Vacation is one of the most significant annual events in the life of every person. Nobody wants to spend it on the couch in front of the TV. This is the time when you can travel and have fun. Many Russians and residents of the CIS countries often choose a plane as a transport to their vacation spot. However, an aircraft is not a train or a bus, there are some restrictions. Weight restrictions for hand luggage and baggage are one of the most significant inconveniences of any flight.
The root of the problem
Despite the fact that each airline has its own rules, they are all written in a clear and intelligible language. Nevertheless, there are always those who naively believe that they can outwit the employees of the company and carry more weight. These same people also believe that weight limits on hand luggage are nothing more than a smart move that would allow you to raise the cost of a ticket. This is not true.
Air transport due to the method of movement is limited in carrying capacity. Modern airliners themselves are quite heavy high-tech cars. The total weight of passengers, fuel and provisions is what the aircraft is guaranteed to be able to take away. In this case, the less things a passenger has, the more profitable. When the plane is overloaded, too much fuel is spent on the flight, and also in case of overload, it will have problems with take-off and landing. In other words, it is completely unsafe. In order to be able to collect as many passengers as possible and not to fly with overload, airline specialists carefully calculate the allowable weight of hand luggage for each passenger. Luggage is also calculated separately. At the same time, there is a margin of weight, but if the permissible values are exceeded, the passenger pays for every extra kilogram. No one voices the limit, even in the new rules. Most likely, it does not exist at all. Rather, it is in the documents, but in practice no one heard about it.
The newer and more modern the aircraft, the more weight it can carry. For this reason, it is best to try to purchase tickets only for "young" aircraft of new models.
What it is
Everyone can imagine a portrait of a typical traveler. This is either a person with a huge suitcase and bag, or a real tourist with an equally large backpack behind him. Both of these options cannot take their things on board. All that they bring with them is baggage. That is, the bulk of the things that fly in a special luggage compartment of the aircraft.
Hand luggage is what passengers take directly on board. Most often, this is an expensive and rather fragile technique, cosmetic bags, women's handbags and oversized backpacks with everything you need. She, by definition, cannot weigh a lot. The passenger must ensure that the weight of hand luggage does not exceed the weight of baggage. Such situations often happen when expensive equipment for cameras or cameras is transported. The standard weight of such a cargo ranges from 5 to 10 kilograms. In fact, it may well be either larger or absent altogether. All this is set by the carrier itself.
What is possible and what is not
It is known that far from all objects can be carried aboard an aircraft. Different countries may have their own rules, they may seem ridiculous, but you should not bring them with you. What can I carry in my hand luggage on the plane? Any property other than what is prohibited. Basically, these are any piercing and cutting objects, cold steel and firearms, deodorants and sprays, substances that ignite from any spark, liquids with a volume of more than 100 ml, and mock weapons, including toys.
Alas, this is only a general list. You cannot take animals on board, namely rats, mice or hamsters. This will be an occasion for an emergency landing, since an escaped small animal can easily get into the technological compartments of the vessel and damage various wires with its actions. It is also forbidden to export corals from Egypt. In the UK, they are not allowed to take even a bottle of water with them. Different states may have unexpected bans, sometimes even absurd ones. The main thing for the passenger is that this should not come as a surprise during the inspection.
What is still desirable to take
There are things that a modern person cannot do without. They should always be carried in hand luggage, even if they are not useful. These items include headphones, power banks, charger cables, telephones, players, wet handkerchiefs and dry towels, money, documents, some food, toilet paper and an inflatable pillow. For people with diseases, do not forget about medicines. For those who are sick of transport, it will not be superfluous to grab a special bag. If the passenger has laptops, SLR cameras, lenses or e-books, all this must be taken with you. This may sound ridiculous, but in practice, luggage is not well handled. Better safe than sorry.
Not a good option
Who said that the cost of baggage and hand luggage is always included in the ticket price? It's time to remember that many low-cost airlines and charter flights are very cheap. However, there is one big problem. In the economy class, hand luggage is not included in the price at all, and the weight of luggage should not exceed 5 kg. Of course, with such a framework, a cheap ticket will become more expensive when you have to pay for every kilogram of weight. In other words, when booking a ticket you need to be careful.
How much can I bring to Aeroflot?
Aeroflot, the largest Russian air carrier, sets its own standards for each tariff. The most affordable is always economical, but it is as inconvenient as possible.
Hand luggage in Aeroflot should not weigh more than 10 kg. For business and first class tickets, one bag must weigh 10 kg, and two are allowed to be carried.
Victory? Not this time...
Flying with various airlines, the passenger quickly gets used to standard measures of weight and dimensions for various baggage. They are almost the same throughout the world. And then you have to get acquainted with low-cost carriers. At Pobeda Airlines, carry-on baggage is just a set of the most necessary things. At the control points pay attention not only to the weight, but also to the appearance of the backpack. It should look as harmless as possible. At the slightest hint that this is camping equipment, the backpack will be sent to luggage.
What about suitcases? Everything is very bad! In the best case, this is from 5 to 10 authorized kilograms. On charter flights, you often have to pay for everything.
The size
Who says weight is the only criterion for “selection”? Size matters too! Caution should be exercised on the external elements on the backpack. A fixed “foam” can cause unforeseen financial costs. Most often, the size of hand luggage is within 55 x 40 x 20 centimeters. That is, a tourist backpack most often you can’t take with you. What solution does the traveler have? Reduce the size! This is done very simply. A tripod, “foam” and other attachments are carried separately. Everything that is inside the backpack is compacted as much as possible. Airport employees often turn a blind eye to the extra 2-3 centimeters.
A pleasant surprise for the passengers of Pobeda: the admissible dimensions there are 75 x 75 x 75 cm, however, if this is not a huge handbag, you will not be able to carry it.
The most important rules
In life, everything has its own rules. Carry-on rules also exist. The most important of them is to know the measure. There is not much space on the plane. If a passenger took with him 3 bags, a camera and a laptop, it would be very inconvenient. You may have to put something on your feet, which, according to the rules, cannot be done at all.
The second most important rule is not to hand over your bag if it fits the definition of hand luggage. This will save a lot of time. Waiting for baggage in the arrivals area sometimes takes 30 minutes.
The third rule is to never forget medicines, entertainment, and things that will help you fall asleep. Medicines will save you in unexpected situations, entertaining gadgets will brighten up your time, and the simplest ear plugs will protect you from the hum of engines and help you fall asleep.