Airline passengers urged to carry lighter luggage
[November 10th 2008]
Britain’s strongest men were on hand at Heathrow and Manchester airports today to encourage air travellers to pack lighter baggage when they travel on holiday or business.
Rob Frampton was at Heathrow Terminal 2 and Laurence Shahlaie at Terminal 1 check in at Manchester airport as part of a campaign by trade union Unite to raise the issues around heavy luggage.
Unite says heavy bags mean extra charges for airline passengers, pose a health risk for baggage handlers, and even contribute to global warming.
"Last minute charges levied at the departure gate for excess baggage can hit cash - conscious holidaymakers hard. The way airlines charge for luggage is bewildering and varies enormously from carrier to carrier so our advice to the travelling public is wisen up and 'Lighten up'. Spend your money aboard not getting there,” says Unite national officer, Steve Turner.
According to Unite a family of four travelling on a return journey within Europe with one bag each weighing 23kg could pay anything from no excess charge with British Airways up to £254 with easyJet and £948 with Ryanair.
It is two years since the Health and Safety Executive Aviation Industry Committee agreed to reduce the weight of checked in baggage from 32kg to 23kg. But Unite says it is concerned that recession hit airlines may be tempted by excess charges not to get behind the safe 23kg limit.
"Heavy bags cause problems for everybody. They cost the public dear, boost harmful CO2 emissions and contribute to the injuries suffered by airline baggage staff. Most people think that baggage handling is fully automated. The reality is that a bag can be lifted up to a dozen times on a journey," explains Turner.
The HSE says that baggage handlers are five times more likely to suffer muscular skeletal injury, including bad backs, than any other worker in the UK.
Another benefit of lighter luggage is the effect this would have on global warming says Unite. According to the trade union, if every passenger on a Boeing 747 travelled with baggage weighing 23kg rather than 32kg it would have the same environmental benefit as removing around 30 private cars from the road for a year.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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