British Airways Luggage Question

[I Luv Crusin]

My DD and I are flying to London for 4 days and then onto Rome for a 12 day cruise we then have two more nights in Rome. I was reading the BA luggage restrictions and I think my carry-on is of the correct size but they say that is shouldn't weigh more than 13 lbs!:eek: It's about 7lbs empty! Does anyone know how strict they are for carry-on luggage. I was hoping to pack for our London stay in the carry-on and our cruise stuff in the bigger luggage but I know that the case will weigh over 13lbs.

 

Thanks!

[Globaliser]

The actual strictness varies.

 

On most flights, there is little more than cursory examination of each item of cabin baggage to see whether it looks like it's overweight. However, crew have a pretty keen idea of roughly how much something weighs, especially if it's anything like the maximum allowed size, so you have to expect to be challenged if you bring too much with you. On full flights, there is sometimes someone physically weighing cabin baggage.

 

The philosophy behind this is that application of the limits should mean that everyone has plenty of space to stow their stuff. You don't have to worry about boarding first just to find somewhere to put your cabin baggage. Frequent flyers are usually called to board last. I am often almost the last person onto the aircraft, but almost never have problems.

 

The standard advice is only to carry on things that you need during the flight, plus valuables that mustn't be checked. Everything else belongs in the hold, not the cabin. A small light backpack shouldn't weigh more than about one pound, empty. Cabin baggage isn't supposed to encompass four days' worth of clothes, certainly not if you're flying economy class.

[I Luv Crusin]

The actual strictness varies.

 

On most flights, there is little more than cursory examination of each item of cabin baggage to see whether it looks like it's overweight. However, crew have a pretty keen idea of roughly how much something weighs, especially if it's anything like the maximum allowed size, so you have to expect to be challenged if you bring too much with you. On full flights, there is sometimes someone physically weighing cabin baggage.

 

The philosophy behind this is that application of the limits should mean that everyone has plenty of space to stow their stuff. You don't have to worry about boarding first just to find somewhere to put your cabin baggage. Frequent flyers are usually called to board last. I am often almost the last person onto the aircraft, but almost never have problems.

 

The standard advice is only to carry on things that you need during the flight, plus valuables that mustn't be checked. Everything else belongs in the hold, not the cabin. A small light backpack shouldn't weigh more than about one pound, empty. Cabin baggage isn't supposed to encompass four days' worth of clothes, certainly not if you're flying economy class.

 

Ok, I understand. My carry-on is within legal size limits, I'm worrying about weight. My plan was to carry our clothes for London in the small carry-ons so that we could just leave our big cases alone. I guess it doesn't matter. I went to San Franciso for 5 days with just my carry-on and my laptop bag. It's not so heavy that I can't put it up in the overhead bin by myself. I'll re-think my plan....

 

BTW, what is the weather like in London Mid-May?

 

Thanks!

[I Luv Crusin]

The actual strictness varies.

 

On most flights, there is little more than cursory examination of each item of cabin baggage to see whether it looks like it's overweight. However, crew have a pretty keen idea of roughly how much something weighs, especially if it's anything like the maximum allowed size, so you have to expect to be challenged if you bring too much with you. On full flights, there is sometimes someone physically weighing cabin baggage.

 

The philosophy behind this is that application of the limits should mean that everyone has plenty of space to stow their stuff. You don't have to worry about boarding first just to find somewhere to put your cabin baggage. Frequent flyers are usually called to board last. I am often almost the last person onto the aircraft, but almost never have problems.

 

The standard advice is only to carry on things that you need during the flight, plus valuables that mustn't be checked. Everything else belongs in the hold, not the cabin. A small light backpack shouldn't weigh more than about one pound, empty. Cabin baggage isn't supposed to encompass four days' worth of clothes, certainly not if you're flying economy class.

 

Globaliser, I was thinking about this. Why would BA allow a carry-on of standard size (that weighs about 7lbs empty) and limit the weight to 13lbs. It still takes up the same space whether it weighs 13lbs or 30lbs. What about travelers who are just making a weekend trip? Are they supposed to check their luggage?

[LHT28]

My DD and I are flying to London for 4 days and then onto Rome for a 12 day cruise we then have two more nights in Rome. I was reading the BA luggage restrictions and I think my carry-on is of the correct size but they say that is shouldn't weigh more than 13 lbs!:eek: It's about 7lbs empty! Does anyone know how strict they are for carry-on luggage. I was hoping to pack for our London stay in the carry-on and our cruise stuff in the bigger luggage but I know that the case will weigh over 13lbs.

 

Thanks!

 

They are strict

Coming back from London one year our bag was slightly over the 13lbs ..so we had to check it in.

I had the camera & my small purse in the carry-on ...had I been more alert I would have taken both out and we would have probably been OK;)

[Globaliser]

Why would BA allow a carry-on of standard size (that weighs about 7lbs empty) and limit the weight to 13lbs. It still takes up the same space whether it weighs 13lbs or 30lbs. What about travelers who are just making a weekend trip? Are they supposed to check their luggage?

There are safety aspects to this as well. There are injuries on a daily basis from falling cabin baggage. The heavier the stuff in the overhead, the more likely someone is to be significantly hurt. This is one safety area in which many airlines are sacrificing safety for commercial expediency in allowing too much to be carried on. It doesn't get regulated as heavily (yet) because it doesn't cause aircraft to crash so it's not newsworthy or sexy. But the results are there to be seen.

 

If you choose to take a piece of cabin baggage that weighs 7 lbs empty when the weight limit is 13 lbs, that is your own choice. I don't think any of the bags that I use for cabin baggage weighs more than a pound or two.

 

As for weekend trips, just how much stuff do you need in a weekend? A small backpack is ample, IME - and that's from having done about half a dozen weekend trips from London to Hong Kong over the last year.

[I Luv Crusin]

Globaliser, thanks for your input. I'm just in a "domestic" (US) frame of mind. I'll re-think my plan.