It seems that more and more airlines are getting specific regarding the size, and possibly weight, of the personal item you are allowed to bring on board. Some airlines even include the personal item in the maximum weight allowed for carry on,
My question is simple. Has anyone had their personal item checked as to size or weight when boarding a flight? If you have, please let me know of your experience--especially airline involved and airport.
This does not surprise me, I've noticed that even though the people on this forum work very hard to keep their carry-on bags within the 21"x14"x9" limits, I see people every time I travel who try to get oversized bags on flights that would never fit in a overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you! I've gone to a one bag system and a Scottevest jacket and put everything I want to access on the flight in the jackets 20+ pockets, as long as your wearing the jacket or vest the airlines will never question it when you board and it is surprising how much I can store in the jacket or vest. We will be flying on British Airways in two weeks and I will report back as to how things are done during the boarding process. I look for the airlines to get much stricter on both your carry-on bag and your personal item because bringing your purse or a small backpack is one thing but many are trying to bring a personal item that is nearly as big as the carry-on they have (which is sometimes oversized!).
BA has been tagging approved personal items. Last time, I didn't check outgoing due to a large layover on same ticket in London (next time I will check it). My PI was well within limits so wasn't measured. I think if your bag is questionable they will size it and put the colored tag on it if it is within limits. Next time, mine is the exact limits, but I won't have a carryon so it won't be an issue anyway... Very happy to see them getting more strict as all the bags just slow down boarding and deplaning.
Yes, BA in Heathrow
I flew in April/May to/from CDG. Leaving my local end of the line airport, my carryon and personal item was tagged by the desk agent but neither were weighed. I think the guy just eyeballed it and figured if a dumpy, gray-haired old woman could heft them around they were fine. It was Delta so no weight limit anyway.
It's been several years but I did have my personal item weighed when departing Florence on Alitalia.
BA at Boston, Heathrow and Amsterdam tagged all our personal items. No comments made. No problems.
Flew BA, Easy Jet a month ago. My personal item met the size limit but I'm sure it was overweight as my shoulder was killing me. But the gate agent collecting boarding passes has little time to weigh luggage and risk delaying the boarding process. Watch the size limits (although one of our spinners was an inch too long and we did not get flagged), be friendly, don't appear to be struggling with your bags.
In 2016, flying KLM from SFO to Geneva and returning from Geneva to SFO on Air France; our carry-on suitcases and our personal items were weighed together. The total weight was required to be under the maximum carry-on weight allowed.
In 2017, flying Air France from SFO to Budapest and returning to SFO from Prague (Air France), again our carry-on suitcases and personal items were weighed together and compared to the weight allowed. Neither time were any of the bags measured. Both times the personal items were tagged as allowable.
So no moving items from the suitcase to the personal item to meet the weight limit. (We both had RS rolling carry-on suitcases and RS Appenzell backpacks.) I guess we could have tried to stuff our pockets to meet the weight limit if we'd been over... since none of the times did they ask US to step up on the scales.
-Nancy
WizzAir checks size and tags items (carryon costs money while personal item does not).
AirFrance in CDG was measuring and weighing bags as we were entering security. Seemed they were focused on rollers and ignored most backpacks like mine.
