For those who do not fly planes so often, the rules of inspection before landing may seem unnecessarily strict. All of them are aimed at ensuring security, so you need to take the procedure for granted. Subject to thorough inspection not only the luggage sent to the plane, but also passengers. In order for the landing to go smoothly, it is important to know what you can get on board with and what is best left at home.
To uniform rules
Until November 2017, Russian airlines themselves created requirements that followed the passengers who chose their services. The general rules of air transportation, adopted by the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation in 2007, did not have any specifics, and empowered companies, focusing on general conditions, to tighten or lighten their internal rules on their own. Therefore, in some and others, according to some criteria, they significantly differed, which created confusion in the minds of passengers. In many ways, the requirements varied regarding the conditions of baggage on the plane.
At the end of 2017, the law on general rules for air transportation, which has been in force since 2007, has been amended. According to them, from now on, all Russian airlines have unified requirements and norms governing their activities. Many amendments are of interest exclusively to carriers, but passengers can also find a sufficient amount of useful information for themselves by looking at the new rules. Baggage in an airplane, in a storage compartment or in the form of hand luggage, according to them, must meet the uniform requirements for everyone. And until November 5, 2017, air carriers had the right to reduce and increase the minimum weight of hand luggage at their discretion.
This moment was the most controversial, since many, going on a business trip for one or two days, take with them only some things with a total weight of 4-5 kg that can fit in a small bag, and there is no need to hand them in luggage. But due to the fact that individual companies significantly underestimated the allowed amount of hand luggage up to the lower threshold of three kg, passengers were unable to take things with them to the cabin. After arrival, they also had to wait for unloading, losing time and patience. Under the new rules, the single weight of hand luggage for all carriers is at least five kilograms per passenger. However, a change is possible upward; new amendments allow this. But the main guideline for passengers is that now they are free to take luggage up to 5 kg with them to the cabin, using the services of any carrier.
Landmark for Aeroflot
The country's main airline, successfully operating for many decades, is undoubtedly Aeroflot. Several thousand people use its services daily. For its customers, the company has created the most convenient flight conditions. When carrying out domestic transportation or international flights for baggage in an airplane, Aeroflot established the most sparing standards. Just a few examples. As already noted, according to the uniform rules of air transportation, a passenger is entitled to take cabin baggage weighing up to 5 kg with him to the cabin. When flying Aeroflot airplanes, even when purchasing an economy class ticket, the maximum weight of a bag, backpack or small suitcase that can be carried on board is ten kilograms. And with a business class ticket, free carry-on standard is 15 kg. As for the dimensions, the average volumes of a bag or suitcase should not exceed - 50 cm in length, 40 - in width and 20 - in height. The total allowable sum of all values is 115 cm.
The company also has excellent opportunities in terms of luggage transportation in the storage compartment. One seat on an economy ticket weighing up to 23 kg can be transported completely free of charge. And with the Premium Economy tariff, there are two places with the same dimensions. At the same time, the cost of the ticket itself increases by only 20%. The same conditions apply for those flying with the Comfort class. The total weight of baggage on the Aeroflot aircraft does not summarize in relation to one passenger. Each individual place is 23 kg at the rates mentioned above. And with a business class ticket, they can reach up to 30 kg. But it should be remembered that when Aeroflot codeshare flights are jointly with other air carrier organizations, the conditions for the carriage of hand luggage and baggage established by a partner company come into force. Two of them, Russia and Aurora, are subsidiaries of Aeroflot, and the rules of the parent company apply to them.
Luggageless or with him?
For each ticket purchased by any airline, one or another of the rules for the carriage of cargo available to a passenger is tied. We stopped a little about this, considering the tariffs of Aeroflot. Specifically for other carriers, all the information necessary for passengers can be found on their websites, and this must be done without fail. As already mentioned, even after the adoption of uniform rules, many companies exceed the permissible limits regarding how much baggage you can carry on the plane in the form of hand luggage. The majority has a minimum weight of up to five kilograms, but how much carriers themselves allow can be reliably found on their websites.
