V-Flyer

Reading my On Line Check in receipt email tonight 9th September it says :-

Cabin Baggage Allowance
Upper Class: 2 bags 23x35x55cm (9x14x22in) OR 1 garment bag 20cm (8in) thick when folded, PLUS 1 briefcase/laptop computer Total combined weight - 16kg/35lb, maximum of 8kg/18lb per piece.
Premium Economy, Economy and Infants: 1 bag 23x35x55cm (9x14x22in) Total weight - 6kg/13lb.

This is wrong of course. According to BAA Its maximum size is height 45 cm, width of 35 cm and depth of 16 cm

How can anyone whos not a frequent flyer be expected to get it right if its wrong on the email confirmation?

When I was in South Terminal LGW on Friday I noticed that VS signage adjacent the entrance to UC check-in was still promoting the old allowances. I myself was keen to check as we're flying to LAX in a couple of weeks. I asked the VS staffer if these more generous allowances still stood for UC to which she responded - no, the sign is old - all bags have to fit in to one of those - she pointed to a wooden contraption into which everyone's bags are inserted to ensure they're within the new size limits.

So it seems like VS need to change the signage (as most of the charter carries have already done) as well as amend their standard email

I noticed this after my OLCI yesterday, but it's not just VS that are wrong...

The display on the desk at fastrack in T3 still has the "old" measurements - when I pointed this out to the guy (the queue was very slow - see my trip report) he didn't seem to understand what I was talking about, and then got very embarrased when the penny dropped. This was an A4 sign, propped up on his desk, that was several weeks out of date.

The video they were showing also didn't highlight that you had to take shoes and belts off...

Standard britsh security incompetence.

There were a couple of friendly girls checking the standard line for oversize bags, but several people on fasttrack were way over the top, but nobody questioned it or checked them - I guess by the time you get to x-ray they are only interested in x-raying them...

"Not my job to do that?"

And the queues to drive through the tunnel st 7:00pm were horrendous; it turned out a car had broken down near the T1/T2 split, and was blocking a lane. it must have been there for several minutes - at least 30 by my reckoning, and no police / security presence was there.... another example of jobsworth... don't they have CCTV or patrols around?

The problem here is the fact the the confirmation email is a standard email that is sent out to everybody whjo uses OLCI and has been in place much longer than the current hand baggage restrictions.

Obviously this is not right, and really is something VS should change for the moment, but to use OLCI you have to go through the VS main page page on the website and on the front page, there is a big message saying "lastest news: check in information and cabin baggage allowance" so I imagine most people would read this and with the current restrictions all over the news/in papers etc surely even the most infrequent pax know there are new rules.

Neil:)

Originally posted by Attitude23
The problem here is the fact the the confirmation email is a standard email that is sent out to everybody whjo uses OLCI and has been in place much longer than the current hand baggage restrictions.

Obviously this is not right, and really is something VS should change for the moment, but to use OLCI you have to go through the VS main page page on the website and on the front page, there is a big message saying "lastest news: check in information and cabin baggage allowance" so I imagine most people would read this and with the current restrictions all over the news/in papers etc surely even the most infrequent pax know there are new rules.

Neil:)

But mysteryflyer is right of course. If VS can put the extra warning up on the main page, it is just as easy to adjust the OLCI email. It is just a poor oversight IMO. It is very confusing and should be changed. It would only take one very frequent and valuable traveller with VS to cause a rumpus, because his OLCI email said the old dimensions......

...also bear in mind that the UK Hand Baggage farce does NOT apply to those people checking in on their return flight (or if foreign, their outbound) to the UK.

Originally posted by preiffer
...also bear in mind that the UK Hand Baggage farce does NOT apply to those people checking in on their return flight (or if foreign, their outbound) to the UK.

Ture, true. But as OLCI knows where you are going from/to, it should be able to cope with that. At worst, even a single email with the right info for different origin/destination details would be better than the wrong info.

Originally posted by preiffer
...also bear in mind that the UK Hand Baggage farce does NOT apply to those people checking in on their return flight (or if foreign, their outbound) to the UK.

Surely it's not beyond those clever IT chaps to work out which way you are flying and send out the correct wording in the confirmation email.
If there is one thing I really hate, it is inconsistent information.

