Aer Lingus - New bag fees for carry-on €5.99 or €35 at the gate

Davy · 19-06-2021 12:26am #1

Full details on AerLingus.com

Carry on board - From €5.99 / £5.99
Book a carry-on bag with priority boarding online and store it in the overhead locker on board.

Drop off at check-in - Free of charge
Drop off your bag at check-in in the aiport and off you go! Collect on arrival at the carousel.

It's important to note that if you have not purchased a carry-on bag with priority boarding, or if its not included in your fare, and you bring a 10kg bag to the boarding gate, you will be charged a €35 fee to place this bag in the aircraft hold. Payment of this fee will be processed using your smartphone via QR code with our partner Global Payments, and will be verified by our boarding agents.

A carry-on bag with priority boarding is included for some customers:

Silver, Platinum and Concierge AerClub members. This applies to the member only and not travelling companions.
Bookings made with Plus, Advantage and Aer Space fare types.
The accompanying adult travelling with an infant.
Customers connecting to/from an Aer Lingus transatlantic flight or a connecting flight with an interline partner.

All customers with a carry-on bag with priority boarding (either purchased or included) must check in online or via the App.

Nijmegen · 19-06-2021 2:07pm

How lovely... Looking at some flights to Faro in July, Saver is €131 and Plus €189 (inc 20kg check in and your carry onboard) one-way and a few quid more the way back, evens out at €50 each way to go plus. Unbundle the the carry on board is €15 but only seems possible to pay for it on the Dublin to Faro leg - they can't handle it at the outstation? It's confusing in the checkout because it says "Dublin to Faro" and no option for "Faro to Dublin", but under the price it does say "Return Trip". Tried it on Dublin to Malaga, same result, though they're looking for €18 on that trip for the privilege. Seat selection ranging €5 to €22 for legroom - which will still cost you €9 each way on a plus ticket, or €6 for a seat near the front.

I guess Plus tickets work out well if you want to bring the family away, but for business travelers or weekend breakers looking for a quick in and out at the airport this is a pain.

Strumms · 19-06-2021 2:19pm

Airlines instead of making their services easier and more user friendly seem to be intent on doing quite the opposite....

It’s a fûcking confusing set up and communication from Aer Lingus, they’d want to start getting their act together...they are starting to drift away from what made them great.

I’d imagine about 3 people that on a flight , arrive to check in with no bags, football day trippers and the odd business person.

kevinandrew · 19-06-2021 3:43pm

It’s an awful policy and one I hoped they’d stay away from but the industry continues to be a race to the bottom so as the low cost carriers come up new ways to squeeze cash out of passengers, the rest follow.

Wizz Air was the first airline I experienced cabin bag charges with. The current policy was introduced in 2018, a small backpack was now your free cabin bag item while the 10kg trolley bag now had to be purchased with Wizz Priority fares. The argument was that it would reduce delays during boarding but the only real winner was the airline revenue department.

Other airlines quickly followed like Ryanair, EasyJet and Vueling. With Aer Lingus joining the club many others will no doubt continue to follow.

The premium Aer Lingus charges over its rivals, even on its lowest fare classes, is quickly losing all value to the passenger. The basic fares need to start coming down so those who are happy with the bare bones experience can have it for a fair price while those who want or need more don’t feel like they’re being fleeced.

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 4:08pm

I’m sure it’s not something they wanted to do but the baggage policy was being completely abused by passengers and the over head lockers are simply not designed for the amount of bags people were bringing into the cabin leading to flights behind constantly delayed due to offload bags etc. I’m sure it will damage the perception of the airline either way though. To be fair it is still the same 10KG baggage allowance just that it will need to go into the hold unless you choice to pay for the option or are a silver, platinum or concierge passenger or connecting on an interlining ticket . To be honest the previous policy of being able to bring it in the cabin was not possible anyway for a large chunk of passengers that had to have their bags tagged and placed in the hold. It will probably suit some people also just checking it in and being able to place your liquids etc and check it in for free. I always checked mine in to be honest it’s just easier than dragging it through the airport to be tagged and put in the hold anyway or even if you get it on board struggling to find space.

