Hand luggage passengers travelling in Australia on holiday will face new restrictions by airlines. Virgin Australia and Quantas, among other airlines, are clamping down on passengers who break the tight weight restrictions for bags being taken onto the cabin. Both only allow 7kg in weight for luggage that is not checked in, with travellers often able to break this weight if checking in online and bypassing the weight machines. Starting from tomorrow, however, this will no longer be able to be avoided.
The airlines will be installing various points to weigh bags, such as at the check-in desk and at the boarding gates.
Anyone caught breaking this weight will have to pay the difference for oversized luggage or have it checked in.
Low-cost airline such as Jetstar already has scales in place to prevent passengers from breaking the rules, with many opting to travel with just hand luggage on budget airlines to avoid additional charges.
Australian airline Tigerair uses luggage tags confirming it has been weighed as hand luggage to stop passengers sneaking through with an oversized bag.
Oversized bags in the overhead lockers can cause problems for flight attendants if they fall and injure someone.
Virgin Australia general manager of ground operations Paul Woosnam told news.com.au that cabin crew injuries caused by “overhead lockers full of heavy baggage” have caused many to be “unable to work for a period of time”.
Currently, Virgin Australia passengers can take 30kg of luggage – 7kg in hand luggage and 23kg in checked luggage.
Qantas passengers travelling domestically can only take two pieces of hand luggage weighing no more than 7kg each.
It isn’t the only rule change for passengers travelling to and from Australia – anyone travelling with powders through security also face new restrictions.
Along with the US, the new rule means no more than 350g of powder such as talcum powder, salt or toiletries can be carried in hand luggage.
UK airlines have also changed their hand luggage rules in recent months, such as Ryanair.
Earlier this year, the airline announced passengers were no longer able to take hand luggage suitcases into the cabin free of charge and it would be checked into the hold for free instead.
A few months later, the airline no longer allowed this and all passengers must now pay for their bags to be taken into the cabin.
The airline advised the rule change was to prevent delays and loading issues with the large amount of free luggage being taken onboard.
Last week, many passengers slammed the large queues at the airport due to the confusing new cabin baggage policy.
