Now Virgin Australia is cracking down on hand-luggage

33 replies

BigH

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 24 Dec 2012

Total posts 34

Do the VA crew still take up all the biz class bins with their bags?

Now they bloody can!!!!

declanr

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 26 Nov 2017

Total posts 17

I am all for this just as long as they enforce the tighter rules consistently. I'm fed up losing my hand luggage to a bin right down the back of the plane due to no free space up the front. Just don't get the complaints. Regulalrly see people with three pieces, struggling to carry it all and then they complain when bin space is tight.We all know there is limited bin space so only right that it is shared equally. If you feel the need to bring the kitchen sink then check it in.

declanr

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 26 Nov 2017

Total posts 17

Bring it on Virgin, and about time. Just make sure it is enforced consistently. I for one am sick of seeing people lugging three large pieces of so called hand luggage onto the aircraft, and then have a moan when there is not enough bin space close to their seat. And I am sick of seeing my luggage being parked in a bin towards the rear of the cabin when I am sitting up front. The rules should apply to everyone, and the bin space is there to be shared. Just don't get why someone would moan about this.

Traveller14

Member since 17 Sep 2015

Total posts 73

Do the airlines do dry runs to estimate how much extra time retaining the current effective free-for-all, or implementing checks, takes? Both impose time penalties. In the latter case if many bags have to be carried down stairs to be stowed in the hold after passengers that have overweight (or oversize) bags are detected while queued for boarding, that's a slow process on a B738.

Madhatter49

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 11 Dec 2016

Total posts 86

I think that initially there will be short term pain for long term gain.

After everyone realises it's an Australian standard for the airline duopoly and more efficient to put their cases in the hold on check in.
The infrequent travellers will probably always be putting their bags downstairs anyway. I expect it's only the regulars that try to carry their kitchen sink as carry-on and get away with it. Everyone should learn pretty quickly, so long term will be much quicker boarding times than now.
Most of the time wasted boarding and waiting for the process to happen is for passengers to put their stuff away.
If they're not carrying it, boarding time will be so much quicker. Benefits for everyone instead of the minor and selfish few.

Stephen D

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 12 Nov 2017

Total posts 42

Do the VA crew still take up all the biz class bins with their bags?

They seem to put their luggage in row 3 and beyond these days. Probably lots of complaints in the past.

Stephen D

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 12 Nov 2017

Total posts 42

I had my carry on bags weighed recently while traveling business on Brisbane to Sydney. The attendant said it was because the flight was full and not because of overhead locker weight limits. She was quite apologetic about it all (maybe because I am Platinum FF).

turbojezz

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Mar 2014

Total posts 15

And I was just about to move to Virgin... QF Lifetime Gold, mostly Platinum.. Full fare. carry one regulation size cabin bag which weighs 8.5kg, but had to check in. Could have wasted space with 2 x 7kg. But no, macbook air, 1 change of clothes, board papers, shorts tee and runners with washbag...which I had on yesterday's flight. Irrational, less weight and time-wasting. Bugger Qantas and now ignore Virgin..

guess you are on Toger then...

stmaus

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 20 Nov 2017

Total posts 45

And I was just about to move to Virgin... QF Lifetime Gold, mostly Platinum.. Full fare. carry one regulation size cabin bag which weighs 8.5kg, but had to check in. Could have wasted space with 2 x 7kg. But no, macbook air, 1 change of clothes, board papers, shorts tee and runners with washbag...which I had on yesterday's flight. Irrational, less weight and time-wasting. Bugger Qantas and now ignore Virgin..

On VA you are allowed a personal item in addition to 7kg bag, so you can carry your Macbook Air in its satchel separately. That ought to get you down to 7kg.

Blake

Member since 03 May 2017

Total posts 39

Yay! I rarely use carry on luggage, its a pain to find an overhead spot too often. I would much rather the airline be ruthless with weighing AND counting the carry on bags.

