Cabin baggage limits on flights are maddeningly complicated. Airlines come up with their own rules on the exact dimensions and weights of hand luggage. Some charge for anything more than a small backpack, laptop case or handbag – others don’t.
If you normally fly on airline X, don’t assume your bag will also be compliant on airline Y.
Many “legacy” carriers such as British Airways and North American airlines have a generous two-item allowance for cabin baggage. But budget airlines in Europe do not.
The only sure way to comply with all the leading carriers with no extra charge is to have one small bag no bigger than 33 x 25 x 15 cm.
Yet according to one of the many reports circulating on mainstream news sites online: “The European Union is poised to roll out a new set of rules aimed at making air travel more straightforward and less unpredictable. From 1 September, changes to hand luggage regulations will be implemented as part of an initiative to standardise the dimensions of carry-on bags”.
Travellers are told, incorrectly, that starting in September, passengers on EU airlines will be entitled to “one piece of hand luggage and one small personal item, such as a handbag, backpack, or laptop bag”.
The story is nonsense. It is not clear why there should be widespread reporting about something that is not happening. But these are the key questions and answers about what is happening, with sources for the information provided.
Is the EU is making it mandatory for airlines to give a generous cabin baggage allowance?
No. The European Commission told me: “There is no upcoming EU regulation which foresees changes to hand luggage rules.”
The European Parliament passed a resolution last October saying: “EU-wide harmonisation of the requirements on the size, weight and type of carry-on and check-in luggage for all airlines operating in the European Union would enhance transparency and consumer protection for all air travellers.”
Given the current confusion, airports, airlines and passengers would surely agree with that.
What is the EU actually doing, then?
According to the European Commission Department for Mobility and Transport, a workshop took place in July “with all interested stakeholders to discuss possible common industry standards on the weight and dimensions of hand luggage”.
A…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…