Aer Lingus 'Gents Satchel'

donnyb28

I'm traveling to France soon with Aer Lingus and noticed that in addition to a cabin bag your also allowed a lady's handbag or gents satchel, my question is a standard laptop bag considered a satchel? Anyone have experience on the matter?

Would save me a lot of hassle if I could bring my laptop with me separately, thanks!

keithclancy

Its Aer Lingus

You could probably walk a Donkey on the plane and it would be fine.

In all seriousness though, I think people these days are freaked out about rules due to Ryanair :pac:

vicwatson

It's AL and I think they rock in this regard ! personally !

Holiers

I have traveled with the family on Aer Lingus with more than one cabin bag and it was fine. However on busy business flights to heathrow, where everyone had a wheelie case they are much stricter. ... I wonder by men's satchel do they mean the little handbags older French men use? Open to interpretation I would say.

donnyb28

keithclancy wrote: »

Its Aer Lingus

You could probably walk a Donkey on the plane and it would be fine.

In all seriousness though, I think people these days are freaked out about rules due to Ryanair :pac:

Yeah that's it I don't want to be told get rid of the bag going onto the plane, just needed to make sure, thanks all

coylemj

Holiers wrote: »

I have traveled with the family on Aer Lingus with more than one cabin bag and it was fine. However on busy business flights to heathrow, where everyone had a wheelie case they are much stricter. ... I wonder by men's satchel do they mean the little handbags older French men use? Open to interpretation I would say.

It's not so much that they are 'strict' on those busy flights, it's simply that they scan the waiting passengers at the gate and can quickly figure out if there's too many bags to fit in the overhead bins in which case they will confiscate a few of the bigger bags, stick tags on them and put them in the hold. It's not like Ryanair where the staff are actually incentivised to take bags from passengers, with Aer Lingus it's more hassle for the staff so in the main they will let you on with two bags unless the flight is full.

If the smaller bag can fit on the floor between your feet or slide under the seat in front of you then Aer Lingus have no problem with it, you can bring it on as a second bag.

UDP

vicwatson wrote: »

It's AL and I think they rock in this regard ! personally !

can't say I agree when I get on the plane to find no overhead locker space is free meaning my bag has to go in the hold because some know-ends thought it was ok to bring 2-3 carry on bags.

spurious

People always forget about under the seat in front of you. Normal sized bags fit there.

coylemj

UDP wrote: »

can't say I agree when I get on the plane to find no overhead locker space is free meaning my bag has to go in the hold because some know-ends thought it was ok to bring 2-3 carry on bags.

Most of those inconsiderate knobheads work for companies who pay full fare for their employees to fly on business at short notice and I for one am grateful that that leaves a few cheap seats for the likes of me.

I also take the precaution when boarding of tossing my bag into any free slot in the overhead bins before I get to my seat, thereby ensuring that by the time I get to my seat I don't find all of the overhead bins full. Adopting that strategy, I have never had to hand my bag over to be put in the hold.

Once and once only they disembarked at the rear via steps when we landed and I was severely caught out because I had to wait for the plane to empty to walk forward to retrieve my bag.

Strumms

UDP wrote: »

can't say I agree when I get on the plane to find no overhead locker space is free meaning my bag has to go in the hold because some know-ends thought it was ok to bring 2-3 carry on bags.

Get in the Q in good time if you feel that as a concern and then you will have the pick of space in the overhead bins...

I like the way Aer Lingus are flexible I always get away with a very small suitcase and my laptop bag, I have even taken a small shopping bag with me in addition... I always que up early, get on and get my luggage stowed efficiently. To some people though the simple task of putting a bag or two into an overhead bin is like trying to solve the rubik cube.

fillefatale

I've travelled many times on the Gatwick route with a backpack as well as my cabin bag and its been fine, a laptop bag should be no bother!

Spanish Eyes

AL is so worth it for the flexibility, and the lack of terror re the size and shape of bags and so on.

Now you cannot bring a full sized suitcase as hand luggage, but there's little if any checking of the hand luggage.

Although, once, it was weighed....in Madrid!

Gatica

Madrid is a little paranoid on luggage as an airport and a world unto itself. I was flying Aer Lingus years ago, which at the time stipulated size of hand luggage, plus coat, plus book, plus laptop bag, plus handbag (not only of those), I had bag plus laptop bag only and Madrid staff made me stuff my laptop bag into my carry on bag so it would all be one bag. Luckily with some bashing and squishing it fit. I was baffled considering the airlines clearly printed rules on the website. But what can you do?

Otherwise, have always found Aer Lingus staff themselves quite good and accommodating. I have seen people bring ridiculously large carry on bags and additional sizeable duty free bags.

I always carry small enough bag that I can carry on the shoulder and put in front of my feet so I don't have to worry about overhead bin capacity.
I find it rather inconsiderate of people to take up more space in the bins than is allocated to them, especially if it's not above their own seat. One would be making it inconvenient for someone else. If they get in last because their front rows got called out last, it's not their fault, yet they may need to have their luggage put some distance from them, possibly behind and therefore would need to wait for the plane to empty before getting luggage.

munchkin_utd

Gatica, the brits were at that too for a while.
The common factor between the 2 is having a recent enough attack on transport services killing 191 and 52 people respectively in spain and uk.

Gatica

wasn't aware of that... Should be communicated between airports and airlines in that case. It's confusing for passengers unaware of special restrictions at certain airports.

coylemj

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Gatica, the brits were at that too for a while.
The common factor between the 2 is having a recent enough attack on transport services killing 191 and 52 people respectively in spain and uk.

Neither of which involved air travellers, I assume you're referring to the bombs in the railway station in Madrid and the 7/7 multiple attacks in London.

Checkin staff making a passenger put his small bag into his big bag has nothing to do with security. The ground handling agent in Madrid was probably interpreting the rules literally instead of showing the same flexibility that the Aer Lingus staff show, you can't really blame them for that.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

I also take the precaution when boarding of tossing my bag into any free slot in the overhead bins before I get to my seat, thereby ensuring that by the time I get to my seat I don't find all of the overhead bins full. Adopting that strategy, I have never had to hand my bag over to be put in the hold.

Once and once only they disembarked at the rear via steps when we landed and I was severely caught out because I had to wait for the plane to empty to walk forward to retrieve my bag.

You realise by tossing your bag into "any free slot" you screw it up for other people who won't have space to place their bag near their around their seat - so they will have to stick their bag somewhere else if it's behind them wait for the plane to empty like you did once- have to say that this behaviour really p1sses me off. If everyone does this, mayhem ensues.

Worst of all are people at the back of the plane who dump their bag at the front 'cos they are too lazy to carry it down and back.

AL are generally reasonable with bags. As another poster has said if you can fit a second bag under your seat you can bring it on.