SallyJo

I just called BA and was told the weight limit for carry ons is 13 lbs. The pack itself weighs 10 lbs!! How have the rest of you handled this? In 1997 there must not have been a weight limit, as we took 2 carry ons that certainly were way over 13 lbs each. We were hoping to not check any luggage in on the way over. Help !

Christina

I think they've made changes since 1997. I have one carryon that does not exceed that limit and I use that, it's just for necessities (money, documents), maps, a book, snack, my noise-cancelling headphones, etc. Other than that, I have one roller suitcase (22-25", it varies) that I check. I think you'll have to check stuff.

icithecat

Now you check your lugage. They also weigh your purse.

Back in the '70s my mom carried an elna sewing machine as carry on when moving countries. She made all of her own clothes. Times change.

Not any more.

The golden age of ignorance is over.

Now they charge you if you are too wide for your seat.

Soon they will charge overweight passengers per pound.

FlyFish

Yes, things have changed with BA. We recently returned from a ski trip that involved juggling items between suitcases and packs at the check-in counter to conform to their absurd and arbitrary rules. We ended up carrying on a pack that was much bulkier (but conformed to the weight limit) and adding heavier items to the checked baggage. It was all going on the same plane, so how that helps anyone is a mystery to me. Went on the same flights a year previous and didn't have to go through the drill.

Lesli

Yes, you're going to have to check your pack. BA will weigh it and they are serious about the limits.

I carry on a soft nylon tote bag with a change of clothes, my documents, toiletries and anything else I can't live without for a day or two in case my checked bag gets waylaid. For what it's worth, I've flown BA at least 4 times in the past few years and had no luggage problems in either direction, including a couple of trips involving plane changes.

MelJ

I've flown BA 3 times since 9/11 and the first two they never weighed my carry-ons. In February, flying out of Newark, I had two: one was a large tote and the other was a small roll-on. They weighed the roll-on and it came in at 18.5. I offered to remove items but the agent said "don't worry about it." They never weighed the tote. My companion's roll-on weighed 15 and they let her's through, as well. (By the way, neither of us was trying to "beat" the weight limit--we had both weighed our bags before leaving home and thought they were barely over.)

I've never had my bags weighed leaving Heathrow.

Mara

SallyJo
I had the same situation with Virgin a couple of years ago. My suitcase is an 18" roll-on and came in at about 15lbs. packed (empty it weighs 7 lbs). I put all my heavy stuff - guide books, camera, film, cosmetics, etc. in my large purse. Going I had no problem but coming back in Heathrow they weighed it and said no good and wanted to check it, but I took out a heavy art book I bought and they let me put my other small shopping bags together in a canvas Virgin carryall they gave me for my "Bits and Pieces." I still love that description!! I also have a LeSportsac nylon bag whose measurements added together are in the 45" limit and which weighs almost nothing. I will not purchase a suitcase unless I know its weight beforehand. I do not want to take a chance checking a bag as my trips are only from four to seven days and I pack pretty light. I went to Rome a couple of months ago and Alitalia had similar weight restrictions - I took my Lesportsac but I saw many people with wheeled suitcases that I am sure were way over the limit so I guess you never know!
Mara

Marilyn

One of the most annoying things about this weight limit business is how arbitrary it is. I have seen people forced to check their carry ons while others were never stopped. We've all been on flights where the rules were strictly enforced, and others on the same airline where no one seemed to care.

Last summer I flew BA from SF to Rome, changing planes at Heathrow, for a total of 4 segments. Heathrow to Rome, a BA employee roamed the departure lounge hefting any carry on bags that looked large or heavy and making some people check them. I tucked my small but hernia-inducing tote behind my feet and she never bothered me. And do I need to tell you the scene coming back from Rome? People carried on wheelies that MUST have exceeded the weight limit.

I can understand a weight limit on carry-ons that must go overhead, but if it's going under the seat in front of me, why should they care how much it weighs?

It is no longer possible for my husband to fly BA as his camera gear alone far exceeds the carry on weight limit and we cannot take the chance that they will ask him to check it. So I guess they won't be getting any of our travel dollars in the foreseeable future.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant. Feeling better now!

Ann41

Sometimes they weigh, sometimes they don't. They're not horribly consistent about it. That's why I usually fly with a book and a jacket or sweatshirt, and that's it.

Marilyn

Great that you can travel so lightly, Ann41, but not everyone can. People have a variety of items they need to carry on -- everything from prescription medications to film to computers. (Not all travel is vacation, some is business.)

Linds

Ici - they *weigh* your purse?

Oh, boy, am I ever in trouble...

Treesa

Oh, this post hit home. Last October I flew on Iberia to Madrid. My 20" pilot case accompanied me to Madrid. Returning from Madrid, just before boarding, they said it had to be checked in. Well, I had fragile stuff so I had to sit on the floor and transfer my newly acquired goodies to my packpack. Of course, there were several people with an identical pilot case that were permitted to bring them aboard. I was not pleased at all. I'll accept their rules, albeit arbitrary, but let them enforce the rules for everyone.

suze

It's really not hard if you know it ahead of time. I now pack my 22" rolling suitcase ready to check (which I used to be allowed to carry on).

Plus take a carry-on for the things you want/need on the plane, or anything irreplaceable or necessary daily(prescriptions, glasses, cosmetics), and if you are a worrywart, throw in an extra days worth of clothes in case your suitcase doesn't arrive immediately.

Debbie

I know what you mean about arbitrary.

I freaked out before my recent trip to Ireland - because Aer Lingus has a posted 18" limit for carry-ons. I searched high and low for an 18" bag with wheels - because my 20" wheeled duffel was outside the limit.
HA!
You should have seen the bags that people took on the plane. 20 and 22" pilot cases. duffels that were easily 22" . LARGE shopping bags , etc.
I don't think ONE person was questioned on their carryons, either from Chicago or back from Shannon. And both ways we had FULL planes.

Oh well. If I had chanced it with the bigger one, you know I would have been the one that got stopped.