Strumms · 19-06-2021 4:17pm

It’s a sprint to the bottom....It doesn’t reduce delays, the small carry on case has to be safely stowed, the same as a backpack...

It’s about encouraging or hassling people into bringing as little weight on the aircraft...

If today there are 160 people on an Aer Lingus A320 to Milan...

The average weight of the passengers and crew

13.0 tonnes

Baggage / luggage

3.2 tonnes

They are trying to target that 3.2 tonnes, the approximately 3200 kgs... get it off the aircraft through deterrence or if it’s on there have you paying top dollar.

The less weight the less fuel burned... the fuel weighs... you need fuel just to carry fuel... Dublin - Milan could require 14-16 tonnes of fuel on board with a full aircraft... deterring weight, removing weight means less fuel required means more profitable flights....

titan18 · 19-06-2021 4:23pm

The most annoying part is it adds more people to the priority queue when they decide to buy this which makes it worse for people looking to get priority anyway. Everyone can't be a priority.

kevinandrew · 19-06-2021 4:28pm

I don’t think it’s about entirely aircraft weight these days, this new policy still allows you to check that 10kg into the hold for free after all so the weight is going on the aircraft no matter what.

It’s largely about generating revenue from passengers who desire the convenience of carrying a bag on board. The customer has been conditioned into thinking carry-on is the easiest, cheapest and quickest way to bring luggage on a flight. Decades previously it was the opposite, everything was checked in because it was free and meant all you carried on was your coat and hat. The last 20 years have seen a shift to reduced hold baggage and overall aircraft weight, we pack smarter and lighter these days but also bring pretty much everything we have into the cabin for free so the airlines need to reclaim the lost revenue from a reduction in checked baggage by making cabin baggage a paid for service.

ebbsy · 19-06-2021 4:30pm

I will stick with Ryanair.

kevinandrew · 19-06-2021 4:31pm

titan18 wrote: »

The most annoying part is it adds more people to the priority queue when they decide to buy this which makes it worse for people looking to get priority anyway. Everyone can't be a priority.

True. It’s now common to see the priority queues at Ryanair and Wizz stretch longer than the standard queues. Anyone standing towards the back of the priority queue is essentially boarding with the last of the passengers. The rush to board aircraft is probably worse that ever because of it.

Cork Lass · 19-06-2021 4:33pm

We have booked and paid for flights in September and November. Does anyone know if this will be added on or is it for new bookings only.

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 4:56pm

Strumms wrote: »

It’s a sprint to the bottom....It doesn’t reduce delays, the small carry on case has to be safely stowed, the same as a backpack...

It’s about encouraging or hassling people into bringing as little weight on the aircraft...

If today there are 160 people on an Aer Lingus A320 to Milan...

The average weight of the passengers and crew

13.0 tonnes

Baggage / luggage

3.2 tonnes

They are trying to target that 3.2 tonnes, the approximately 3200 kgs... get it off the aircraft through deterrence or if it’s on there have you paying top dollar.

The less weight the less fuel burned... the fuel weighs... you need fuel just to carry fuel... Dublin - Milan could require 14-16 tonnes of fuel on board with a full aircraft... deterring weight, removing weight means less fuel required means more profitable flights....

It is about time though. The under seat bag is stowed under your seat where as the cabin bag would sometimes need to be stowed at the opposite end of the plane and then blocking the aisle and the same when you are getting off. If it was about weight they would be doing away with the 10KG altogether. They aren’t though you still have the exact same allowance just that it will need to go in the hold instead of the cabin if you don’t pay for it. It’s still the same weight being carried whether it’s in the hold or the cabin, for that reason I don’t think they are doing it because of weight.

Noxegon · 19-06-2021 5:27pm

Aer Lingus has historically insisted that bags that fit under the seat be placed there. For those of us with long legs that amounts to a strong disincentive against travel with a smaller bag.

After a miserable flight back in 2019 I started travelling with a larger bag so that this wouldn't happen any longer.

I wonder if the requirement to pay for priority will eliminate this policy. I'm not holding my breath...

