View Full Version : Hand Baggage with BA
I have just booked flights with BA and having read the luggage allowance I am a little confused I have copy & pasted the wording below.
If you are travelling in our World Traveller or World Traveller Plus economy cabin to the USA, you can only take ONE ITEM OF HAND BAGGAGE. There is no additional allowance for a laptop or handbag-sized bag.
If you are travelling to destinations outside the United States or from the United States you are not affected.
I was going to take two pieces of hand baggage - can I check in the extra bag?
If you are travelling to the United States, yes, at no extra charge. The bag you check in must conform to the size and weight limits for hand baggage.
Does this mean that I can check a small bag in going and then bring it back as hand luggage? seems a bit odd to me.
BA do not have a weight allowance, apart from being able to hoist it in the overheads, on hand luggage only a size guide. I take my small case on as hand luggage and it looks as though next month I am going to have to fit my handbag in the case at the appropriate times so I am not perceived to have 2 pieces of hand luggage. As this seems to only apply to the lower classes of travel it is obviously not for security reasons.
Katys Grandad
08-04-2010, 19:53
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Lyn
Does this mean that I can check a small bag in going and then bring it back as hand luggage? seems a bit odd to me.
[/quote]
Yes it does mean that. No sensible reason really other than BA seem to think that UK airport security aren't able to deal with the additional bags as well as those in the US.
I posted the original post this morning after checking the BA website. I have just been looking again with the intention of emailing them, but have just found this.
The size and weight restriction applies to all flights.
More information about our hand baggage allowance
The US hand baggage restrictions have now been removed. You can now carry two pieces of hand baggage on all flights, in all cabins.
These people seem to go all out to confuse me.
The website gives sizes for both bags 56cm x 45cm x 25cm for the hand luggage plus 36cm x 45cm x 20cm for the handbag/laptop bag. This handbag/laptop size seems generous to me fo a 2nd piece, would be more than happy if I can take both (helps make up for only 1 piece of checked luggage)
We travelled out in February and queried the hand baggage allowance with BA.
After a 35 minute phone call in which we were assured that we COULD take 2 items we persevered as we were not convinced she was telling us the right information. They finally got a supervisor who then said no, only ONE piece of hand baggage. I then quoted the bit about being able to have the extra piece of hand luggage taken on board as hold luggage free and she said yes, you can do that but as you have already asked about it then you can't as you obviously now know that you can only have one piece! She also said it would be in our 'notes' so we would be charged if we tried to get the second piece put in hold luggage!
Needless to say we only took one item.
It is good news if they now allow two items so that we don't have to stuff my handbag in the hand luggage! The good news is unlike Virgin, at the moment there is no weight limit on hand luggage, but I guess that won't last for ever![msneek]
Have to say that the flight itself was brilliant and service excellent. [msnwink]
ShirleyD
09-04-2010, 03:57
I think this piece of information has come about because of the enhanced gate security for flights to the US. A very large percentage of bags and passengers are now searched at the departure gate so the less hand baggage the better.
Katys Grandad
09-04-2010, 07:31
It does seem that this restrictions has been lifted - a piece of good news for once. I do get annoyed with airlines and airports playing the 'security' card every time they want to reduce passenger facilities.
If it was really about security, there was never a justification in limiting it to economy tickets. Almost all the 9/11 bombers were actually ticketed in First Class.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:If it was really about security, there was never a justification in limiting it to economy tickets. Almost all the 9/11 bombers were actually ticketed in First Class.[/quote]But it is First & Business where the airlines make their money!
Lynne
Katys Grandad
09-04-2010, 11:28
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Pookie But it is First & Business where the airlines make their money!
Lynne[/quote]Which is my point exactly. I have no problem with BA saying that they aren't going to restrict bags for their premium passengers because they don't want to alienate them but to claim it's a 'security' measure is deliberately misleading.
It's plainly about saving money and nothing else.
Still at least they are not charging for using the loo like Ryanair - just hope that Ryanair never get to fly to the US.
My friend's grandaughter said to her Mum, they are flying to France next week, oh well I will just have to 'wee' on their seat as I don't have any money. Wonder how they will cope with that then!! Hee, hee, hee?
Children get right to the heart of the matter don't they?
Andrena
grayster
09-04-2010, 18:51
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Pookie But it is First & Business where the airlines make their money!
Lynne[/quote]Which is my point exactly. I have no problem with BA saying that they aren't going to restrict bags for their premium passengers because they don't want to alienate them but to claim it's a 'security' measure is deliberately misleading.
It's plainly about saving money and nothing else.
