Carry On bag check with built in weighing scales

eusap

By reading the title you will probably assume that this is a new Ryanair money making racket, but last week on my flight from Dublin to Brussels with Aerlingus the boarding gate staff where actively using this device that checks the bag dimensions but also has a built in weighing scales and refusing carry on bags for being overweight.

Be warned

double GG

Pretty standard enough practice. Weighing and measuring bags.

eusap

Its not normal to weigh the bag again as your boarding the plane

actuallylike

eusap wrote: »

Its not normal to weigh the bag again as your boarding the plane

When do they weigh it the first time?

eusap

Some airlines weigh them at check in

actuallylike

eusap wrote: »

Some airlines weigh them at check in

They weigh the bags that go in the hold don't they? I've never had my carry on luggage weighed before I go through security.

tatli_lokma

At T2 just before you go through security I have had my bag checked for size and weight.

actuallylike

I still don't get it though. If they weighed them and checked dimensions before security and they checked out okay, what would have happened in the time it got to walk to the boarding gate that would make them heavier and exceeding dimensions.

athtrasna

actuallylike wrote: »

I still don't get it though. If they weighed them and checked dimensions before security and they checked out okay, what would have happened in the time it got to walk to the boarding gate that would make them heavier and exceeding dimensions.

Airport shopping

coylemj

actuallylike wrote: »

I still don't get it though. If they weighed them and checked dimensions before security and they checked out okay, what would have happened in the time it got to walk to the boarding gate that would make them heavier and exceeding dimensions.

When does that happen for carry-on luggage if you're not checking in bags?

You intend bringing one bag only and it's within the carry-on dimensions limits. You print the boarding pass at home, you arrive at the airport, go through security and you only meet the Aer Lingus people at the gate, aren't they entitled to weigh your bag at that stage?

If you're an adult passenger, they need to know your gender because they make an assumption of average weights for men and women (different for each) and they also make an assumption as to the average weight carried on by adult passengers.

With charges these days for checked in bags, people are tending to bring more in carry-on so the airlines are more strict enforcing weight limits.

athtrasna

coylemj wrote: »

When does that happen for carry-on luggage if you're not checking in bags?

You intend bringing one bag only and it's within the carry-on dimensions limits. You print the boarding pass at home, you arrive at the airport, go through security and you only meet the Aer Lingus people at the gate, aren't they entitled to weigh your bag at that stage?

Little Ted wrote: »

At T2 just before you go through security I have had my bag checked for size and weight.

coylemj

Little Ted wrote: »

At T2 just before you go through security I have had my bag checked for size and weight.

By who? DAA security personnel have no brief to enforce weight or dimensions rules, it's none of their business.

All they care about is liquids and that you have no prohibited items......

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/airport-security/hand-baggage-allowances.aspx

MadsL

I wish Ryanair would just weigh people rather than bags

Eponymous

coylemj wrote: »

By who? DAA security personnel have no brief to enforce weight or dimensions rules, it's none of their business.

All they care about is liquids and that you have no prohibited items......

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/airport-security/hand-baggage-allowances.aspx

You'll often see EI personnel standing in the area where the queues form for security with a metal frame and they routinely ask people flying Aer Lingus to try their bag in the frame.

If you're asked, just say you're not flying EI!

tatli_lokma

coylemj wrote: »

By who? DAA security personnel have no brief to enforce weight or dimensions rules, it's none of their business.

All they care about is liquids and that you have no prohibited items......

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/airport-security/hand-baggage-allowances.aspx

Eponymous wrote: »

You'll often see EI personnel standing in the area where the queues form for security with a metal frame and they routinely ask people flying Aer Lingus to try their bag in the frame.

If you're asked, just say you're not flying EI!

This is exactly what happened to us - an Aer Lingus dude in his natty green uniform asked to see our boarding passes just before we actually started to queue for security, then proceeded to check dimensions of the bag in the cage thing (he asked to see boarding pass so knew we were AL). Grand. Literally 5 mins later another AL staff member came along, while we were queuing to go through security, but her cage thingy had a scales on it. There was no issue, as we hadn't even got to duty free yet! Thankfully there were no other's with weighing scales at the boarding gate

ProudDUB

Little Ted wrote: »

This is exactly what happened to us - an Aer Lingus dude in his natty green uniform asked to see our boarding passes just before we actually started to queue for security, then proceeded to check dimensions of the bag in the cage thing (he asked to see boarding pass so knew we were AL)

