BA passengers to get even less hand luggage

THOUSANDS of British Airways passengers face tighter restrictions on their hand luggage after too many were found to be exceeding their allowance.

The firm permits two pieces of baggage to be taken into the cabin, but is nearly halving the size of the ‘personal’ bag.

From August 18, passengers will be limited to just 40x30x15cm – compared with the current maximum of 45x36x20cm.

It could lead to many travellers – who have already bought special bags to fit their laptops – having to buy new luggage or even replace their portable computers. However the size of the main piece of hand luggage – which is often a wheel-on bag – will remain the same at 56x45x25cm.

BA said that the changes are being made to speed up boarding. The new limit on the personal bag will mean it can be stowed under the seat, and cabin crew will not waste time rearranging over-stuffed bags.

If there is still too much luggage in the overhead lockers, passengers may have to decide which of their bags should go in the hold.

In an email to customers, the firm said: ‘In recent months we have seen an increase in people travelling with hand baggage that exceeds their allowance.

‘We always try to accommodate our customers but to make sure the aircraft is ready to depart on time we are making the following changes. You can continue to carry two pieces of hand baggage. One bag should be a handbag or laptop-sized bag which should now be no larger than 40x30x15cm.

‘The size of your additional cabin bag remains unchanged and can weigh up to 23kgs. Customers who travel with hand baggage which is outside their allowance will be asked to check this into the hold.’

BA insists the reduced dimensions are ‘generous’ and will comfortably fit modern laptops – which tend to be smaller than older versions – as well as all the associated wires and accessories.

Economy and premium economy travellers will be affected by the change, although those in first class will be exempt.

BA, which carries 42million passengers a year, said: ‘We know that customers want their flights to leave on time, so we are looking at a number of initiatives to help us maintain punctuality.

‘We are asking customers to help us achieve this by adhering to our hand baggage allowance which is clearly stated on our website.’