In Reply to: Hand luggage posted by Helen on Thursday, 23. June 2005 at 21:26 Bali Time:
We flew AP, no probs on the way out - Perth. I especailly queried my very expensive Red Dot wheeled carry on bag, but check in chap had a look, no problems. Also on our plane was another lady who also purchased this top of the line luggage - in the same colour no less. I figure there must be tonnes of these bags going on and off planes all the time. I also had my hand bag over my arm.
Comming home was a very different matter though!!!!!
I was over weight in my carry on bag. Its a pain trying to guess how much in each bag! I suggested that we send one of our other carry on mags cargo (*there were three of us) as I had medication and breakables in mine and count mine as two bags. No way would she contemplae that.
I'm sorry but I cant work the logic here. Then the AP lady began getting really officious, 'bring your bag over here it is too big'. At this stage I was not a happy lady as I was wearing my Perth clothes and about to expire with heat exhustion. I told her I had measured it and it was under the 115cm required by airlines. But no you put in this thing. well bless my little bag it didn't quite fit still under the measurements but not to the same proportions, by 5vm in lenght.
Now dont get me wrong I quite understand the need for their regulations but it was under their system on the interent and Perth let it though. Again I queried why we couldn't take it and one other peice of luggage between the three of us but no, she was getting stroppy and I was much better talk about getting hot under the collar - litteraly.
Well I asked for her boss. I explained to him 1/ it was under what the web site said and 2/ Perth let it though. He agreed but inisted that I lighten the load. Which I did - we were well under in our check in bags it was just medication and breakables etc in mine plus I think this bag must have weighed a fair bit in its own right. I kept taking things out and it was nearly empty and still 8kg - never did work that out, The AP staff were also puzzled (woman had made herself scarce since she was over ruled)- got it down to under 7kg and then they actually put some of the stuff back in so it was about 9kg when it went on!!! We all had a good laugh when I suddenly grabbed my suitcase and dived though it to find my sponge bag and deoderant as it was about to be whisked off to the plane! Boy did I need that!
Was talking to boss afterward and he asked if it was a man who let me though at Perth, basically he said that figures women are tougher.
Though all of ths I had my handbag over my shoulder - they never looked at it.
What made me simmer later was when we went though to all the Duty Free shops., i could have bought so much stuff - clothes, alcohol, woden thingames, chocolates etc etc and legally walked on to the plane with it no problems... now work that out!
But I must say that apart from that woman the AP guys were all great the boss and the other chaps lovely smiles and that Bali way, if she had been like that the whole nasty incident wouldnt have happened. Moral of the story stay away from the lady check in supervisiors.
Shaz