Passengers furious on single bag policy

Dubai: The single-bag policy adopted by some Pakistani airlines has infuriated the passengers because they now have to pay additional money for the second bag they carry.

Airblue, Pakistan's largest private airline, which operates 35 flights per week from the UAE to Pakistan, now does not allow passengers to carry more than one bag. This policy has also been adopted by Shaheen Air International, another private Pakistani carrier.

Both airlines have also reduced the baggage weight allowance from 50 kilograms (kg) to 32 kg.

However, other airlines flying to Pakistan from the UAE including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) - Pakistan's national flag carrier , Emirates, and Etihad airlines still allow passengers to book more than one bag, and allow a higher baggage allowance. PIA allows a maximum baggage allowance of 50 kg.

"I was shocked ... when the counter staff refused to book more than one bag," Mohammad Shaukat said, who travelled from Lahore to Dubai on Airblue. He said he was told to pay Rs6000 (Dh290) extra in order to book the second bag. "I told the staff to book two bags which did not weigh more than 25 kilogrammes. But he refused and told me that he would accept even 32 kilograms, but it must be in one bag," Shaukat said.

Shaireen Kausar, another passenger who flew on the same airline to Peshawar from Dubai, said she was asked to pay a flat charge of Dh300 for her second bag, which did not weigh more than five kg. "It is unfair because we cannot pack everything in one bag," she said adding that next time she would prefer another airline.

Defending the single-bag policy, Saddaf Anwar Ali, district manager of Airblue in Dubai, said the airline adopted this policy to avoid the nuisance of left-behind baggage. "Airline was unable to carry all the bags, and the passengers had to suffer because their baggage was left behind," she said.

She said the airline would review its policy once it gets new and bigger aircraft in July this year.

Have you travelled, recently? Were you affected by the new policy? How much luggage do you usually carry when travelling?

One bag policy is very good not only for the airlines but also for the riding public as it wil minimize the bulk of baggages they're carrying and it is for their convenient. Why complain if that's their policy, everyone has the right to choose their own airline, so there's nothing wrong with one bag policy, isnt it?
Roberto Roy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 15:01

If you have more than 32 kg's of luggage then it should be flown as cargo not as check in baggage.
Jason
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 14:43

I believe we should try to consider their issues as well. There are certainly many people who carry 5 baggages and if one gets lost or delayed they start abusing the staff. Try to support the airline as it is our national carrier.
Mohammad Zeeshan Hussain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 14:39

Air blue got good services as i travelled with them last time on feb2009. they have good professional staff instead. As far as luggage is concerned, I have seen people carrying monster cartons overlapped by ropes and all that. This might be a result of those actions. But in order to compete with other Airlines they should monitor their policy.
Hammad Ismail
Ajman,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 14:34

I flew once with this airline and that was the worst experience for me. My luggage weight was about 30.3kgs but they refused and asked me to pay cash about Rs.6000 because the size of the baggage is bigger than they described in the 2nd page of ticket.
Kashif
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 13:50

This is unfair with the clients we already pay a big amount for service and services are being cut down.
Majid Anwar
Muscat,Oman
Posted: April 26, 2009, 13:41

You know this is normal, at some airlines you are allowed to bring only 20kg if you have more you have to pay for it. And you are allowed to bring 1 handbag in the plane.
Katrien
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 13:14

I think this policy should be clearly explained to the passenger by the agency or through Internet (if the ticket booked online) in order to avoid such conflict, otherwise it is not fair.
Waleed Ahmad
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 13:05

I enjoy a good conversation regarding a similar issue. When the ticketing person told the traveller you baggage size is above the allowed level. You need to make it smaller. The passanger replier, its a Room cooler, you want me to cut it into two peice. I think laws should be made on pratical ways. Some airlines do this because they want to make money on cargo. I find this totally unacceptable and information should not be given at the counter but in the ticket or verbally told at the time of booking.
Faisal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 12:49

32kg should be more than enough, any airline going to east asian countries only allow 20kg, that is around 10 to 12 hours flight, any extra must be paid too, without exceptions. consider youself lucky.
Malou
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 12:29

Its the duty of the staff at the time of issuance of the ticket to inform regarding the baggage policy of the respective airline.
Abdul Rashid
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 12:13

Airblue should be ashamed of themselves. Inability to ensure all bags are boarded and returned to the passenger on arrivals is the airline's job. If they can't manage baggage, you're there fit to run an airline. Why cause inconvience to the passengers? It's not their fault you can't manage the baggage?
Omar
Brisbane,Australia
Posted: April 26, 2009, 12:09

This policy is not fair because when you are travelling with your kids, how is it possible to pack everything in one bag?
Shahid Saleem
Ajman,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 11:45

I believe this is yet another way for private airlines to milk out extra money from poor passengers. I would advice all passengers to use the national carrier PIA as they are more flexible to passenger requirements.
Mobisher Rabbani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 11:37

The luggage weight limit is ok but it is hard to limit weight to a certain number of bags. We can divide the weight allowed over a bigger number of bags.
Umat Rasool
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 11:02

Most of the Passengers travelling in Air Blue with heavy luggage are the working class who usually visit families after years. In this case they go with a lot of luggage. The moderate policy should be adopted in order to take care of the Passengers. The Passengers should be given maximum possible capacity and at the same time luggage should not be too much to imbalance the aircraft.
Shahbaz Ahmad Rashid
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 10:41

This is True! This month my mother and wife travelled from Karachi, Pakistan. The total weight they had was around 60Kgs in three bags. They were not allowed to carry three bags with them due to this rule. Since they were travelling they did not have the Pakistani currency with them to pay this money. The Air blue staff were very insensitive and didn't try to help them at all. Airlines should be concerned about the total weight allowance rather then total number of bags and they should try to help passengers rather then telling them bluntly that they can't do anything. Emirates now introduced maximum 30 KGs allowance to Pakistan. Last month I travelled with my wife to karachi with the total weight of 80 KGs for both. I had to pay Dh1000 for extra baggage as the counter staff refused to accept any baggage above 30Kgs even though. Now I will not buy gifts from Dubai as I would've to pay extra charges. I will rather do my shopping in Karachi.
Hashim Raza
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 10:38

People should stop complaining, this is a policy adopted by airlines in many countries, some are much stricter and charge much more than this. You can't always have your cake and eat it too.
Anthony Permal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 10:21

I would like to comment in this regard that in case any passenger is carrying one a 32 inch LCD TV, the weight will be approximately 17 kilograms. This passenger definitely carry their unavoidable things. In this case the airlines new policy is unfair.
Rajan
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 09:48

I think this policy is wrong.
Mohammad Ali
Peshawar,Pakistan
Posted: April 26, 2009, 08:28

Yes! Those days are gone when we are allowed to carry as many bags as we can take (max 50kg) but now airlines are playing with their passengers. I am going to travel in July on summer holidays to Pakistan and I am flying with this airline and bit worried of how I will manage. In my view, airlines should change it otherwise they might lose business. I urge the relevant authorities to look into this matter for the relief of its people.
Mohammad Amjad Quraishi
Fujairah,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 08:14

I had a very bad experience with this airline last year as well. They had some unprofessional staff.
Khurram Ali
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 26, 2009, 01:05