In addition, many of them retained the opportunity to purchase baggage-free tickets and those for which passengers have the right to combine their belongings into one baggage claim. The main thing is that the total weight of the bags does not exceed 30 kg. The next important condition - the combined baggage implies that only one place in a separate compartment will be allocated for it. In other words, the things of different passengers, in order to be able to use the right of the combined luggage, must be folded into a common bag or suitcase. A box will do. The size of baggage on an airplane for two tickets must also correspond to the established dimensions: no more than 158 cm in total in length, width and height. This opportunity is mainly used by those who go on vacation with their families or in the company of friends. It is easier for them to agree in advance on the weight and dimensions of things, and also pack them in accordance with the rules of air transportation.
With regard to the baggage ticket, everything is much simpler. It only means carry-on baggage. Such a ticket costs a little cheaper, but it cannot be returned if something goes wrong and the trip will need to be postponed. But the demand for baggage tickets is quite high and with such a limited return opportunity. They are beneficial again for those who fly in small groups of three to four people. Luggage fares are purchased for one or two, all the belongings of passengers are combined into the required number of free seats on them - with this option, the cost of the flight for all will be much lower.
Fit to size
Of course, the rules set the permissible limits for carrying luggage and hand luggage on the plane, but this does not mean that we must adjust all our things to these standards one to one. It is important not to exceed them so that you do not have to pay extra for an advantage. It is also worth noting the rights of young children to their own things, even if they carry out a flight on the ticket of their parents. For each child up to two years of age, one place is put weighing up to 10 kilograms in the luggage compartment. This somewhat expands the possibilities of parents. Again, the amount and weight of free baggage allowance depends on the fare of the ticket. “Economy” - 23 kg, “business class” - 30. But children's luggage in any case cannot exceed ten kilograms, regardless of the fare at which parents fly.
Knowing in advance how much luggage you can carry on an airplane, taking into account hand luggage according to the rules of a particular company, you will be able to avoid some problems when inspecting things at the airport. For example, when bags and suitcases are already handed over, and some items that were planned to be taken with you to the salon, you have to leave at the inspection point because of the excess of hand luggage. Then how could they safely be sent along with their suitcases to the luggage compartment. Or, if the hand luggage does not correspond to the dimensions in centimeters and all the things from it will need to be transferred to a smaller bag. In the conditions of check-in and soon departure of a flight, this is not so easy. Therefore, it is important when planning to travel by air, taking into account all these nuances.
Who to pay for?
All figures given regarding the maximum limits of weight or volume of suitcases are just a guideline for passengers in terms of their free transportation. Bags, backpacks, boxes may be larger, but in this case you will have to pay extra for excess. And baggage transportation on an airplane of non-standard or oversized sizes is a completely different story. These include musical instruments, such as a piano; sports or industrial equipment: trainer or machine tool. There are many different items that are not included in any list, acceptable for transportation by air as baggage. If a thing far exceeds the permissible 30 kg, then it belongs to the category of heavy cargoes, which are paid at a special tariff. Each airline has its own, so it is necessary to find out the amount of payment and the existing options for transporting non-standard baggage as soon as possible, and better before purchasing it. It may turn out that acquiring a similar thing in your place will cost much cheaper than with paying for a flight. In addition, not all airlines have the ability to provide such a service.
As for the weight of luggage, which slightly exceeds the permissible dimensions and kilograms, the surcharge for them occurs on the spot without any problems. You can still leave some of the things of little importance there, at the airport, so as not to overpay. But you should not hope that they will be returned to you upon arrival back. All items left are simply thrown into the trash. But if the greater weight of baggage on the plane that we send to the storage compartment can be compensated by several extra banknotes for the airline, then the same financial transaction will not work with hand luggage. Here is one option - we leave all unnecessary at the inspection point. Hand luggage may not exceed the permissible limits. Another point. If the passenger paid an additional one piece of baggage, and he needs one more, you will have to pay extra. But in the opposite case - I ordered and paid for two, but used one - the airline should return the money to him already.
