EARLY WARNING - Hand Luggage Restrictions

EARLY WARNING

Hand Luggage Restrictions



By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting - August 2010.

Not all of us travel frequently for business or pleasure, but for many out there, a day trip to Durban and/or Cape Town on a weekly basis (or even more frequently) is the norm. This information is not only for the ‘frequent flyer’ amongst us, but also for those of us who fly infrequently, and who are therefore unaware of the new rules and regulations.

Here’s the message that I was sent:

“ACSA (Airports Company South Africa), in conjunction with domestic airlines, has agreed to implement hand luggage restrictions. The purpose is to ensure a reduction in unnecessary flight delays. Read further and be aware of the Hand Luggage Restrictions!

ACSA has recently implemented strict hand luggage restrictions.

The recommend dimensions of the hand luggage piece should be no more than 55cms x 40cms x 20cms and should not weigh more than 5kgs (please note the weight restriction is a per 1time airline).

With passengers now being able to check-in at home or through the self-service kiosks, we have seen a huge increase in hand luggage. In many instances the hand luggage cannot fit into the cabin, meaning it has to be manually loaded into the hold of the aircraft, resulting in flight delays.

‘We can no longer afford to have flights departing late. ACSA and the airlines are of the view that introducing the hand luggage restrictions will significantly improve flight operations. ACSA will make additional resources available to assist the airlines. We fully understand that this will require an adjustment in passenger behaviour, however, we are confident that passengers will co-operate and give us the necessary support’, said Solomon Makgale, ACSA’s Group Manager.”

So there you have it – sounds like good advice to me.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za