Strumms · 19-06-2021 5:33pm

Shamrockj wrote: »

It is about time though. The under seat bag is stowed under your seat where as the cabin bag would sometimes need to be stowed at the opposite end of the plane and then blocking the aisle and the same when you are getting off. If it was about weight they would be doing away with the 10KG altogether. They aren’t though you still have the exact same allowance just that it will need to go in the hold instead of the cabin if you don’t pay for it. It’s still the same weight being carried whether it’s in the hold or the cabin, for that reason I don’t think they are doing it because of weight.

They are trying to deter weight on board....to save money, more weight = more fuel required and that fuel in itself weighs, it costs two fold to purchase and to tanker said fuel to destination.

Nothing to do with space, all to do with weight. It’s money and weight...

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 5:58pm

Strumms wrote: »

They are trying to deter weight on board....to save money, more weight = more fuel required and that fuel in itself weighs, it costs two fold to purchase and to tanker said fuel to destination.

Nothing to do with space, all to do with weight. It’s money and weight...

The same 10KG bag will be carried just in the hold instead of the cabin. How does that make a difference to the aircraft weight ??

Strumms · 19-06-2021 6:28pm

Shamrockj wrote: »

The same 10KG bag will be carried just in the hold instead of the cabin. How does that make a difference to the aircraft weight ??

The pricing structure is designed to deter you from bringing bags.

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 7:10pm

Strumms wrote: »

The pricing structure is designed to deter you from bringing bags.

To defer you from bringing it on board. You can still bring the same 10Kg bag just that it will be placed in the hold
“ Aer Lingus said the changes had been introduced “to ensure faster boarding and de-planing, therefore improving overall customer experience.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.breakingnews.ie/amp/ireland/new-fee-to-bring-carry-on-bag-on-board-aer-lingus-flights-1143725.html

Tenger · 19-06-2021 7:46pm

Shamrockj wrote: »

?.........
“ Aer Lingus said the changes had been introduced “to ensure faster boarding and de-planing, therefore improving overall customer experience.”
........

That was my thought too.
Over the last 10 years I’ve heard from my cabin crew mates that boarding was a nightmare due to trying to find space for bags and then having to offload some which causes a verbal row. (They say that transisting yanks aren’t fond of the fact that the bin above their head isn’t ‘theirs’)

Obviously EI have internal stats of how many flights are/were delayed due to baggage issues and want to eliminate this.

Personally I think the E5.99 charge is aimed as a deterrent rather than a revenue generator. Having quicker boarding and disembarkation allows them to maintain their 40 min turnarounds throughout the day.
This of course means nothing to the average punter who will be annoyed at being asked for cash to bring a bag with them. Something which. They have been doing for years now. (I’m a wheelie and small rucksack traveller myself. So the target of this policy)

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 8:06pm

Tenger wrote: »

That was my thought too.
Over the last 10 years I’ve heard from my cabin crew mates that boarding was a nightmare due to trying to find space for bags and then having to offload some which causes a verbal row. (They say that transisting yanks aren’t fond of the fact that the bin above their head isn’t ‘theirs’)

Obviously EI have internal stats of how many flights are/were delayed due to baggage issues and want to eliminate this.

Personally I think the E5.99 charge is aimed as a deterrent rather than a revenue generator. Having quicker boarding and disembarkation allows them to maintain their 40 min turnarounds throughout the day.
This of course means nothing to the average punter who will be annoyed at being asked for cash to bring a bag with them. Something which. They have been doing for years now. (I’m a wheelie and small rucksack traveller myself. So the target of this policy)

Absolutely agree. The amount of flights that were delayed before due to cabin baggage issues was enormous and made the turn around longer and longer. I don’t like the sound of there being a charge for cabin bags but they really had to do something it was seriously affecting on time performance. At least the 10KG bag is still ‘ free’ as long as you check it in. This is probably a good time to try it too when there is less flights and the affect will be easier to see.

Nigel Fairservice · 19-06-2021 8:09pm

kevinandrew wrote: »

True. It’s now common to see the priority queues at Ryanair and Wizz stretch longer than the standard queues. Anyone standing towards the back of the priority queue is essentially boarding with the last of the passengers. The rush to board aircraft is probably worse that ever because of it.

I always paid for old priority because I didn't like all the fussing at boarding time. I liked getting on the plane, throwing my bag into the overhead, getting into my window seat and relaxing. I generally wouldn't move until disembarkation time on short haul flights. I'd like if the likes of Ryanair introduced some kind of priority plus that allowed for early boarding if people wished. Their current priority might as well be called paid for a bag in the cabin.

titan18 · 19-06-2021 9:34pm

Nigel Fairservice wrote: »

I always paid for old priority because I didn't like all the fussing at boarding time. I liked getting on the plane, throwing my bag into the overhead, getting into my window seat and relaxing. I generally wouldn't move until disembarkation time on short haul flights. I'd like if the likes of Ryanair introduced some kind of priority plus that allowed for early boarding if people wished. Their current priority might as well be called paid for a bag in the cabin.

Yup, I'm the same. Get a seat close to the front too then for a quick exit. I also hate queuing so it was just more preferable. Changes like this just make priority boarding worse.

Nigel Fairservice · 19-06-2021 10:46pm

titan18 wrote: »

Yup, I'm the same. Get a seat close to the front too then for a quick exit. I also hate queuing so it was just more preferable. Changes like this just make priority boarding worse.

I think there's still a few of us out there that would pay a bit extra for early boarding. I'm a bit puzzled by why Ryanair put paying for a cabin bag under the priority boarding umbrella. It just undermined priority boarding as I understood it as a product.

embraer170 · 19-06-2021 10:53pm

5.99 today, 9.99 next year, 14.99 the year after, and probably more on top for peak holiday flights.

Strumms · 19-06-2021 10:59pm

Shamrockj wrote: »

To defer you from bringing it on board. You can still bring the same 10Kg bag just that it will be placed in the hold
“ Aer Lingus said the changes had been introduced “to ensure faster boarding and de-planing, therefore improving overall customer experience.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.breakingnews.ie/amp/ireland/new-fee-to-bring-carry-on-bag-on-board-aer-lingus-flights-1143725.html

It’s not to achieve faster anything, it’s a revenue generator... changes introduced ? Lies.. ‘charges’ introduced...

If it was to achieve faster boarding, why stop you and engage you in what will be an argument and subsequent transaction...at the gate...

Aer Lingus want on time turn arounds, on time departures... so do their customers...over the last 6 years they’ve been horrible in my experience ... especially any post 18:00 departure... retuning from work trip, just wanting bed and tv it’s been too often arrive at gate no sign of aircraft....

Shamrockj · 19-06-2021 11:32pm

Strumms wrote: »

It’s not to achieve faster anything, it’s a revenue generator... changes introduced ? Lies.. ‘charges’ introduced...

If it was to achieve faster boarding, why stop you and engage you in what will be an argument and subsequent transaction...at the gate...

Aer Lingus want on time turn arounds, on time departures... so do their customers...over the last 6 years they’ve been horrible in my experience ... especially any post 18:00 departure... retuning from work trip, just wanting bed and tv it’s been too often arrive at gate no sign of aircraft....

That’s your opinion. But the fact is the company themselves have stated it is to achieve faster boarding/disembarking and thus faster turnarounds….

embraer170 · 19-06-2021 11:51pm

Shamrockj wrote: »

That’s your opinion. But the fact is the company themselves have stated it is to achieve faster boarding/disembarking and thus faster turnarounds….

Companies write all kinds of stuff in press releases. Airlines are worse than most at selling new revenue generators as customer enhancements.

kevinandrew · 20-06-2021 12:11am

embraer170 wrote: »

5.99 today, 9.99 next year, 14.99 the year after, and probably more on top for peak holiday flights.

It’s already higher than 5.99 on plenty of flights. Every return flight I’ve tried to book is adding €18 for cabin bags!

jetfiremuck · 20-06-2021 12:20am

kevinandrew wrote: »

It’s already higher than 5.99 on plenty of flights. Every return flight I’ve tried to book is adding €18 for cabin bags!

Agree, and considering that the whole airline industry is on its knees ...........lets go soak the travelling public.

Good luck with that!

