Jim Eagles: Brassed off about this carry on

One thing that really cheeses me off when I'm flying is the passenger who brings everything but the kitchen sink on the plane - in fact, sometimes the sink comes, too - then tries to jam it into the overhead lockers.

They're more annoying than the guy in the seat behind who gets up by grabbing hold of your headrest (and your head), the kids who kick the back of your seat for five hours non-stop, the loudmouths who gather beside the galley and laugh at their own jokes all night, the character who requests a window seat despite having a weak bladder or even the overweight neighbour who commandeers more than a fair share of armrest and leg space, falls asleep and snores loudly.

I think the reason I find luggage-gluttons so irritating is their arrogant disregard for the rules, for safety or for the welfare of others ... and especially the fact that usually they get away with it.

I trip prissily on with my one tiny bag weighing only 1-2kg - usually a small backpack - and then sit and fume at the passing parade of luggage.

The classic luggage-glutton has one of those suitcases on wheels supposedly built to precisely the maximum allowable dimensions, a big shoulder bag, a coat or a suit bag, a handbag or a briefcase, at least one carrier bag loaded with duty free and often a mysterious cardboard parcel of awkward size.

Boarding slows as they move ponderously along the aisles, often tripping over their ownimpedimenta, often giving any passengers, already seated, a smack round the ears with a stray parcel.

Then things come to a standstill while they fill all available locker space with their mountain of belongings, often ramming items in and hauling them out several times until they're satisfactorily stowed. It's just bad luck if you happened to have put something fragile in one of the lockers they target.

Unfortunately the problem doesn't end when the luggage-glutton is finally seated.

For one thing, there's usually another one following close behind so the same performance is repeated again.

For another, the fact that all the lockers are chocker means later passengers, with reasonable amounts of luggage, have to scour the plane to find somewhere to put their belongings.

And, of course, getting the luggage-gluttons off the plane is another big production which holds everyone else up.

Aaaargh. Perhaps the anger this generates is the reason passengers aren't allowed to take sharp objects on to planes.

But, hope is at hand.

On a couple of recent trips, on both Air New Zealand and Qantas, I have noticed them taking a stricter line over both cabin baggage and excess baggage in general.

I even - oh joy unbounded - saw a particularly flagrant luggage-glutton obliged to hand over several bags she was proposing to take into the cabin, and to pay excess for them.

Some colleagues have reported similar experiences.

Could this mean, dare we hope, that the airlines are going to enforce the rules on cabin baggage? It seems the answer is yes.

In response to a question on the subject, Air New Zealand said it "is now more strongly enforcing its carry-on baggage policy".

The airline said customers had been getting "increasingly irritated by those who flaunt it and take on board too many items meaning overhead space is at a premium.

"This can see some customers having to place their baggage, which may contain items they require in flight, some distance from where they are sitting.

"It can also result in items being damaged due to bags being tightly squeezed into overhead lockers."

Hear, hear.

There is, the airline points out, also a safety issue because its aircraft tend to be fuller these days and extra baggage affects aircraft weight.

So, luggage-gluttons take note, you are allowed to have one piece of cabin baggage weighing no more than 7kg. Try to take more and you are liable to be asked to check it in.

What's more, with weight limits on checked-in baggage also being policed more strictly, you may also be required to pay an excess baggage charge, ranging from $5 a kg on domestic flights to $25 a kg on Asia flights.

Some people won't like that, but I'm all in favour. In fact, where's the drinks trolley? Let's drink a toast to the baggage rules being properly enforced.

* Got any pet hates when you're flying? Send them to travel@nzherald.co.nz or post to Travel, PO Box 32, Auckland.