Each has its own corridor
Special attention should be paid to things and objects whose transportation must be declared when making an international flight. These include:
- works of art;
- securities, bills, etc.
- endangered animals or plants;
- currency, large amounts of money;
- tobacco products and alcohol;
- perfumery products.
Of course, this is by no means a complete list of things and objects obligatory for declaring, but only the most common ones. Carrying baggage on an airplane that contains at least one of the above is not a problem if the rules of a foreign state imply their transportation outside of your country or into it. It is important to arrange everything in a timely manner and without hiding.
Those passengers who do not transport anything like or forbidden, and there is no need to draw up a declaration, pass for landing along the so-called “green” corridor. The rest are sent to "red". In some cases, passengers who are suspicious or under special control of airport officials may be subjected to customs inspection. It is checked not only their luggage carried on the plane, but also they themselves. If objects are declared in things or clothing that are not declared or banned for import / export, they are seized with the execution of the relevant act, and an appropriate decision is made regarding the passenger himself: expulsion from the country or arrest. It all depends on the nature of the detected item.
Inspection and clearance
Checking baggage and personal belongings at the airport is carried out using special devices. For luggage and passengers they are different. Suitcases, bags and hand luggage are checked using an instroscope. He is able to perceive in things the outlines of each object, as well as the material from which it is made. With respect to plastic and metal products, requirements may follow to remove them from the bags and present for physical inspection. The rules of baggage allowance on the plane allow this. The same applies to all things that may be accepted by customs officers for explosives, weapons, or even components of them. Suspicions of narcotic drugs that may be camouflaged as medications will lead to the same requirements.
In order to freely transport alcohol in the baggage of an airplane or tobacco products, as well as medicines that are not related to psychotropic or narcotic substances, it is enough to declare them. Even weapons, if authorized, can be transported across the state border. As for checking passenger clothing, they use x-rays, radio wave or hand scanners that do not have a harmful effect on people. They can be used when checking wearable items even on pregnant women, as well as passengers with pacemakers and other drugs. It is only necessary to take off all the clothes and shoes with metal inserts on them in advance. Another type of examination is a personal or individual examination. It is carried out in a separate room in the presence of two witnesses of the same gender as the passenger being examined.
Taboo on ...
There is a fairly extensive list of drugs, substances, items that can not be transported by air, in accordance with the rules established by all countries of the world. They should not be in the hand luggage in an airplane or in suitcases and bags handed over to the storage compartment. Here is a list of just a few of them:
- compressed, liquefied, flammable or not gases;
- alkalis, acids and other substances that cause corrosion;
- paint, solvents, any paintwork;
- flammable objects;
- powder-containing substances, ammunition, weapons;
- radioactive items;
- chemicals with toxic and poisonous properties.
In addition, in order to preserve their property, it’s better to take some things with you to the salon. They are permitted by baggage allowance on the plane. How many in total, and what exactly can be taken with you on the road, each one decides independently. Including the fact that these items must be checked in your luggage or put in your hand luggage. We are talking about money, securities, precious or jewelry, products that can go bad on the road or leak onto other things in a suitcase. This also includes fragile and easily breakable things and objects. The integrity and safety of them can guarantee transportation with them in the cabin. Responsibility for their damage during loading and unloading airlines, as a rule, do not assume responsibility, and this should be remembered.
Better not to take chances
What else should be done besides just learning the rules? Baggage on the plane in the form of hand luggage must correspond to them. Particular attention should be paid to the requirements for the carriage of certain items for which other rules were in force until November 2017. All of them could be taken with them to the salon, holding in their hands, and they did not enter the total weight of hand luggage. We are talking about laptops, phones, cameras, electronic and printed books, newspapers, folders with papers. Previously, an umbrella was also included in the list of non-mandatory items. From now on, all of the above can be carried exclusively in bags or backpacks, which make up the passenger’s hand luggage and affect the total weight. Failure to remove one of these items in a bag may give an excuse for airport employees not to allow a passenger to board an aircraft.
