Thomas Cook, Thomson and Ryanair in Europe's stingiest airlines for hand luggage
comments
It's one of the most frustrating challenges every passenger encounters when they board a plane – the mad dash to find a generous spot for their hand baggage.
Placing luggage in the overhead lockers is often a tight squeeze as passengers skirt the rules with bags that barely fit, and it's no surprise that some airlines are better than others when it comes to cabin baggage allowances.
It turns out Spanish carrier Iberia is the most generous – allowing larger bags with no weight restrictions – while UK airlines Thomas Cook and Thomson and Dublin-based Ryanair are among the stingiest, according to a BBC survey.
Room for everyone? Many passengers face a mad dash to find a generous spot for their hand luggage
With passengers bringing on larger and heavier bags to avoid surcharges for checked baggage, the dimensions and weight of allowable cabin luggage vary per airline and the rules aren't always enforced by airline staff.
The BBC's survey of 17 major European airlines found that Iberia, British Airlines, Jet2 and Monarch Airlines all allow the largest bags – with dimensions of 22 x 17 x 9 inches (56 x 45 x 25 centimetres) for a fully-packed bag – but Iberia is the only one without a weight restriction.
Size matters: Some airlines are more generous than others when it comes to cabin luggage allowances
UK budget airline easyJet will allow a bag up to that size, but it will be placed in the luggage hold at no cost if there is not enough room for it. Otherwise, its dimensions are 19 x 15 x 7ins 50 x 40 x 20cms). The airline doesn't have a weight limit.
Ryanair, its chief rival, found itself near the bottom of the survey.
The airline that is notorious for checked baggage fees as high as £75 allows bags as large as 21 x 15 x 7ins (55 x 40 x 20cms) with a maximum weight of 22lbs (10kg).
'Most generous': Spanish carrier Iberia allows larger bags and does not have a weight restriction
Frank Brehany, consumer director of HolidayTravelWatch, told the BBC that airline employees are not doing enough checks at the gate and that is putting the safety of passengers and crew in jeopardy.
He said: 'There have been occasions when consumers have reported an injury as a result of a heavy item falling down on arrival.
'Others have been hurt because the owner cannot manage the weight of the bag. The weight can even cause the overhead bin to open.'
Book your travel
Put the internet to work for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment