Gauging a rip-off

Thanks to Cindy for pointing out this infuriating story - bmibaby has mis-sized sizers, thus wrongly penalizing many fliers for “oversized” carry-ons.

As a result, thousands of travellers may have been mistakenly charged the fees over the past three years.

The airline has admitted the problem and will change all 60 of the under-sized gauges at the 30 airports it operates from, including East Midlands, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.

The issue has raised questions over the accuracy of gauges and weighing scales used by other airlines.

Most airlines pay check-in staff a bonus linked to the value of the excess baggage fees they collect. Confusingly for passengers, different airlines operate different policies on the size of hand luggage they will allow. - Daily Mail

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1310456/Budget-airline-overcharges-hand-luggage-years.html#ixzz0zQLCOifd

Comments

[Frank II]

This is one of the reasons I switched back to a non-wheeled, soft-sided bag. Unless it's overstuffed, they can be made to fit into most sizers.

[KF]

I wonder how many more bags would actually have to be checked if airlines made everyone here in the US check their bags in a sizer? There are definite advantages to soft-sided bags, but then again, I'm in favor of banning all wheeled luggage from the carry-on bins.

[High Roller]

I can't recall the last time I saw an airline employee in the US check the size of a bag with a sizer. Also, those cage style things are kind of a joke anyway-- how much is allowed to bulge out the sides or stick out of the top? To be more accurate, it should be a hard sided box with a lid. The US airlines also allow you to carry on non-rectangular items-- like a tube for carrying a poster or fishing rod, that won't fit in a rectangular sizer, but is still a legal carry on. I'd love to see some kind of enforcement as US airports, though, as it seems as though every 4th or 5th person has a carry on bag that appears to be a full sized case.