What else can they deploy back if they find in hand luggage? All sharp and sharp-cutting objects:
- knives, even penknives, and scissors, including manicure;
- metal forks, corkscrews;
- blade and razor;
- knitting needles.
In some cases, you may be required to remove injection needles from your hand luggage. In addition, shampoos, gels, sprays, creams, water, perfumes should also be transported in the compartment, which is reserved for baggage on the plane. How many bottles and tubes are allowed to be transported at a time, it is important to check in advance on the airline’s website. They may be subject to quantity limits. As for water, you can take it on board, but no more than in a hundred-gram capacity.
Worthy of the cabin
Another list of things and items that every passenger needs to remember relates to those that are not included in cabin baggage and do not affect the weight of luggage in the plane. Additionally, they do not need to be paid. It includes outerwear, and if the flight is in a different climatic zone, then even two sets, taking into account those things that will be needed upon arrival. For example, a jacket and a fur coat, if the temperature difference between the points of embarkation and departure from the aircraft requires such a drastic change of clothes. A lady’s handbag, a cane, a bouquet of flowers, the medicines necessary for use during the flight are also in this list. Like some devices, mandatory for use due to health or age. It:
- crutches;
- pram, cradle, walker;
- wheelchair.
All these items are not counted as hand luggage on the plane, although they may be in the cabin during the flight. Also excluded are children's food that is intended to be consumed on the road, a specially packaged dress or suit, a sealed bag with alcoholic beverages and other goods from dutyfree stores.
On board - from the cart
Everything that the passenger does not plan to take with him to the cabin, he passes as baggage on the plane. What is possible and what cannot be transported - sorted out. However, airlines also have certain requirements for the design of bags, boxes, and suitcases. Violation of some may lead either to removal from the flight, or to the requirements to bring the luggage in proper form. The second option may cause you to be late for the flight. It would be more correct to worry about everything in advance. What can cause a hitch at the airport? For example, an unexpectedly opened zipper on a suitcase or bag due to too tightly packed things. This trouble can happen during the flight, so - draw conclusions. The saddest thing that will happen to your things in the future? They will remain on the plane, and will be thrown out when the compartment is cleaned. Nobody will collect them to return to the owner.
The second trouble is a messed up suitcase or bag. Many travel bags are very similar to each other and passengers mark them with bright stickers or ribbons before departure. If the customs services require them to be removed due to national or other characteristics of the country, or according to the rules of baggage on the plane of their state, it is better to do this immediately, without arguing. When registering and passing control, everyone will be given a boarding pass, and a tag with a bar code on their suitcase, which will become the passenger’s identification mark upon receipt of their baggage upon arrival. By the way, if a person travels often, you should get rid of previous marks before each new flight. You can also send things by another flight, directly to the arrival point, if the passenger needs to be wrapped on the road to another city, and then continue on. This service is called pass-through registration. It is relatively new and not yet used by all airlines.
With its charter
As already noted, there is no single global standard for baggage for all airlines. Each state sets its own rules. You need to know them thoroughly, especially when traveling abroad. So, at the Dubai airport, if non-Islamic religious literature is found among the things of an arriving or departing passenger, the measures against him can be quite severe. Proving your right to read books of a different faith can only aggravate the situation. Almost every orthodox country is distinguished by such prohibitions.
There are also separate requirements for the weight and size of the suitcases. And not only in a certain country when crossing its state border, but also when traveling on its domestic flights. The second may not be as strict as the first. Tourists often delve into them in some detail to get more privileges in terms of carrying things inside the country. So the guests of our state must comply with the requirements of Russian laws. They, like us, are subject to the same rules for baggage on the plane. Aeroflot, this or any other company, does not matter. Within each country, they act equally on everyone.