[/quote]
I think the restriction originated from 2008 when BAA enforced it (from government guidelines) in all airports after the liquids issue. When it was dropped, some airlines kept it, others didn't. Some have recently reinstated it for US bound flights post-Xmas bomb attempt. I understand the reason was due to the extra security check at the gate and to aid the speed of departure. In fairness to BA, there are a lot fewer 1st and business class flyers so there are a lot less bags to check on the gate check and I guess if you pay for a 1st class ticket (which is obscenely priced) you probably would expect some perks. I don't think it saves BA money checking the bag in rather than stowing it in an overhead. It does save time for everyone travelling.
Katys Grandad
09-04-2010, 22:11
I do take your point but delayed flights cost the airlines a fortune. I should probably have said 'commercial considerations' rather than money saving.
Security measures are either necessary or not. I can't see how the ability to avoid any aspect of them can ever properly be a 'perk' of a higher priced ticket. If the rule is truly related to security then exempting a group of passengers from it makes the whole exercise futile.
BA are reversing this policy because it suits THEM to do so, not because the security risk has changed or because they have a wish to make life easier for their lower fare passengers. I don't have any real problem with that other than BA and other airlines claiming they are motivated only by so-called security considerations.
Robert5988
10-04-2010, 11:58
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:I think the restriction originated from 2008 when BAA enforced it (from government guidelines) in all airports after the liquids issue. When it was dropped, some airlines kept it, others didn't. Some have recently reinstated it for US bound flights post-Xmas bomb attempt. I understand the reason was due to the extra security check at the gate and to aid the speed of departure. In fairness to BA, there are a lot fewer 1st and business class flyers so there are a lot less bags to check on the gate check and I guess if you pay for a 1st class ticket (which is obscenely priced) you probably would expect some perks. I don't think it saves BA money checking the bag in rather than stowing it in an overhead. It does save time for everyone travelling.[/quote]
It was always my impression that the 'one bag rule' was an airport ruling - not an airline ruling - and a higher priced ticket did not exempt you from this rule??
Last month flying with BA on a business class ticket from Manchester to London(then on to Florida with AA) I was specifically told that the one piece hand luggage stipulation applied at both Manchester and at the Heathrow terminal 3 to which I transferred.
How would BA - or any airline - be able to stipulate one bag at airport security where two bags were allowed? or conversely allow their premium passengers two bags where the airport rule was one?
Once through security and 'airside' any passenger, including coach, can buy goods - duty free etc - and board with additional hand luggage.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:How would BA - or any airline - be able to stipulate one bag at airport security where two bags were allowed?[/quote]
Airlines have the right to stipulate if they want only one piece of cabin baggage to be carried on board.
Security stipulations however would over ride any airline rules when it comes to hand baggage, i.e. should the airline stipulate 2 pieces of hand baggage is allowed but security only one then one it would be.
Duty free and goods purchased airside would fall outside this security ruling as it would be deemed they have already been screened.
Lynne
ShirleyD
10-04-2010, 14:01
The issue with number of bags and security, is purly down to the fact it takes less time to scan and search one bag than two, not because it makes it any safer... so yes we are back to comercial issues (less people needed to search bags)
With the airlines, their main issue is space. If you are travelling in the premium cabins, there are far less seats compared to baggage lockers.
If every economy passenger had two bags, where would they go!
Robert5988
11-04-2010, 00:03
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:The issue with number of bags and security, is purly down to the fact it takes less time to scan and search one bag than two, not because it makes it any safer... so yes we are back to comercial issues (less people needed to search bags)
With the airlines, their main issue is space. If you are travelling in the premium cabins, there are far less seats compared to baggage lockers.
If every economy passenger had two bags, where would they go! [/quote]
We are getting away from the issue of this thread I believe.
The 'one piece of luggage rule' that was recently enforced applied at security. i.e. my wife couldn't take her carry-on case and a small handbag through security(unless her handbag was inside the case). That applied regardless of the airline or cabin in which she was booked.
However when she got through security she could take her handbag out of her carry-on case and go and buy some duty free goods etc and take them on the plane. This applied if she was in a premium cabin or economy, and with BA or another airline.
Flying back from the USA with BA or any other airline the "one piece of luggage rule" in coach was lifted after a week or so after the Xmas incident(the Nigerian setting fire to his underpants).
However on the AA website it warned passengers travelling from the USA that if they had an onward flight from UK that they would only be allowed to take one piece of luggage through security.
So whilst I am aware of the restrictions on locker space in economy, to my very certain knowledge the BA planes returning from the USA are the same ones used for the outward journey[msnwink]
So to get back to my original point, the restriction was imposed by the airport and not BA and applied to all passengers including those in the premium cabins.
Also it appears now that the one piece of luggage rule has been lifted on security grounds and BA are merely saying that two pieces of hand luggage(e.g. carry-on and handbag) are now allowed on on outbound and inbound in all cabins.
Yes, I have had an email from BA saying that you can now take two pieces.