Joy

I'm planning to fly to Copenhagen with an overnight in London prior and after. I was advised my baggage allowance was 13lbs for carry on and 50 lbs for check in. Does anyone know if this is enforced? Thanks for the help.

MG

Joy, <BR><BR>I fly BA most years, and have had these restrictions enforced about half the time. Usually the check in on return flights (from Heathrow) is more likely to "weigh" than the outbound check-in in the States.<BR><BR>I wouldn't risk it either way, though. Good luck!

Rex

I had the 13 lb carry-on limit enforced at check-in at JFK in 1999. I was so mad. I saw dozens of bags on board that looked identical (in dimensions) to mine. I was frustrated by not knowing this crazy policy. If I had it to do over again I would have most of the contents in a plastic bag, being held by a friend - - and then put them back in a mostly empty "approved" carry-on after it had been weighed. I know this is bad advice to suggest that anyone should try to flaunt BA's policy like this.<BR><BR>But the system - - at least as I observed it at JFK (in 1999) would not have precluded me from doing this. For now, I would not choose to fly BA for this reason (I think).<BR><BR>A rather crappy attitude on my part, perhaps, but it seems WAY too rigid to me.<BR><BR>No point in not saying how I feel about it.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

daphne

I have been fighting their 13 pound linit for years! It is really just too much [or too little, that is]. I used to weigh my carry- on on the scale at home but they'd always say it was over. I travel very light, using every trick in the book. Now that I have a wheeled 22" I just grit my teeth and let them put it in the hold, hoping that it won't get torn and that the wheels won't get damaged.

Patrick

Do these same limits apply to flights within Europe -- or only transAtlantic?

Sandy

The restrictions apply within Europe big time! This August, we are traveling within Europe on Air France and were told that for every pound we're over, we must pay $5 U.S. additional. We're only paying $175 each for our round-trip tickets. I won't pay that in excess baggage. And, to make matters worse, we'll be in Europe for 26 days, 2 weeks of that on a cruise. Believe me, we will be putting a major amount of planning into what we're going to take!

Jennifer

13 pounds?! That is VERY light. I just found out that Northwest has a weight limit of 40 pounds for a carry-on (although I certainly won't approach that because I have to lift the silly thing!).<BR><BR>Are BA planes much different from those of NW? Somehow I doubt it, but 13 pounds seems awfully stringent to me.<BR><BR>Jennifer

janis

Both BA and VS (Virgin) are very strict about the weight of cabin bags. The 6 kilos is a "hard" rule. it is the ONLY thing I dislike about BA and VS transatlantic. <BR><BR>I only ever take a 19 or 22 inch rollaboard and it is frustrating to have to check it.<BR><BR>I did use the plastic bag trick once and it worked - but on the return flight I didn't have any one else with me to hold the contents til after weigh-in so had to check it coming home.

Joy

Thanks for the info and 'ideas'. If I'd have known British Airway's baggage allowance earlier, I'd have chosen another airline. Sounds like we're going to have to comply with the reduced BA guidelines. Tough going for a girl who likes to have her "stuff". <BR>Thanks everyone for the info.

MG

Joy, Don't feel too bad. There's an upside to this. Every trick you learn about packing light will make your trip more pleasant while you're there, hauling your bags around the cities.<BR><BR>One thing I've learned is to take a light, fold-up bag in my rollaboard. If I end up having to check the rollaboard, I unpack my essential stuff into that bag right at the check-in gate, and carry it on instead.<BR><BR>Wear your heaviest shoes, don't pack big bottles of shampoo or anything (it's fun to try foreign products!) and carry a Really Big Purse!<BR><BR>You'll be fine.

amy

Yes, these awful restrictions do apply throughout Europe, though I recently flew Austrian Air and they didn't give us a problem with a slightly heavy carry-on.<BR><BR>With regard to BA, I find, as always, it REALLY depends on the counter agent. My husband and I were carrying ONE regular sized backpack and the woman insisted on weighing it, after finding out it was 2lbs. over the limit she forced us to put stuff into our checked bag. This backpack was not overstuffed and basically suffered from the weight of a large novel. However, there were other people who easily passed through with a 20'' piece of luggage and on subsequent flights we have not been questioned at all. Moral of the story: be prepared to re-pack some things and cross your fingers.

