You get to the airport with plenty of time to check in. You arrive at the departure gate early. You board the plane and walk to your seat. Then you find out the overhead bins are already full. When passengers bring too much carry-on baggage it can delay flights. The cabin crew has to spend extra time trying to fit everything in the bins or send bags down to the cargo hold. As someone who used to be a pilot and now researches aviation safety I think clearer rules for carry-on bags are a good idea. Too much cabin baggage creates real safety problems. But as more airlines create limits for carry-on luggage a question comes up. Why do different airlines have different baggage rules?
New Carry-On Rules Taking Effect in Australia and Worldwide
Economy passengers can bring one standard cabin bag for the overhead locker that weighs up to 8kg. They can also bring a small personal item that fits under the seat. International airlines are changing their carry-on baggage rules too. Around a year ago Air Canada limited basic fare passengers to one personal item only for flights in North and Central America.
Daily chest routine after 50 rebuilds muscle better than bench press and improves pressing control
The same aircraft type can fly from Sydney to Melbourne such as a common Boeing 737 but your bag and weight limits will be completely different depending on which airline you choose & how much you paid for your ticket. When you fly with Qantas within Australia your carry-on can be one small personal item plus one standard piece of 10kg or two smaller pieces where each piece is 10kg or less and both pieces together weigh 14kg or less or one small piece and a garment bag where each piece is 10kg or less & both pieces together weigh 14kg or less. Budget carrier Jetstar has different rules and allows up to 7kg of carry-on luggage shared between two items. The question remains about how airlines actually decide on bag and weight limits.
Why Passenger and Luggage Weight Really Matters
Each aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight that cannot be exceeded for safety reasons. This total includes the aircraft itself along with fuel and galley supplies plus any cargo and the combined weight of pilots and cabin crew and passengers with their baggage. Checked baggage gets weighed at the check-in desk or bag drop area. Carry-on bags are a different matter though.
Small aircraft carrying fewer than seven passengers require actual passenger weights. Flying to remote Australian locations like the Torres Strait islands means you must weigh yourself and your bags at the airport. Larger planes on regular routes operate differently under Australian regulations. Airlines can use an average passenger weight to calculate the total passenger weight instead of weighing each person individually.
To Live Longer, Do These Things
How Airlines Earn Billions From Bags and Extras
Carry-on baggage rules were once fairly consistent across airlines. However the emergence of budget carriers transformed this approach by introducing fees for additional luggage and services like in-flight WiFi and refreshments as supplementary income streams. These charges apply to nearly everything beyond the standard ticket price. The International Air Transport Association projects that supplementary revenue including fees for extra baggage will reach US$144 billion or approximately A$220 billion this year. This figure exceeds the total value generated by global air cargo transportation.
How Packing Lighter Can Make Travel Safer
Carry-on baggage creates serious problems for cabin crew members who often hurt their backs while helping passengers lift heavy bags into overhead bins. The physical strain from this task leads to many workplace injuries among flight attendants.
Cabin crew also face delays when passengers struggle to fit large items into storage spaces. This congestion slows down the boarding process and takes up valuable time that could be spent on other duties. During emergency situations passengers who stop to retrieve their bags instead of leaving them behind make evacuations take longer. This behavior has been shown to put everyone at greater risk when quick exits are necessary.