Strumms · 20-06-2021 12:24am

Shamrockj wrote: »

That’s your opinion. But the fact is the company themselves have stated it is to achieve faster boarding/disembarking and thus faster turnarounds….

What they’ve stated and what is fact are not necessarily the equal not by a long shot..

Charge people extra = faster turnarounds ? Right, faster profits.... :rolleyes: the company are supposed to facilitate the customers, not the other way around.

Low cost operator style gouging... not great...

I started flying BA for my work trips a few years ago, any personal trips the same ... much nicer experience... EI need to pull their socks up. These are customer penalties not fees.

My opinion, errr yes,

davetherave · 20-06-2021 12:38am

kevinandrew wrote: »

It’s already higher than 5.99 on plenty of flights. Every return flight I’ve tried to book is adding €18 for cabin bags!

Looking at it that looks to be adding the bag and Priority boarding. It was 17.98 return to Heathrow in November, but only 14.98 going to Malaga in August. Single to Malaga in July or Manchester in November is 8.99, but you'd have to assume that somewhere, for some dates, for a one-way it is 5.99 hence the "from".

Shamrockj · 20-06-2021 1:33am

Strumms wrote: »

What they’ve stated and what is fact are not necessarily the equal not by a long shot..

Charge people extra = faster turnarounds ? Right, faster profits.... :rolleyes: the company are supposed to facilitate the customers, not the other way around.

Low cost operator style gouging... not great...

I started flying BA for my work trips a few years ago, any personal trips the same ... much nicer experience... EI need to pull their socks up. These are customer penalties not fees.

My opinion, errr yes,

That’s a totally separate issue though? I was replying to your post where you claimed the cabin baggage policy was changed to save weight, never mind.

Gael23 · 20-06-2021 8:39am

This is not quite what it seems.

You are only landed with this charge if you go for the basic fare type, it’s included in all others. And it can be avoided by checking in your 10kg bag free of charge at the check in desk.

I agree it’s lousy but just not quite what’s being reported in the media

Noxegon · 20-06-2021 10:49am

You are only landed with this charge if you go for the basic fare type, it’s included in all others. And it can be avoided by checking in your 10kg bag free of charge at the check in desk.

Sure, if you want to wait an indeterminate amount of time for your bag to (hopefully) arrive at the carousel after landing.

Short haul air travel has gotten progressively less and less pleasant over the years as the seats get smaller, the ancillary charges pile up, and in-flight advertising for who-knows-what becomes standard practice. (Some years ago I was on an extremely late CDG-DUB flight, and despite the fact that it was well after midnight the crew saw fit to wake everyone up with a lengthy PA about perfumes that were exclusive to Aer Lingus...)

I am now at the point in my life that I'd gladly pay for a better class of service, even if it costs a multiple of the economy fare, but virtually nobody offers that type of product out of Ireland any more.

Strumms · 20-06-2021 12:54pm

Noxegon wrote: »

Sure, if you want to wait an indeterminate amount of time for your bag to (hopefully) arrive at the carousel after landing.

Short haul air travel has gotten progressively less and less pleasant over the years as the seats get smaller, the ancillary charges pile up, and in-flight advertising for who-knows-what becomes standard practice. (Some years ago I was on an extremely late CDG-DUB flight, and despite the fact that it was well after midnight the crew saw fit to wake everyone up with a lengthy PA about perfumes that were exclusive to Aer Lingus...)

I am now at the point in my life that I'd gladly pay for a better class of service, even if it costs a multiple of the economy fare, but virtually nobody offers that type of product out of Ireland any more.

And every product is in the Cara / boutique magazine too... so people can avail of reading it and finding out, or asking the crew as they make their way up the aircraft with the sky shopping cart....

Thing is the crew earn commission on these sales, so there is an incentive to not giving a fûck as to the comforts of the passengers in that instance. SALES..

donkey balls · 20-06-2021 5:09pm

Me and the missis normally bring a carry on bag so it's a quick on and off the plane when going on holidays, And not having to wait at the carousel, We normally head to the Canary Islands so flight is always full.
Over the last few years EI would send me a text message the day before saying we can check in bags free of charge, And to be fair to EI the aircraft never pushed back on time either in DUB or ACE.
I'm trying to get away in October for a break so will have to wait and see how it goes with EI, One thing I've noticed is the price of flights has more or less doubled since this f**king pandemic.

