Britain’s biggest union is demanding that airlines introduce standardized hand luggage rules because it is becoming increasingly concerned about the abuse airport and airline staff face from disgruntled passengers trying to navigate the myriad bag rules imposed by different carriers.
The call from the Unite union comes just weeks after the European Parliament voted in favor of allowing all airline passengers to travel with two pieces of hand luggage for free, even if they are traveling on a budget carrier.
Although the policy must first be approved by 55% of the EU’s 27 member states before it becomes law, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on enforcement of passenger rights, Matteo Ricci, said the policy was a “fundamental right to avoid unjustified extra costs.”
At present, nearly every airline across Europe allows passengers to bring one small item that can fit underneath the seat in front of them onboard for free.
Additional charges for bringing a larger piece of hand luggage that must be stored in the overhead bin can, however, vary significantly from airline to airline, with carriers imposing wildly different bag dimension restrictions that can catch passengers off guard.
“Adopting standardisation will end the confusion for passengers, who absurdly can face different rules on return trips because the enforcement standards differ at each airport,” explained the United union’s national officer for civil air transport, Oliver Richardson.
“The current situation is driving disruptive passenger incidents, which airport workers are bearing the brunt of. It needs to end,” Richardson warned.
As the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the EU, it would have to introduce its own legislation to mirror that of European countries, or UK-based airlines would have to voluntarily agree to adopt the same rules as their European peers.
Given that the EU is the “single biggest destination for UK passengers”, Unite believes British airlines should adopt hand luggage standardisation as quickly as possible, although that might not necessarily be required.
Should the European Union adopt the proposals of the Transport and Tourism Committee, then airlines flying to or from Europe will have to offer the same hand luggage allowance, regardless of where they are based in the world.
Passengers would, therefore, be entitled to the following hand luggage allowance for free:
- One personal item, such as a handbag, backpack, or laptop (maximum dimensions of 40x30x15 cm, that would go on the floor.
- One small hand luggage (maximum dimensions of 100 cm), and weighing a maximum of just 7kg.
The measures could, however, have some unexpected consequences, as some airlines currently offer far more generous hand luggage policies which might be slashed if they were forced to adopt these standardized measures.
It’s also important to note that airlines would still be free to charge ancillary fees for passengers to bring larger and heavier pieces of hand luggage onboard the aircraft with them.
What might happen in practice is that passengers who have paid for an ever larger hand luggage allowance would be allowed to board the plane first. Once all the overhead bin space is full, all other passengers would then have their hand luggage gate-checked and loaded into the hold.
Unsurprisingly, the airline industry has warned that this could lead to increased airfares for all, regardless of whether a passenger needs a hand luggage allowance.
It may also result in boarding and departure delays as airlines battle with excess hand luggage that can’t fit in the airplane cabin. That might also have the unintended consequence of causing yet more disruptive behavior and abuse towards airline staff.
Last month, the industry trade body, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), blasted the European Parliament over its hand luggage proposals, accusing lawmakers of ‘meddling’ in matters they know nothing about.
“When regulators meddle in commercial or operational issues they don’t understand, they usually get it wrong,” IATA director general Willie Walsh said of the new hand luggage rules.
“Our consumer research tells us that the majority of travelers want to pay the lowest price possible for their ticket and buy the additional services they need.”
Walsh explained: “That’s the complete opposite of an amendment that will force airlines to re-bundle their offering.”
Don’t Buy Any New Hand Luggage Yet!
Despite how some media outlets have reported the European Parliament’s proposed amendments to hand luggage rules, it should be stressed that these changes are not yet law, and airlines do not (yet) have to offer free hand luggage.
Hand luggage allowances and permitted bag dimensions still vary massively from airline to airline, and you should check you are within your permitted allowance to avoid nasty surprise fees at the airport.
