Hand Baggage with BA

[Lyn]

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.

[Jill]

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]

<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.

[Lyn]

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)

[ellie]

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]

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]

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.

[Pookie]

<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]

<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.

[Andrena]

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