This is in Sundays Washington Post...
COMING AND GOING
Washington Post Sunday, April 23, 2006; Page P01
UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
When Carry-ons Don't Fit
Since foreign student Agata Cieslar was one of the last people to board the Lufthansa flight from Krakow, Poland, to Dulles airport, she found little space left in the overhead bins. In fact, the flight attendant insisted that she give up her carry-on bag.
Cieslar protested that all her valuables were inside -- her laptop with her research and term papers, her camera, her jewelry. "There's nothing to worry about," she said the attendant told her. "I'm just storing it in the back of the plane and you can get it when we stop in Munich." Cieslar reluctantly acquiesced.
On arriving in Munich, though, she learned that the bag was not on the plane : The attendant had put it outside, where it arrived too late to be checked and was put on another flight. Four days later, the bag showed up in Washington with a broken zipper and minus the laptop.
Numerous letters and calls to Lufthansa resulted eventually in an offer of 20 percent off a future flight. Dissatisfied, Cieslar contacted CoGo.
"It's one of those unfortunate cases where she exercised poor judgment ," responded spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak. "She could easily have taken the laptop out and put it under her seat." Passengers should be mindful, she said, that "we reserve the right to take any bag and check it ." However, she added, "We do sympathize with her, and if she sends us a receipt for the computer, we'll take it from there."
Most airlines reserve the right to check your carry-on if the overhead bins are full. And most airlines, including Lufthansa, decline liability for electronics. If they won't fit under your seat, leave them at home.
This is becomming a real problem now that we are flying at 80%.
USA language for carry-on's reads, "Carry-on baggage is limited to one piece per customer, plus a personal item such as a purse, briefcase, laptop, small backpack, camera bags, small daypacks, infant bags, diaper bag or camera case. The personal item, which is to be placed under the seat in front of you, cannot exceed total overall dimensions of 36 inches. The other item of baggage may be placed in the overhead compartment and cannot exceed the following maximum dimensions:
Valet Closet--45L x 23 1/2W x 4H
Overhead Stowage--24L x 16W x 10H (L-2" more than United)
Underseat Stowage--21L x 16W x 8H
Carry-on baggage dimensions: US Airways’ maximum linear dimensions are 51" (What the heck does that look like?)
Both items cannot exceed a total combined weight of 40 pounds. Carry-on baggage allowance may be restricted due to lack of space.
Some airports may be more restrictive due to local operational requirements"
Does anyone else see the problem here?
The good Valet Closets have been pulled out! (757) and the others are way too small! During the winter months there is no room for bags in these at all, because there are coats to hang in F. Flight attendants are the ones that get caught being the "bad guy" by having to explain that there is no room or the bag is simply too large to be stowed...WHY, These guidelines are misleading and the agents don’t take the time to catch the bags from coming down to the A/C!
Everyone comes aboard with a Personal Item that is larger than 36 overall inches and these get put in the overheads leaving no room for bags. Adding the "turn the bag" announcement to the book was a good first start, but many don’t read it or enforce it.
My thought is if we are going to be a leader in this "New Era" of the airline industry we need to establish some real WORKING guidelines for luggage and stick to it!
Suggestions: Carry On luggage is limited to one (1) personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you 18L x 14W x 8H
Any luggage exceeding the carry on dimensions must be checked the exception being:
1. You are a Chairman’s Preferred Member of Dividend Miles or Alliance Member Airline.
2. A customer who has purchased an unrestricted full fare First/Coach seat for that flight.
3. A discount fare paying customer who agrees to pay the carry-on bag fee of $25.00 (the bag must not exceed 22L x 16W x 10H to be allowed in the cabin)
Imagine how quickly we could board and de-plane the A/C boosting turn time. Not to mention the ability to boost revenue for people who insist on brining the bags aboard.
COMING AND GOING
Washington Post Sunday, April 23, 2006; Page P01
UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
When Carry-ons Don't Fit
Since foreign student Agata Cieslar was one of the last people to board the Lufthansa flight from Krakow, Poland, to Dulles airport, she found little space left in the overhead bins. In fact, the flight attendant insisted that she give up her carry-on bag.
Cieslar protested that all her valuables were inside -- her laptop with her research and term papers, her camera, her jewelry. "There's nothing to worry about," she said the attendant told her. "I'm just storing it in the back of the plane and you can get it when we stop in Munich." Cieslar reluctantly acquiesced.
On arriving in Munich, though, she learned that the bag was not on the plane : The attendant had put it outside, where it arrived too late to be checked and was put on another flight. Four days later, the bag showed up in Washington with a broken zipper and minus the laptop.
Numerous letters and calls to Lufthansa resulted eventually in an offer of 20 percent off a future flight. Dissatisfied, Cieslar contacted CoGo.
"It's one of those unfortunate cases where she exercised poor judgment ," responded spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak. "She could easily have taken the laptop out and put it under her seat." Passengers should be mindful, she said, that "we reserve the right to take any bag and check it ." However, she added, "We do sympathize with her, and if she sends us a receipt for the computer, we'll take it from there."
Most airlines reserve the right to check your carry-on if the overhead bins are full. And most airlines, including Lufthansa, decline liability for electronics. If they won't fit under your seat, leave them at home.
This is becomming a real problem now that we are flying at 80%.
USA language for carry-on's reads, "Carry-on baggage is limited to one piece per customer, plus a personal item such as a purse, briefcase, laptop, small backpack, camera bags, small daypacks, infant bags, diaper bag or camera case. The personal item, which is to be placed under the seat in front of you, cannot exceed total overall dimensions of 36 inches. The other item of baggage may be placed in the overhead compartment and cannot exceed the following maximum dimensions:
Valet Closet--45L x 23 1/2W x 4H
Overhead Stowage--24L x 16W x 10H (L-2" more than United)
Underseat Stowage--21L x 16W x 8H
Carry-on baggage dimensions: US Airways’ maximum linear dimensions are 51" (What the heck does that look like?)
Both items cannot exceed a total combined weight of 40 pounds. Carry-on baggage allowance may be restricted due to lack of space.
Some airports may be more restrictive due to local operational requirements"
Does anyone else see the problem here?
The good Valet Closets have been pulled out! (757) and the others are way too small! During the winter months there is no room for bags in these at all, because there are coats to hang in F. Flight attendants are the ones that get caught being the "bad guy" by having to explain that there is no room or the bag is simply too large to be stowed...WHY, These guidelines are misleading and the agents don’t take the time to catch the bags from coming down to the A/C!
Everyone comes aboard with a Personal Item that is larger than 36 overall inches and these get put in the overheads leaving no room for bags. Adding the "turn the bag" announcement to the book was a good first start, but many don’t read it or enforce it.
My thought is if we are going to be a leader in this "New Era" of the airline industry we need to establish some real WORKING guidelines for luggage and stick to it!
Suggestions: Carry On luggage is limited to one (1) personal item that must fit under the seat in front of you 18L x 14W x 8H
Any luggage exceeding the carry on dimensions must be checked the exception being:
1. You are a Chairman’s Preferred Member of Dividend Miles or Alliance Member Airline.
2. A customer who has purchased an unrestricted full fare First/Coach seat for that flight.
3. A discount fare paying customer who agrees to pay the carry-on bag fee of $25.00 (the bag must not exceed 22L x 16W x 10H to be allowed in the cabin)
Imagine how quickly we could board and de-plane the A/C boosting turn time. Not to mention the ability to boost revenue for people who insist on brining the bags aboard.
