Looking Ahead at Cabin Luggage Rules in 2019

Budget airlines are a godsend for travelers looking to visit as many places as possible for a relatively affordable price. Naturally, this way of transportation comes with its own set of obstacles and difficulties.

Looking ahead to cabin luggage rules in 2019

The biggest problem is, of course, the size of the allowed cabin luggage. It seems that one year after another, airlines have been constantly employing stricter policies. Unfortunately, judging by the latest news, it seems that the same trend will only continue in 2019 as well. To find out the latest changes in cabin luggage rules, and how to possibly work around it, stay with us a little bit longer.

Cabin luggage weight will be strictly monitored

In the past, most airlines only had one checkpoint where the cabin luggage was weighed. It should come as no surprise that most frequent travelers quickly got around that system in various acts of geniality. For starters, some of them used to wear at least a couple more clothing items than what they needed. Once they got around the checkpoint, all of those clothes went back into the luggage, bumping the weight way above the point of which was allowed.

However, that practice will no longer be possible. Airlines around the globe are looking to put an end to this by implementing additional checkup points, including the one immediately next to the boarding gate, thus keeping all of the luggage below the allowed limit. In case you might’ve been wondering, this practice was originally introduced in Australia, where carriers such as Qantas and Virgin Australia noticed immediate improvement in cost savings. Unfortunately, the allowed cabin luggage weight was also greatly reduced in those cases to only 7kg per passenger.

Thermometers containing mercury are banned

Well, that statement is at least true when it comes to hand luggage. You can carry thermometers with mercury in your checked bag, as long as it's securely wrapped. But that’s not the whole story. It seems that most airlines will now monitor carefully the amounts of liquids a passenger can carry as well. Truth be told, on first sight, this appears to be old news, but there’s more to it.

You see, even refill cartridges for pens and different writing equipment will now be considered as liquids, and will fall under the strict 100ml or less policy. In case you wanted to surprise your loved ones with a snow globe or two, be careful, as these items might also fall under the liquid rules. It might sound silly, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. It remains unclear which carriers will employ these new strict rules, but many UK-based airlines are implying they will start using it. We can only hope that it won’t become a new norm anytime soon.

Forget about small suitcases in the overhead locker

One of the biggest budget airlines in the world, Ryanair, has been going through a ton of bad publicity in recent months. That’s not really a shocking development of events, considering that they’ve once again changed their policies when it comes to cabin luggage. During the previous year, the passengers were allowed to carry two small bags inside the cabin - one to fit under the seat, and the other one, which was limited to 10kg, which went into the overhead compartment.

As it turns out, company executives weren’t really satisfied with this solution either, claiming that the passengers weren’t using this scheme as it was originally planned, thus causing even more delays at the boarding gate. Their solution? Ban the 10kg suitcases altogether, thus only leaving the passengers with one small free space under the seat. The outrage that came with the decision was to be expected, but we have yet to see whether or not the situation will change in the future.

How to beat the new strict rules?

If you don’t want to pay additional fees for checked luggage, it seems that adopting the minimalist lifestyle is the only way to go. We can also recommend watching some of those awesome YouTube tutorial videos for folding clothes to maximize available space. How long are these new rules going to stick? It remains to be seen, but for now, all we can do is wait and hope for the best.


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