Tenger · 20-06-2021 7:56pm

embraer170 wrote: »

Companies write all kinds of stuff in press releases. Airlines are worse than most at selling new revenue generators as customer enhancements.

I have to agree.
remember a couple of years ago when they outsourced their lost and found system.
The then COO made the announcement stating it was to "improve customer service by utilising a professional company"
2 years ago my youngest left their headphones onboard. I knew the seat number and the flight number. It was going to cost E25 to get them back, I went up to Argos and got a new pair for E20.

Gael23 wrote: »

This is not quite what it seems.

You are only landed with this charge if you go for the basic fare type, it’s included in all others. And it can be avoided by checking in your 10kg bag free of charge at the check in desk........

Important consideration

Gael23 · 20-06-2021 8:47pm

I travel with medication I can’t be without so it must come on board with me in case my checked bag goes missing. I can’t take the risk.

Tenger · 20-06-2021 9:03pm

Gael23 wrote: »

I travel with medication I can’t be without so it must come on board with me in case my checked bag goes missing. I can’t take the risk.

Small personal item (laptop bag or rucksack sized) is still allowed in the cabin.

Last time I flew with them we were asked at check-in if we had any medication in the bags we were checking in.

Noxegon · 20-06-2021 9:26pm

Tenger wrote: »

Small personal item (laptop bag or rucksack sized) is still allowed in the cabin.

Unfortunately the dimensions Aer Lingus use for this (25x33x20cm) are is too small for quite a lot of laptops.

My MacBook Pro is just shy of 35cm on its longest dimension, and you'd need to add at least another centimetre to that for the bag.

hurleronditch · 21-06-2021 12:29am

Noxegon wrote: »

Unfortunately the dimensions Aer Lingus use for this (25x33x20cm) are is too small for quite a lot of laptops.

My MacBook Pro is just shy of 35cm on its longest dimension, and you'd need to add at least another centimetre to that for the bag.

I’d hazard a guess if you bring a small laptop type bag, well within 2 of the dimensions and marginally over the third no one will stop you.

smurfjed · 21-06-2021 6:45am

costs two fold to purchase and to tanker said fuel to destination.

No it doesn’t. It’s flight time dependent.

goingnowhere · 21-06-2021 7:26am

smurfjed wrote: »

No it doesn’t. It’s flight time dependent.

The key variable is price, there is an equation/cheat sheet, but its time and cost, further you go the bigger the price difference needs to be to make it sensible, you are burning fuel to carry the extra weight

I did see EI tanker once to Berlin, nothing to do with fuel prices but someone in ops had the cop on that if they didn't turn around quickly the flight would miss the 2300 curfew and everyone would claim EC261 and a hotel for the night (all 36 of us). We made it out, just.

Weight is everything at the very least even if the number of bags remains the same, you can check in for free but it will get weighed.

In COVID times someone in ops is probably copped on that they have few if any logs reporting delay off gate due passenger/luggage issues.

Locker10a · 21-06-2021 9:58am

Gael23 wrote: »

I travel with medication I can’t be without so it must come on board with me in case my checked bag goes missing. I can’t take the risk.

Same as every other airline, take your medicine onboard in a small personal bag.

Nijmegen · 21-06-2021 11:48am

For me this is about pricing every little convenience of travel. I travel light and use the overhead, precisely because I want to get out the other side of the airport from the door of the plane to the ground transportation in as little time as possible. Otherwise I wouldn't mind checking the bag for free.

EI is now (well, remains and is becoming ever more) a low cost carrier with low cost service and high cost base... I was reading in the Sunday Times (behind a paywall) that EI has about half Ryanair's losses in the pandemic with 1/12th the size.

“To lose half of what Ryanair lost [€815 million] when you’re only a 12th its size — that’s the scale of what [Lynne Embleton] faces,” an aviation pundit noted.

