Air NZ gets tough over carry-on baggage limit

By CHRIS DANIELS aviation writer

Air NZ is toughening up on those passengers trying to sneak a few extra kilos of luggage in their cabin bags.

To mark the start of its Tasman Express service to and from Australia at the end of this month, the airline is reminding passengers that it will strictly enforce carry-on baggage rules.

Carry-on bags will be limited to 7kg for economy passengers, a limit the airline says will be strictly monitored.

These bags, says spokeswoman Rosie Paul, will be "sighted" by check-in staff and weighed if necessary.

If the bag is more than 7kg, the passenger will be asked to check in some of the contents or let it be put in the hold.

Business-class passengers and "Star Gold" customers can take two pieces of baggage on a plane, each weighing up to 7kg.

Oversized items such as surfboards, kayaks and bicycles will now have to be weighed with checked-in baggage and will be counted as part of a passenger's overall baggage allowance.

Passengers will be levied the $10 a kilo excess charge if the total baggage weight reaches more than 20kg.

Oversized items will also incur a $20 handling fee.

New length restrictions will also be implemented on all Air NZ planes from October 29. For its jet fleet, both domestic and international, no object more than 2.5m will be allowed. For the smaller Air NZ Link planes, the limit will be 1.8 m.

If a flight uses both types of planes - for instance a trip from Gisborne to Sydney - the smaller limit will apply.

Ms Paul said the baggage limits were now being standardised across the network. The 20kg baggage limit for Tasman flights had not changed, but would be strictly enforced.

With the cheaper fares and the new 146-passenger Airbus A320 flying the Tasman, "everybody's got to be fair to everyone else and we can't take excess luggage".

"It is the same principle as with domestic," she said. "We have significantly reduced your fares but there will be a cost for excess luggage and it will be enforced."

She said that since the launch of ExpressClass, domestic travellers had had additional charges for excess baggage enforced and "appear to have accepted this as part of domestic travel in New Zealand".

The third of Air NZ's new Airbus A320 planes will arrive in New Zealand on October 26.

The jets are an integral part of the airline's move towards a high-frequency, low-cost and low-fare service across the Tasman.