Have some airlines gone mad? Are the variations in weight and luggage dimensions confusing and unhelpful?
Our editor travels the globe using different airlines and has become perplexed at the increasing differences in allowances from one carrier to another, with their rules changing frequently enough to catch many passengers out forcing them to pay additional luggage fees at the airport.
Packing 'only what you need' is an easy statement to make but not easy to do, especially when you may have to take into account the reason for your trip, the weather at your destination and the duration of your visit.
Many travellers, particularly on short business trips of 2-4 days, do not want the delays of check-in luggage and waiting at the belt for it to be delivered from the aircraft, therefore cabin baggage is the answer. However this, so called, advantage, can have its pitfalls as some airlines have reduced the size and number of bags permitted in the cabin.
Simply put, there are so many variations in baggage allowances that we recommend you check with your airline before you purchase your ticket to ensure that their allowances meet your requirements, and the size of luggage that you already have at home!
Our editors recent 2 day trip to Norway via Scandanavian Airlines System (SAS) provided even more surprises with an 'underseat' option allowing for a smaller 'cabin bag' 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm (length x width x depth) bag which was perfect for the short trip making the cost of the flight even cheaper.!
We have noticed how stringent airlines are becoming in their application of their own policies by inspecting your cabin baggage at check-in and also at the gate, with some offering and insisting that some cabin baggage is put in the hold, albeit free of charge. The airlines state that it is simply down to lack of space as more people choose to travel with cabin baggage only. Then there are other airlines who accept 'two' cabin bags per passenger which in some cases seems to delay departure as passengers look for overhead locker space as the aircraft fills up.
So we can only remind you to check with the airline before you decide to purchase a ticket as their maybe other carriers on the same route with more flexible baggage policies.
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