It is what it is at the end of the day - advertise lower cost fares at the front and make it all back up on the back end - but it erodes any loyalty IMO, especially given (the now well worn debate about) the way the loyalty program went to s--t since the days of Gold Circle. But I guess that's much of aviation in general, not just EI.

cson · 21-06-2021 2:39pm

kevinandrew wrote: »

True. It’s now common to see the priority queues at Ryanair and Wizz stretch longer than the standard queues. Anyone standing towards the back of the priority queue is essentially boarding with the last of the passengers. The rush to board aircraft is probably worse that ever because of it.

Really should take a leaf out of Southwest's book - the first 60 boarding spots are kept for frequent fliers/business fares/priority boarding upsells. The latter is priced dynamically too.

L1011 · 21-06-2021 3:40pm

Nijmegen wrote: »

It is what it is at the end of the day - advertise lower cost fares at the front and make it all back up on the back end - but it erodes any loyalty IMO, especially given (the now well worn debate about) the way the loyalty program went to s--t since the days of Gold Circle. But I guess that's much of aviation in general, not just EI.

Gold Circle was only functional as a loyalty scheme for the absolute top tier of business travellers, the system failed to be useful for even fairly frequent leisure / occasional business travellers - who do quite well on BA Avios - once TAB closed.

Tenger · 21-06-2021 4:20pm

Noxegon wrote: »

Sure, if you want to wait an indeterminate amount of time for your bag to (hopefully) arrive at the carousel after landing.

I'm actually old enough to remember when this was a normal part of air travel.

Locker10a wrote: »

........
Remembering typically a narrowbody aircraft has overhead locker space for around a third, maybe slightly more depending, of the overall seating capacity. Everyone brings cases onboard simply isn’t feasible.

A mate of mine did a test on an A320 about 10 years ago. Used a standard size wheelie bag to count the storage space.
She figured out that it can hold 76 of them. (the bag she used was a crew bag so a little larger that "standard cabin size") Obviously that left space on top and at the size for others rucksacks, handbags etc.

Locker10a · 21-06-2021 7:59pm

Tenger wrote: »

I'm actually old enough to remember when this was a normal part of air travel.

Indeed, commercial passenger aircraft were not designed at all for the passengers to bring cases into the cabin!!They are designed and built with a baggage hold as are airports with baggage systems. This idea of bringing a case onboard was actually invented by low cost airlines and became the norm.
If less people carried a trolly bag through the airport and onto the aircraft the whole experience would be better, from faster security and boarding/disembarking. So personally I think this is a great move, hopefully more people will now check in bags(as it’s free) and this will eliminate some of the the fuss at security and boarding the aircraft.
Remembering typically a narrowbody aircraft has overhead locker space for around a third, maybe slightly more depending, of the overall seating capacity. Everyone brings cases onboard simply isn’t feasible.

devnull · 21-06-2021 9:33pm

kevinandrew wrote: »

Wizz Air was the first airline I experienced cabin bag charges with. The current policy was introduced in 2018, a small backpack was now your free cabin bag item while the 10kg trolley bag now had to be purchased with Wizz Priority fares. The argument was that it would reduce delays during boarding but the only real winner was the airline revenue department.

When Wizz first did it, they had different levels of charges on it, depending on the duration of the flight. I was at one airport where someone put a poster up complaining about it saying it was effectively 'fuel surcharging' their bags.

The whole Wizz Air club where you had to pay a certain amount a year to get the lowest prices was really something that I disliked. At least with Ryanair the lowest fares were open to everyone without paying for such thing.

markpb · 22-06-2021 7:11am

Locker10a wrote: »

If less people carried a trolly bag through the airport and onto the aircraft the whole experience would be better, from faster security and boarding/disembarking. So personally I think this is a great move, hopefully more people will now check in bags(as it’s free).

It’s not so long ago that most people checked their bags and carried fewer items on board. Then airlines started charging for that.

Locker10a · 22-06-2021 9:18am

markpb wrote: »

It’s not so long ago that most people checked their bags and carried fewer items on board. Then airlines started charging for that.

Exactly, low cost carriers created this issue, now they’re having to revert

Aer Lingus - New bag fees for carry-on €5.99 or €35 at the gate

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