xxxx

You should carry the book in your hand. You are allowed a book (and a coat, and a purse) on the flight, which doesn't count towards your carry on weight, I believe. That doesn't mean you can't put it back in your carry-on later.

k

why don't you all try to sneak loads of extra weight on board without telling the airline. It's not as though they need to know the weight of the plane to calculate the fuel load now is it.

monique

When you talk about these heavy carry-ons, are these all you take, or is this in addition to your checked luggage? I'm flying BA to London/Zurich in August, and I plan to take only a 3000 cubic inch travel backpack. My parents took the same bag on Air France a few weeks ago and had no problem carrying it on. But I felt that backpack and it weighed more than 12 pounds!! I guess the key is not to pack shoes and other heavy things. I really want to carry-on because my luggage got lost last year in Zurich, and it was not my final destination (and isn't this time, either). Carry-on from now on! Well, as long as they let me!

David White

We allways take an extra nylon "carry-all" shoulder bag stuffed into our carry-on luggage. If the counter agent says our carry-on is over the limit, we unfold the nylon bag, remove a couple of pounds from the carry-on, put the stuff in the shoulder bag and say "OK, this is my purse!" (never mind two of our traveling group are males). <BR><BR>What really torques me is that a group traveling together can't combine its carry-on allowance...if one bag weighs 8 pounds and one weights 18, some picky counter agents make you redistribute the weight....and then, after checking in, you re-arrange it back again! Stupid!<BR><BR>But most BA counter personnel we've dealt with are nice and efficient, so I hesitate to complain too much about this aspect of BA service....Now the telephone reservations lines...THOSE are really worth complaining about! And the often screwed-up ticketing system can be a problem too!<BR><BR>

elvira

If size and weight allowances are enforced unilaterally, I have no objections and wouldn't consider cheating to get more on as a carryon. Unfortunately, the rules are NOT applied to everyone equally. Flight from Phx&gt;LGW the check-in person said my carry-on was fine (22" rollaboard, definitely not overstuffed). At the door to the airliner, a (male) flight attendant confiscated my bag as "too large". Ahead of me, a 25yr old French woman with a 25" rollaboard PLUS a totebag PLUS a large purse just waltzed right on with no problem; an older couple with a very large duffel that they had to haul together, and their adorable little grandchild with her 4' high teddy bear and large shopping bag full of toys also seemed to pass muster. I watched Gramma and Grandpa struggle to get the duffel into the overhead bin, and then stuff the teddy bear into its own overhead.<BR><BR>Since the weight/size allowances don't apply to cute young French women and cuddly little children (I've looked throughout the BAB website but haven't found this mentioned anywhere) and I don't qualify, then I assume the rules aren't taken seriously by BAB and I'm free to treat them with the same disdain BAB treated me.

Joy

Thanks for your comments on carry-on allowances for BA. How are they on the checked weight? They advised me I have 50lbs in 1 bag allowed per person. If they confiscate your (overwight) carry-on and have to check it, what happens to the extra weight? BA advised me that overweight pounds would be about $8.00 per pound - can you believe? Has anyone been charged this? Thanks, Joy

Pamela

What about Aer Lingus? Has anyone had any problems with them?<BR>I'm sure all airlines have a weight allowance, but I've never seen it enforced. Now, I'm getting a little nervous as I've never flown Aer Lingus before.

elvira

We've had "excess weight" on some luggage, told we'd have to pay for it - we were very polite and said "we certainly understand and have no objection"...we weren't asked for cash up front nor a credit card. Fully expecting that the cc we used to pay for the tickets would be charged, we are still waiting four years later for the charge to show up....<BR><BR>I've had similar 'no-charge' at Customs - I write down, say, $525 on "value of goods bringing with you" and only had to pay once in 2 dozen times (and then it was a fraction of what I thought). It seems as if you follow the rules, remain polite and understanding, the powers-that-be give you a break.

amy

As for whether they actually charge people, again, I think it all depends on the counter agent. However, I know Alitalia regularly charges. I have friends who fly them all the time and there is no getting around it. I think it is far more common on flights within Europe and on the discount airlines here, I think it is actually one of the ways they generate revenue. But, I must say it doesn't bother me as much from the no-frills as it does the big ones where you generally are paying more.