The biggest and smallest airline carry-on luggage limits
It's one of the major irritants of flying. The passenger boarding in front of you staggers down the aisle toting a loaded backpack plus a wheelie bag and creates a logjam as they heft their obviously overweight chattels into the overhead bin, most of which is now occupied by their bags alone.
It's extreme but most of us push the carry-on limits, and there are good reasons why we do it. If we can get away with just a carry-on bag we'll save the check-in baggage fee (if we're flying with a low cost carrier or on a supercheap ticket), and there's no hanging around the baggage carousel at the far end.
Then again, if you're travelling with fragile and valuable electronics that you really don't want in your checked baggage – a laptop, a tablet, expensive camera or video gear – what choice have you got?
There's a common thread running through most airlines carry-on limits. If you're flying economy or premium economy the general limit is one bag with a maximum weight of 7kg plus one small personal item, which might be a handbag or a small briefcase or laptop bag.
Air New Zealand is a notable exception in the case of its premium economy passengers, bumping their carry-on allowance to the same level as business flyers.
Aboard a low cost carrier that 7kg total is likely to include whatever small personal item you might be toting as well as your cabin bag.
Air China and China Southern, based in the Peoples Republic of China, both apply a frugal 5kg carry-on limit to their economy flyers. China Airlines, headquartered in Taiwan, applies a more conventional 7kg limit.
Curiously, American Airlines and United do not specify a weight limit for carry-ons on their website although according to British Airways, the maximum weight for carry-ons aboard American Airlines, its one world alliance partner, is a whopping 23kg.
In business class the default carry-on limit is 12 to 14kg, with some airlines allowing two decent size bags. However if you're fronting up to the business class check in you'd have to be in gross violation of the size or weight limits before most airlines would even dream of asking for a weight check of your carry-on items.
Some airlines are more rigorous in enforcing their carry-on limits, and it should come as no surprise that the low-cost carriers are the most likely to play hardball.
Jetstar is known for its random spot checks. At the gate, passengers' carry-ons might be weighed. Any economy flyers boarding an international Jetstar flight with more than allocated 7kg of carry-ons risks an on-the-spot penalty.
US Low cost carrier Spirit Airlines, the undisputed queen of mean, charges for carry-ons as well as checked luggage. One personal item is included in the Spirit ticket price, but from April 4 the airline is tightening the dimensions, allowing passengers 5cm more length but reducing depth by 10cm.
Spirit passengers can pay for a carry-on bag when they make their booking but if they show up with a carry-on without pre-payment, the charge is US$100. These charges are part of the reason Spirit is the flag bearer for ancillary fees, with more than 40 per cent of its revenue coming from non-ticket charges.
Who do you normally fly with? Is carry-on luggage a priority?
Written by Michael Gebicki. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.