Tallfont

Member since 30 Jul 2018

Total posts 9

Besides the quite transparent lie that this is about operational performance (if it were, they wouldn't have needed QF to do it first), does anyone know if this is being implemented for J and status passengers? Loyalty is a two way street, and I would think that VA would be doing all it could to stop elites from jumping ship right now.

I don't think VA really care about loyal elites jumping ship, or even keeping thme happy, to be honest. I think they are too busy trying to work out where they sit in the market.

I was charged $120 for being less than 2kg over 23kg on checked baggage (one suitcase) even although I was permitted three suitcases to a total of 69kg.
Nett result was moving to QF and VA losing around $70,000 a year in my travel budget.

AALF

QF

Member since 31 Dec 2014

Total posts 8

I just had my carry on confiscated on MEL - SYD on a short connection onto an international flight. Guess what? Of course my bag never made it...for days. Standards and processes have yet to catch for for QF. My sources do tell me that the whole 'crackdown' has to do with a recent accident whereby a passenger or injured due to falling luggage (as communicated to FA's via email recently) from an overhead bin recently, prompting action from QF.

lind26

Member since 24 Apr 2014

Total posts 231

This wouldn't be so bad if VA's cabin baggage allowance wasn't 7kg total weight rather than 7kg per bag. When you bring two bags as the same allowance permits (such as the typical combination of a rollaboard to put overhead and a laptop bag to put under the seat in front), the allowance provides only 3.5kg per bag, which is nothing.

Checking baggage in with VA is also more cumbersome than with Qantas, particularly if you don't have status and have to line up for what's often half an hour or more to reach a person at a desk, rather than using a Q Bag Tag to drop it in at the automated counter and be on your way, regardless of whether you're Bronze or Platinum.

I don't mind airlines enforcing baggage limits that are reasonable, but for an airline to be enforcing a rule that allows only 3.5kg per bag for the most common carry-on combination for business travellers, that's having a laugh!

Does the 7kgs include a laptop? My laptop on its own weighs 7 kgs

brinkers

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 16 Jun 2011

Total posts 233

This wouldn't be so bad if VA's cabin baggage allowance wasn't 7kg total weight rather than 7kg per bag. When you bring two bags as the same allowance permits (such as the typical combination of a rollaboard to put overhead and a laptop bag to put under the seat in front), the allowance provides only 3.5kg per bag, which is nothing.

Checking baggage in with VA is also more cumbersome than with Qantas, particularly if you don't have status and have to line up for what's often half an hour or more to reach a person at a desk, rather than using a Q Bag Tag to drop it in at the automated counter and be on your way, regardless of whether you're Bronze or Platinum.

I don't mind airlines enforcing baggage limits that are reasonable, but for an airline to be enforcing a rule that allows only 3.5kg per bag for the most common carry-on combination for business travellers, that's having a laugh!

Does the 7kgs include a laptop? My laptop on its own weighs 7 kgs

That's some laptop - but if it is carried in a laptop satchel it should not be counted in the 7kg. In the words of VA

"A laptop in thin satchel-style laptop bag is considered to be a personal item. A laptop in a larger laptop bag will be counted as part of a guest’s carry-on allowance."

Carrots

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 06 Oct 2017

Total posts 39

Besides the quite transparent lie that this is about operational performance (if it were, they wouldn't have needed QF to do it first), does anyone know if this is being implemented for J and status passengers? Loyalty is a two way street, and I would think that VA would be doing all it could to stop elites from jumping ship right now.

I don't think VA really care about loyal elites jumping ship, or even keeping thme happy, to be honest. I think they are too busy trying to work out where they sit in the market.
I was charged $120 for being less than 2kg over 23kg on checked baggage (one suitcase) even although I was permitted three suitcases to a total of 69kg.
Nett result was moving to QF and VA losing around $70,000 a year in my travel budget.


Without wishing to sound like a smart ass (too late), what will you do when the exact same thing happens with QF? it might not happen specifically to you, but that exact same thing would happen everyday to people flying with any airline around the world.

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