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Now official: EU postpones introduction of rules on maximum cabin baggage size

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Now official: EU postpones introduction of rules on maximum cabin baggage size

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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 9:39 am
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Now official: EU postpones introduction of rules on maximum cabin baggage size

We have all read the rumours, but the European Commission today published a press release:

Originally Posted by European Commission

European Commission postpones introduction of rules on maximum cabin baggage size

The Commission decided to postpone the implementation of rules on maximum cabin baggage size, as more time is needed to reassess the advantages and disadvantages they entail, notably regarding air security and passengers' comfort.

Vice-President Jacques Barrot declared: "The Commission has shown that it is willing to listen to good arguments from stakeholders, who sought to delay the introduction of European rules on cabin baggage size. We therefore feel that it is in the best interest of European citizens to postpone their introduction until May 2008".

The rulemaking adopted as part of the review of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1546/2006[1] sought to limit the maximum size of cabin bags to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. This reflected common practice by many airlines since it was long time ago agreed by industry as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) standard for safety reasons. The aim of the measure was to make it simpler for airport screening staff to detect prohibited articles in cabin baggage.

The European Commission has invited the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to evaluate the security benefits that accrue from a limit on cabin bag size over the next 12 months. Their report would be presented to the Commission by December 2007, along with any additional information provided by Member States and stakeholder associations. Further decision will be taken based on the analysis of this input.

This decision to delay the introduction of the rule on cabin bag size is part of the implementation of the review clause inserted into Regulation 1546/2006 that ensures its contents are reviewed at least every six months.
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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 11:08 am
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What about the UK-style 1-bag-only rule? Is the postponement of this implicit in the max bag size postponement?
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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 11:27 am
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Originally Posted by frink
What about the UK-style 1-bag-only rule? Is the postponement of this implicit in the max bag size postponement?
My view is that this rule never existed and was never supposed to exist in the rest of the EU.

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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 12:02 pm
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Originally Posted by SmilingBoy
My view is that this rule never existed and was never supposed to exist in the rest of the EU.

SmilingBoy.
Make an attempt for Jacques Barrot's memos and memos that reached his desk.
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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 12:59 pm
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Make an attempt for Jacques Barrot's memos and memos that reached his desk.
Better not. I might uncover rules in the name of security and the war on terror that would be even more upsetting...

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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 1:07 pm
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Originally Posted by SmilingBoy
Better not. I might uncover rules in the name of security and the war on terror that would be even more upsetting...

SmilingBoy.
I understand. As stimpy noted in a thread related to this matter, there's a lot of "cooperation" -- it's cooperation that would ruffle feathers if publicized (or lead to false/misleading denials).
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Old Apr 20, 2007 | 1:51 pm
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Originally Posted by frink
What about the UK-style 1-bag-only rule? Is the postponement of this implicit in the max bag size postponement?
This "1-bag rule" extension to the rest of Europe seems to be an urban legend ... you will find no official communication on this, just a number of private webpages that have apparently mistaken the adoption of the UK size rule to also mean that this extends to the number of bags which is not the case
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 4:47 am
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Thank God Europe is smarter than the Brits.

Does Britian really enforce the one bag rule? I am flying business class from london to dubai and would like to bring a bag and a zippered suit bag as carry on.
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 4:58 am
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Thank God Europe is smarter than the Brits.

Does Britian really enforce the one bag rule? I am flying business class from london to dubai and would like to bring a bag and a zippered suit bag as carry on.
Expect to be given a choice of being sent back to check in or disposing of one of your bags.

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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 6:31 am
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Thank God Europe is smarter than the Brits.

Does Britian really enforce the one bag rule? I am flying business class from london to dubai and would like to bring a bag and a zippered suit bag as carry on.
Yes, and they are Nazis about it. I've seen cases where the smaller bag clearly would fit in the larger bag and cases where the smaller bag was clearly a valuable piece of art all being told to combine them or else and cases were both bags were about 6" by 6" by 6" all be told to combine them or else! I've also seen British retirees reduced to tears by the officious pompous low lifes enforcing this.

The only exception is once you are thru security you can pick up additonal duty free bags to bring on the plan with you.
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 7:35 am
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Thank God Europe is smarter than the Brits.

Does Britian really enforce the one bag rule? I am flying business class from london to dubai and would like to bring a bag and a zippered suit bag as carry on.
Yes, they do. One small plus that I saw at LGW was that there were check-in stations for at least some airlines close to the security checkpoint, so you would not have to go through immigration and be admitted to the UK in order to check a bag.
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 7:52 am
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Originally Posted by Oceanbound222
Thank God Europe is smarter than the Brits.

Does Britian really enforce the one bag rule? I am flying business class from london to dubai and would like to bring a bag and a zippered suit bag as carry on.
Ok.....I flew through LHR 4 days ago. I brought with me my usual briefcase and my usual "purse" - a small shoulder-thing that contains my travel-wallet and cellphone. And, a coat, which I was wearing.

The purse is tiny and the laptop about 1/2 of the allowed size, yet they still gave me heat for it at security, insisting that I go check it. I looked around on all those with oversized carry-on that went through without problems, and realizing that logic wasn't going to get me anywhere, I asked:

me: so if the content of my purse was in my briefcase, it could go through?
BAA-weenie no. 1: Yes
me: and if it was in the pockets of my coat, it could go through?
BAA-weenie no. 1: yes
me: Thank you

And there and then I loaded the two cellphones from my purse into my left pocket, folded the purse with the travel-wallet into my right pocket (which now was over-filled) and walked past BAA-weenie no. 1 to security.

Shoe-circus was enforced, so I kindly asked if they had foot-protectors since the floor was less than hygenic.
Another BAA-weenie no 2 barfed at me "Sir, you must understand that this is a security operation, and it is for YOUR safety". I took off my shoes and put them in a tray, only to have BAA-weenie no 2 yell at me again that shoes do not go in the trays. I sighed, and went through the WTMD, which of course went off.

After waiting for a lengthy personal secondary, I got to wait for my carry-on to get a very careful and lengthy secondary (!), before I was let go - 5 min past boarding time of my aircraft. The whole thing through security took >1h, and I got the distinct feeling that the BAA-weenies were purposely trying to make me miss my plane -- which, fortunately, was late so I made it.

The morale of the story: LHR and BAA is as bad as -- if not worse than -- the TSA. And, I wouldn't want to bet on taking anything but a single carry-on-item past any BAA port.
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 9:10 am
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Originally Posted by noturbulence
This "1-bag rule" extension to the rest of Europe seems to be an urban legend ... you will find no official communication on this, just a number of private webpages that have apparently mistaken the adoption of the UK size rule to also mean that this extends to the number of bags which is not the case
Apparently AA believes it
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...Regulation.jsp

Does anyone have recent experience with the enforcement of the (alleged) 1-bag rule outside UK?
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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 9:49 am
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Originally Posted by Capite
Apparently AA believes it
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...Regulation.jsp

Does anyone have recent experience with the enforcement of the (alleged) 1-bag rule outside UK?
No, as it doesn't exist. I rather trust EU publications than the website of an American airline.

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Old Apr 22, 2007 | 10:07 am
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Originally Posted by SmilingBoy
No, as it doesn't exist. I rather trust EU publications than the website of an American airline.

SmilingBoy.
The airline website is misleading.
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