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   Vol. 14  No. 56
Monday July 13, 2015

Does IATA Have It In The Bag?

Does IATA Have It In The Bag?

When rolling out their “Cabin OK” initiative on June 9th, IATA promised again to solve what they felt was a pressing problem throughout the industry: The lack of space for cabin baggage.

     The initiative “proposes the introduction of a cabin bag size for storage in overhead compartments as well as under the seat that would be accepted by participating airlines, for aircraft of over 120 seats.
     “All bags approved as size-compliant will bear an IATA Cabin OK logo which will enable the staff of participating airlines to recognize them.’
     Before going much further we must say up front that the IATA website currently carries these words about Cabin Bag OK:
     “IATA has paused rollout of Cabin OK to reassess the initiative.”
     Here is what happened.
     What’s felt to be an annoying and time-consuming hassle by most affected travelers also has a number of legal, operational, and safety-related ramifications the traveling public might not realize.


Shifting Lithium Below Decks?


Baggage     Because of the high fire risk associated with some types of Lithium batteries and Lithium-battery powered gadgets, all spare Lithium batteries not installed in devices must be carried in carry-on baggage, as well as some devices such as e-cigarettes prone to start fires.
     The rationale behind this is that the cabin crew can more easily control fires in the aircraft cabin than they could in the inaccessible cargo holds.
     This means if baggage an air passenger intended as carry-on is loaded in the cargo hold for want of sufficient space in the overhead baggage bins, such baggage may not be in compliance with legal requirements applicable to the transport of certain dangerous goods by passengers.
     IATA’s rather unilateral measure was to uniformly reduce the maximum recommended size of cabin-baggage and mark carry-ons meeting their new specifications as “Cabin OK.”


IATA Word Up

     “The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags. We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience,” said Tom Windmuller, IATA’s senior vice president for Airport, Passenger, Cargo, and Security, in an IATA press release June 9th.
     “Working with airline members of IATA and aircraft manufacturers, an optimum size guideline for carry-on bags has been agreed that will make the best use of cabin storage space. A size of 55 x 35 x 20 cm (or 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches) means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger.”


Furor Erupted

     While IATA “has worked with airline members of IATA and aircraft manufacturers,” they have apparently forgotten to consider what the passenger might actually think.
     As mentioned at the top, a storm of consumers and consumer advocacy organizations predominantly in North America made IATA reconsider quickly and officially “pause” their “Cabin OK” initiative June 17th, following a “clarification” on June 12th in the turmoil of negative feedback—such as Sen. Bob Menendez of NJ, who called the initiative “another industry ploy related to baggage fees.”


Reality Check

Baggage     While such a ploy can be ruled out as well as any association between IATA and the manufacturers of hand luggage, the problem at hand is real enough:
     There is insufficient space in the overhead bins to accommodate the baggage of all economy travelers.
     The “maximum size carry-ons” of currently 55x45x25 cm (22x14x9in) are less of a problem than the increasingly popular backpacks—often with attachments of various forms and sizes—because irregularly shaped baggage requires more space. Furthermore, airlines in the last years have squeezed more and more seats into aircrafts, increasing 777 and 747 economy-class configurations to 10 seats per row instead of 8 or 9 as before.
     The issue is particularly serious with some LCC’s flying in all-economy configurations such as Ryanair (FR), although most of these LCC’s are not even IATA members and are driven by changed baggage policies of airlines who now charge even for the first checked-in bag. They also reduce overall baggage allowances, and many are moving towards the trend of airlines’ and airports’ “ancillary revenue.” Bags with duty-free merchandise usually go on top of the normal baggage allowance.
     On some flights, the problem is aggravated by winter coats, which passengers can no longer keep on in narrow seats and overheated cabins.
     Families with children making use of the additional allowances for infants and toddlers needs, especially where infants up to two years fly without their own seat, also reduce available space.
     Reducing the recommended baggage size by 38 percent, as proposed by IATA, is not a solution. The outcry of the flying public against IATA’s well-meant but poorly researched Cabin Bag initiative will also serve as a wake-up call to IATA as well as some of their member carriers.
     Some airlines, such as Thai Airways (TG), have upped the check-in baggage allowance to 30kg in economy and 8kg for carry-on; and customer loyalty at TG is far above industry levels.


Boeing Steps Up


     A better way to assist in resolving the issues has been brought forward by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, who changed the configuration of the overhead luggage bins on its newest planes in a way that allows current maximum-sized rollaboard suitcases to be stowed sideways.
     Some journalists have worried that passengers in first and business class, being boarded first and allowed more baggage, take away luggage bin space for Aunt Martha flying in economy.
     But not to worry; the reduced number of seats in first and economy makes for plenty of overhead luggage space—even on single-aisle commuter aircraft, 2-2 instead of 3-3 configurations considerably ease the pressure.


Giving Pause


     In its announcement to pause the implementation of “Cabin OK,” IATA’s Tom Windmuller admits, “this is clearly an issue that is close to the heart of travelers. We need to get it right. Today we are pausing the rollout and launching a comprehensive reassessment of the Cabin OK program.”
     While that is encouraging, the last sentence of IATA’s press release contradicts what Mr. Windmuller has said:
     “Cabin OK is a guideline for an optimally sized cabin bag, not an industry standard. Cabin OK does not seek to define a maximum size for carry-on bags, which is something each airline does individually. And no consumer will be forced into buying a new bag as a result of this voluntary initiative.”
     If IATA member and non-member airlines follow the recommendations of “Cabin OK,” the passenger will either have to buy a new bag for the purpose of carry-on or have to stay home.
     For whatever its worth, FT would like to make a suggestion to help resolve the problem:
     Everyone involved in the “Cabin OK” initiative at IATA should make his or her business trips in the next 12 months in economy class only. In this way they can gather important intelligence without additional, costly task forces and be able to contribute firsthand experience of the issue at hand.
     Up, Up, & Away!
Jens

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