Don’t get stuck with a cabin bag calamity
AS ANY seasoned traveller knows, it makes sense to fly with just hand luggage if at all possible. There’s no need to hang around at the baggage carousel after landing. You also avoid any risk of your suitcase going missing or its contents getting damaged. And with many airlines, there is the massive financial incentive to travel light: to check in a bag to the hold with Ryanair can cost as much as £80 on return flights.
But there can be a catch. Sometimes there isn’t space in the cabin, particularly on short-haul flights with budget airlines, which usually fly at full capacity.
A Which? survey has found that an average of ten per cent of passengers were required to hand over their cabin luggage at the departure gate or on the tarmac for it to be put in the hold, even though the bag met carry-on size and weight requirements.
If an airline takes your hand luggage from you due to lack of space in the cabin, at least you don’t have to pay for it to go in the hold. But the unexpected separation can be stressful. As Which? points out, the wait to retrieve the bag at the carousel can result in missing a connecting flight, and valuables you intended to keep with you on the flight can get stolen and be uninsured.
In my opinion, the high number
of passengers being separated from their hand luggage and the various knock-on effects, which also include delays to flights, is unsustainable.
To deal with the problem, airlines could simply reduce cabin-bag allowances. As part of its drive to be more customer-friendly, Ryanair increased it a few years ago to include a second smaller bag. Another option is to follow the lead of no-frills airline Wizz Air and introduce charges for large cabin bags. In the meantime, follow my tips to reduce the chances of your cabin bag ending up in the hold.
Travel with a bag that can fit under the seat in front. EasyJet, for example, says it is extremely likely it will be accepted in the cabin.
Get to the departure gate early. Those who are last to board are most at risk of not being able to take their bag on.
With Ryanair, pay extra for priority boarding – you won’t be asked to put your cabin bag in the hold ‘unless necessary due to operational reasons’.
Don’t exceed hand-luggage limits. Not only are you likely to have to check in your bag, but you’ll also pay for the privilege. Check limits with your airline.