If an airline employee - NOT a member of security, an airline employee - asks to see your boarding pass, can you just refuse to show it to them? I don't mean at the boarding gate, I mean in the main airport area itself? Can you just tell them that that you are not flying with them and just move along, or do they have any sort of special powers over travelers, in that they are entitled to see your documents?

rain on

Coming back from London with Ryanair around this time last year I had my carry-on bag weighed at the gate, it came in slightly over 10 kg and your one was looking for 40 euro or whatever the charge is to check it in. I took out a few magazines I had in there and asked her to weigh the bag again, it came in about 9.5 kg and she let me go. She was only barely paying attention so I just picked up the magazines, wandered off and put them back in my bag round the corner.

tatli_lokma

ProudDUB wrote: »

If an airline employee - NOT a member of security, an airline employee - asks to see your boarding pass, can you just refuse to show it to them? I don't mean at the boarding gate, I mean in the main airport area itself? Can you just tell them that that you are not flying with them and just move along, or do they have any sort of special powers over travelers, in that they are entitled to see your documents?

I don't know if you could or couldn't, but rather than get into it and maybe have to debate the point, I'd rather just let them see the pass and then be done with it. If they are planning to weigh/check your bag, they can do this at several points, so if your bag is over weight/over size, you are probably not going to get away with it anyway.

TIP: use the sports bags with wheels. As you get to the check in, carry the bag on your shoulder and try to look like it isn't a struggle! And those bags being soft shell are easier to manipulate so they fit into the cage (unlike a suitcase which has no give). A few times I know full well I was over weight on my carry bag but tried to bluff it by trying to make it look like it was light as a feather! lol Anytime I have been stressed/hassled looking I was stopped and checked. Ironically I was never over the limit on those occasions, just frazzled. But if you look in any way like you are stuggling they will stop you!

Strumms

If I was approached by an airline representative in a security Q or just on my way through the terminal asking for my boarding pass to check a bag's dims or weight before they even accertained who I was even flying with id just politely tell them it's not convenient and if they themselves were to make an issue of it I would tell them a lot less politely where to go with themselves.

There is enough to be thinking about re: the stringent security checks as in is coat off, belt off, liquids out yadda yadda to be concerned at that point with bags etc.. I have no issue with the check being done at the gate it's only correct and I adhere to all the regs myself but this procedure i haven't heard of but will keep an eye out tomorrow when I fly.

Eponymous

Flew out and back yesterday from T2 and hung back before the queue for security to watch the EI guy with his frame and saw quite a few people just walk right past as he was trying to get their attention. Not sure there's anything he can do if you were to refuse to show him your boarding pass. He certainly seemed resigned to being ignored!

He wasn't interested in me anyway, I only had a small document pouch under my arm.

ProudDUB

Little Ted wrote: »

TIP: use the sports bags with wheels. As you get to the check in, carry the bag on your shoulder and try to look like it isn't a struggle! And those bags being soft shell are easier to manipulate so they fit into the cage (unlike a suitcase which has no give). A few times I know full well I was over weight on my carry bag but tried to bluff it by trying to make it look like it was light as a feather! lol Anytime I have been stressed/hassled looking I was stopped and checked. Ironically I was never over the limit on those occasions, just frazzled. But if you look in any way like you are stuggling they will stop you!

Yes, that is my approach too. On my last trip on Ryanair, my bag was nearly 17kg, due to an unexpected and rather heavy Xmas pressie that I hadn't planned for. I bravely plastered a nonchalant look on my face, as I carried the bag onto to the plane. But boy did I suffer as I went thru the terminal building itself, which is why I was wondering what powers the airline staff do or do not have in the areas before you get to actual boarding gates.

Strumms

Eponymous wrote: »

Flew out and back yesterday from T2 and hung back before the queue for security to watch the EI guy with his frame and saw quite a few people just walk right past as he was trying to get their attention. Not sure there's anything he can do if you were to refuse to show him your boarding pass. He certainly seemed resigned to being ignored!

He wasn't interested in me anyway, I only had a small document pouch under my arm.

I also flew out yesterday. The guy is positioned just before the walk up to the security Q at T2 departures. He took no interest in me either as I just had a laptop bag but he did have the sort of meek look on his face that he was expecting another 100 people to dismiss him like the previous 100 did and I am sure he was wondering what he did to deserve to be standing there but hey ho.