Why Virgin's cabin baggage allowance is bad for business travel
By Chris C., August 30 2018
TALKING POINT | For many business travellers, flying without checked baggage saves lots of time on the road, whether by avoiding the airport check-in queues, making the most of perks like Fly Ahead to get home faster, or stepping straight out of the airport and onto the next meeting, with no bag to collect.
That makes airline cabin baggage allowances critical to business travel, but it must be said that on domestic routes, Virgin Australia’s carry-on baggage rules don’t favour the business traveller, being less generous than offered by Qantas on comparable flights.
For example, on treks between Sydney and Melbourne – and indeed, most other domestic flights – Qantas allows business class and economy passengers to bring aboard two bags of up to 7kg each: that’s 14kg in total, such as the common combo of a rollaboard bag paired with a large-style laptop bag, briefcase or backpack.
Virgin Australia passengers can also travel with two carry-on bags, but at a combined total weight of 7kg, not 7kg per bag as with Qantas.
Both airlines also permit one 'personal item' such as a handbag or laptop sleeve in addition to their published allowances, but when it comes to everything else, you'll get 14kg across two bags when flying Qantas, or 7kg across two bags when flying Virgin Australia, being only half as generous.
This distinction isn't a mere oversight by Virgin Australia – I’ve seen that 7kg weight limit strictly enforced at Virgin Australia boarding gates, with many unimpressed business travellers asked to check their larger bag in (and wait for it at the carousel after the flight), when the same luggage combination would have been A-OK when travelling on Qantas.
In more recent times, some Australian Business Traveller readers have also reported having their cabin baggage weighed at Virgin Australia Premium Entry in Sydney, and if bringing along more than 7kg in total, being directed back to the airline's check-in counters to drop off their carry-on bag as checked luggage.
So, over to you – is it time for Virgin Australia to make its domestic carry-on baggage allowance more business-friendly, or are you happy to see the existing restrictions enforced, despite being less generous than the competition? Share your thoughts in the comment box below!
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
08 Aug 2017
Total posts 42
Chris, any reason from Virgin why the allowance is so stingy?
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
If Virgin Australia chooses to make its carry-on baggage allowance more competitive and 'business traveller friendly', we'd certainly report it, but until then, Virgin Australia's allowance remains half as generous as Qantas provides in the same cabins on the same aircraft on the same routes.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
01 Mar 2012
Total posts 177
I have not experienced this issue. From the bags being brought into the cabin that I have seen, they are not policing it that much.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
I see it happen most frequently on early morning 'triangle' flights (those between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane), but that's not to say the scales don't come out elsewhere.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Aug 2017
Total posts 84
I've flown Virgin maybe 40-50 times in the past year and I've never seen their carry-on rules enforced. In fact, at times, I've seen people bringing so much carry-on onboard, to the inconvenience of other passengers, that I've wished that Virgin would be more strict than they are.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 May 2014
Total posts 48
I concur.
VA Gold last 4 years, never seen them weight cabin bags at premium entry, lounge or at the gate
BUT frequently witness passengers passengers excessively abuse the limits without repercussions or even an query from VA staff.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1002
Never ever had this problem with VA, and just recently I brought my sister a business class seat. When I picked her up she had 3 bags and heavy at that in business class and I explained to her she was very lucky not to be bailed up. I think your talking about Qantas were I have been checked at LA by an idiot who didn't see the guy sitting next to me with 25 kg of computer gear in one bag.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
No, we're clearly talking about Virgin Australia domestic flights, not Qantas in Los Angeles.
23 Feb 2015
Total posts 260
I do wish qantas would enforce size based limits though.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1205
I don't really have an issue with airlines being strict with carry-on bags. In fact, I find it more frustrating when they aren't. With the compression in seating in recent years, there just isn't enough space for everyone to bring on 2 7kg bags and place them all in the overhead lockers; maybe there is for J class but definitely not in Y.
04 May 2015
Total posts 261
Completely agree with your comments on sizing, but the weight of a bag generally doesn't affect its size, and to me at least, enforcing a weight limit that's far below what the competition offers just feels cheap, not to mention the inconvenience.
If you're going to have a carryon allowance and enforce it, at least make the allowance reasonable in the first place.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1205
The 7kg per item limit is understandable regardless of size. Trying to manoueuvre a heavy bag from overhead locker is potentially dangerous. I had a work colleague receive a concussion injury when someone pulled a heavy bag from the overhead locker and hit her on the head with it about 10 years ago.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Hi reeves35, I also agree the weight limit per item should remain at 7kg (especially for bags stored overhead, which, as you say, could potentially cause injury) - the issue discussed in the article is that currently, when travelling with two bags on Virgin Australia, you're essentially restricted to carrying 3.5kg per bag, not 7kg, and that's the distinction between Virgin Australia's policy and Qantas' policy.
04 May 2015
Total posts 261
This is actually one of the reasons I've stopped flying Virgin when I can avoid it... I regularly travel with only carryon bags and although Virgin doesn't weigh them often, when they do, it feels like I'm just flying Jetstar but paying twice the price for the privilege. I'm all for safety (which is generally the reason the airlines give for allowing only 7kg per bag), but this isn't about safety, it's about Virgin having a rubbish policy and then sporadically enforcing it so you don't know where they'll strike next.
23 Jan 2014
Total posts 3
Cabin baggage is a huge problem and I applaud Virgin for at least attempting to tackle it
13 Feb 2015
Total posts 70
I must say I've not seen this rule enforced on VA. Not a hugely regular traveller, but when I do it's generally Mel/Syd/Bne during 'peak' business times.
22 Dec 2017
Total posts 2
I have experienced this before coming back from Sydney when I used to work for Defence. I tried to repack my carry on to below 8 kg and put more into the checked luggage. In the end, I gave u and just said give me the excess baggage charge as I just want to get on the flight and go home.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 320
Whilst they could could tweak the allowance up a bit I actually say good on VA for at least trying to enforce some sort of standard, I wish QF would actually police theirs a bit more after watching my Samsonite packpack get rammed and squashed yesterday by someone with 2 bags including a hard shell,large laptop bag and then trying to rearrange the whole section to fit in their box of Krispy Kreme donuts, just appalling.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
This is one reason I fly more often with Qantas than Virgin. I like Virgin's 'Fly Ahead' policy for flexi fares but often on my trips I need to carry some samples and a fair bit of documentation and 'leave behind' kits for clients along with the usual gear for a day trip or overnight trip, and no way will that all come in under 7kg. I won't do checked bags for a trip like this so when I am carrying anything more than a single lightweight 'day bag' I always default to Qantas because of their more generous luggage policy.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 13
I have been flying VA for years with work and must admit to never having had my carry-on weighed. That said, I choose to fly VA and therefore regard it as my responsibility to comply with their carry-on luggage allowance and only take 7kgs onboard (laptop excluded). On the matter of carry-on allowance restrictions more generally, my opinion (which may indeed be a minority opinion) is that if an airline has such restrictions then they should be policed and enforced, else why bother having them in the first place.
30 Aug 2018
Total posts 11
Never encountered such thing at boarding gate before and I am based in Melbourne (usually fly out between 7-9).
Etihad - Etihad Guest
06 Apr 2012
Total posts 125
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Why can't all airlines just increase this to one bag maximum 10kg?
03 May 2017
Total posts 22
I wish airlines would enforce the limit, growing tired of selfish people that abuse the fact that Airlines mostly dont police the limits. Its so annoying when there is no room left for my meagre carry on.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Nov 2017
Total posts 113
As a business traveller, I'm happy with the VA limit but would be happier if it was enforced consistently (ie, not just at the Premium Lounge Entry).
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
BA's limit is one bag, up to 23kg in weight, and up to 125cm in total dimensions. Much more customer-friendly. The issue is SIZE, not weight, if we're trying to make sure there's sufficient room for everyone.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
LOL yea i always thought that was a glitch in their website. 23kg is an absurd amount to be lifting above your head but having said that I was lifting my 23kg checked luggage above my head on the Shinkansen for multiple journeys in Japan.
14 Nov 2015
Total posts 45
Never had it happen to me.
I did however once have my check-in bag queried. I'm Gold, wife is Platinum, travelling together on same booking. Had a single ~26kg bag between us.
"Sorry sir, the limit per bag is 23kg".
"We're entitled to way more than this in total, are you really going to enforce this"
"The rule is 23kg sir"
"OK, that's fine, go ask your boss if he can allow it, we'll wait"
He went off to find his boss. It was 2 days before Christmas, lines were snaked out the door, even the premium line had 10+ people on it. He came back pretty quickly.
"That's fine sir"
LOL @ going to his boss over that, at a time like that.
I think he was having a bad day and taking it out on customers, as the guy served before us looked very very annoyed when he walked away from the counter.
22 Dec 2012
Total posts 35
I actually don't mind the limit, but I wish it was per volume not weight. Carry-on space is a limited resource.
27 Aug 2015
Total posts 26
180 passengers x 2 carry-on bags of 7kg each = 360 carry-on bags, to be placed where exactly?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 699
Personally, I've never had a carry on bag weighed in Australia but have seen it in action:
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
12 Nov 2017
Total posts 20
I have to admit to carrying around 20kg of sensitive camera equipment onto Business, with another bag (& about to do this again on Sunday!). Never ever been questioned or had my bag weighed. Perhaps being Platinum for 5 years has helped.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Aug 2016
Total posts 23
Just read an article that qantas has a new weight of 7kg
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Qantas’ carry-on allowance remains 7kg per bag (and up to two bags, so 14kg total), while Virgin’s remains 7kg total weight (so an average of just 3.5kg per bag if two bags are carried). That hasn’t changed.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 73
The Qantas 737 overhead bins observed yesterday have a weight limit of 44KG. Airlines must be careful of overhead weight in the event of a 'very heavy' landing to ensure that the latches and the bins themselves dont fail.
08 Jul 2017
Total posts 28
Chris you are perceiving the web site incorrectly.
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
The website clearly indicates 7kg total weight per passenger, not 7kg per bag: that's the issue being described here.
"All guests travelling on our domestic network are permitted to take up to 7kg of carry-on baggage on board."
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Sep 2017
Total posts 162
Half-service airline
31 Aug 2018
Total posts 5
Actually I wish they would enforce the rule every trip on every airline. Often travelling from Bali to BNE stuck trying to board behind overweight people with 2 stuffed rucksacks, a purse, a ju,ju, a wooden penis bottle opener, duty free of brandivino, giant toblerone and snotty kids with braided hair and temporary (I hope) tattoos. Indeed who hasn't seen a young Mum (bless her) struggling with a 1 year old, a snack pack, a nappy bag, a laptop, a purse and a stroller? Give me an organised business person with 2 appropriate, neat and sized bags anyday.
20 Apr 2015
Total posts 9
23 Aug 2012
Total posts 29
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Dec 2012
Total posts 20
I've been VA PLAT for several years now and it happened once at checkin... in the purple queue on a biz class flight no less!! They insisted I remove items from the back pack until that was 7kg. I had to carry my laptop in my arms plus a couole of other items. Very embarassing. Meanwhile other passengers walk past after their normal checkin with backpacks which I could only described as severely bloated!! Hhmmmmmmpppphhh
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