances. I select what I buy based on what I need and there is enough competition in general for most others to do similar.

tightauldgit

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80028330#Comment_80028330

I honestly can't remember the last time I flew with hold baggage on a personal trip. I must have taken about 100 flights in the past 5 years or so and I think every one has been cabin baggage only. Even when I have hold luggage included in my ticket I generally avoid it as I just don't want to be carrying too much 'stuff' when I go somewhere. I think maybe there was one internal flight in Cambodia where they weighed my backpack and said it was too heavy (12kg or something) and it had to be checked. Other than that I would only carry hold baggage if absolutely necessary - which it almost never is.

CKhalvashi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80028996#Comment_80028996

I can tell you that I have a handful of times with Belavia (where it was included), once with Motor Sich (domestic ODS-IEV sector, I'd bought Priority to fly LTN-IEV-LTN with Wizz and again it was included) and once with Windrose (where I'd flown into Kyiv on business with Ryanair, and was transferring to Lviv for more meetings, the ATRs required a Priority-sized bag to be placed in the hold, again included).

I will go out of my way to avoid having a cabin bag checked (LOT were the worst for this during Covid, the LHR flights often were downgraded from B738 to E190/5 and I often had a reasonably tight connection) for the exact reasons you mention. Minsk was fine for bags and the domestic arrivals area at both LWO and IEV are tiny, so that wasn't a problem too.

tightauldgit

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80029023#Comment_80029023

Just remembering the time I had my cabin bag taken off me on the plane by Easyjet as there was nowhere to store it. And of course I forgot to take my passport out of the bag before they took it…. cue some very apologetic bargaining with the immigration guy in Spain on arrival. Lucky we were still in the EU at the time I think.

CKhalvashi

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80029193#Comment_80029193

Top tip; keep it in a plastic wallet in your pocket.

I've got passport, few sheets of paperwork (including insurance policy numbers) in one along with a pen on the inside of a jacket. Works very well!.