If the last communication i had on the subject was telling me the old rules, then I would assume that it was correct (and had oviously changed without me hearing) and would turn up at check-in with the old rules hand luggage, and would cause one hell of a stir!

I was reading today about the plight of musicians not travelling because they can't take there instruments as hand luggage and it made me wonder why they don't simply jump on a Eurostar and fly from Paris... Pretty much like the terrorist's would probably do if they so chose[:(!]

Well I just hate emails that are incorrect it just smells of tired jobsworth IT people coming up with millions of reasons why its too difficult and not doing it because its right. (I am in IT and I hate that).

On the bag sizes I dont believe these rules can stand for very long. Weeks rather than months.

Non UK people will avoid the UK as a hub because their hand baggage wont work only in the UK. So if youre going from the US to Europe why go through the pain.

BAA will really really hurt as its connections which make LHR and LGW so important and the shops are hurting too. Whos going to buy stuff with no bag to put it in. BAA lease the shops. If I were Dixons I would want compensation from someone.

Some hints emerge for the v-flyer from my experience today as follows:-

VS OLCI Bag drop (really really crowded) asked me to show them the bag then fit it in the box. My Targus Laptop bag is exactly 45cm so it fitted in the stupid wooden box then I couldnt get it out. I explained this to the check in guy who thought it was hilarious and said I could take the wooden contraption with me if I liked.

Lots of other people being caught and arguing and getting nowhere and yet some people inexplicably getting 2 bags or big rucksacks through.

Once past the VS person up to T3 where there are yellow shirted temporary people looking for liquids before security. They didnt seem too concerned about my bag. I echo the previous person - British 'not by job' syndrome.

Then into security and again no size check - not reomtely interested and of course pathetically slow and it seems to me the carpet is a massive health risk now shoes have to come off.....

So my advice to anyone with a bag too big is to try to come to the airport with someone to see you off and leave the hand bag with them until you are past the VS human at check in. Nobody else cares if youre careful and blend into the background

The conductor of the last night of the proms made a plea today for the instruments rule to change as i was causing musicians to cancel appearances abroad rarther than rick millions of pounds of Stradivarius to the people who chuck the bags on and the temperature changes in the hold. I dont see an Al-Queda symphony orchestra planning to play us all to death so I do think its all gone OTT for political 'we did something concrete even if it didnt make a difference' reasons.

Enough ranting from me. Look for my trip report later I had a lovely flight in the new PE seats. plus 2 great clubhouse G&T's and on the way over I turned GOLD !! Excellent!!!

My views on this were echo'd by Radio 4's 'The Now Show' presenter Mitch Benn...

"I think the trouble may be that we've now come to associate Increased Hassle with Increased Security to the point where if we get enough hassle we'll assume we're ALSO getting security. If we're sufficiently inconvenienced then we'll believe we're being protected. But we're NOT, we're JUST being inconvenienced. There's nothing quintessentially protective or preventative about inconvenience, but it's an easy way of reassuring people that Something Is Being Done. "Wow, it took FORTY MINUTES to get through passport control, I must be REALLY safe now."

The whole rant can be found here

{HighFlyer: Edit to tidy URL}

Originally posted by F-Stop Junkie
My views on this were echo'd by Radio 4's 'The Now Show' presenter Mitch Benn...

"I think the trouble may be that we've now come to associate Increased Hassle with Increased Security to the point where if we get enough hassle we'll assume we're ALSO getting security. If we're sufficiently inconvenienced then we'll believe we're being protected. But we're NOT, we're JUST being inconvenienced. There's nothing quintessentially protective or preventative about inconvenience, but it's an easy way of reassuring people that Something Is Being Done. "Wow, it took FORTY MINUTES to get through passport control, I must be REALLY safe now."

The whole rant can be found here

{HighFlyer: Edit to tidy URL}

LOL. So right too.

Well I checked in online today - guess what? I got the following from Virgin to confirm my checkin:


Cabin Baggage Allowance
Upper Class: 2 bags 23x35x55cm (9x14x22in) OR 1 garment bag 20cm (8in) thick when folded, PLUS 1 briefcase/laptop computer Total combined weight - 16kg/35lb, maximum of 8kg/18lb per piece.
Premium Economy, Economy and Infants: 1 bag 23x35x55cm (9x14x22in) Total weight - 6kg/13lb.


So still wrong [:(]