Sunday 5 August 2012

How much does your handbag weigh?

WARNING: MAJOR RANT!

Last week when I went to Melbourne, I decided to fly Tiger Air. They are the cheapest that fly to Tullamarine and with the amount of times I plan to go down.. that's what I was after. PLUS, we had flown to Melbourne with them before and everything was fine...

On the Thursday night, I caught the train to the airport nice and early and lined up to check in.

As soon as I was checking in, I saw this cranky lady telling people to move around the line, that they missed their check in time and so on. All of us looked at each other in the line and laughed, a few even smirked "I hope I don't get her".

Me, being the poor bum that I am, pouring every-single-cent into Dat Girl at the moment, decided carry on luggage would be fine for my small trip.

Unfortunately, I got THAT lady!

In my hands I had my small carry on suitcase, my handbag and a clear plastic folder with some Dat Girl invoices for me to look at on the plane. My suitcase was 1kg over the 10kg luggage, she said I could try and take stuff out, but I would have to line up again (arrrghhh).

I have travelled on a budget many many a times, so I went out of the line, chucked on an extra jumper and scarf and then joined the que again with just enough time.

While I was in that line again the lady just seemed to get crankier, I swear she was a dictator or an army general in another life. Ordering people where to stand in the line, to the left or to the right.

Lucky me.. I went got the same lady again... ARGHHH!

She weighed my suitcase and YIPPEE it was 10kgs. I was all smiles and ready to board until she told me I had to weigh my other bag, I looked at her confused and told her all I had was this paperwork and not all of it was necessary... she pointed to my handbag.

This was me - "WHATTT you want me to weigh my handbag? I have never had my SMALL handbag weighed ever!!!No one does that!".

She told me how they weigh everything. I argued that no one else's handbag had been weighed, but it didn't matter... whatever my handbag weighed it was going to put me over the 10kg mark and she knew it.

said bag. not large at all.

It turns out my handbag, with my makeup, wallet, keys etc weighed like 2.5kgs. If I had of known it was going to be weighed I would have taken sh%t out!!

"You will have to check your bag in now.. that will be $70" she said with a smug look on her face.

I was peeved. Angry and annoyed that the normal $17 to check your bags in had escalated to $70 and all because of my freaking handbag. That was $70 that would no longer be for shopping.

"Oh you're paying with EFTPOS? That will be an extra $7"

insert profanities HERE.

I didn't have enough time to go to an ATM and line up again and check in.

I went from being excited to a ranting, raging crazy person who was yelling at an airport.

Then the plane was delayed as well. Ohh lovely.

On the way back, I left half of my stuff at A's apartment to see that Melbourne's Tiger staff care a lot less.. barely weighed my carry on, didn't even blink at my handbag and the plane was early into Sydney. That really was lovely.

Have you ever had your handbag weighed?

Do you think it is ridiculous or am I just being tight?



21 comments:

  1. Not being tight at all! I've never had my handbag weighed. Nor any of my carry on luggage actually. That is so ridiculous! I would have been just as made as you were! And $7 for eftpos? Insane!!

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    1. I'm glad it wasn't just me thinking this!!

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  2. Totally ridiculous - the budget airlines really rort you with all the added costs. Don't get me started on jetstars call centre

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    1. yeah but even Ryan Air who are the cheapest in the world.. didn't weigh my handbag lol.

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  3. I have never heard of anyone getting their handbag weighed! That is ridiculous! I thought you were allowed like 2 bags (one for the seat in front and one for the overhead locker) and they each had their own weight limit? What a rort making you pay those extra costs! You should write a letter to Tiger customer service complaining of this woman. I understand working in the airline industry sucks but making you line up twice, and then over-charging you is ridiculous. If your flight wasn't delayed you might have missed it, which is unacceptable.

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    1. I did consider it, I looked on their website, but all it says is "2 bags of 10kg weight in total", when most other airlines say carry on plus a personal item like a handbag, suit bag or laptop? they are ridiculous!

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  4. That is beyond ridiculous !! If i were you i would complain to tiger, they're trying to establish themselves in the market but with tactics like that they'll end up being overlooked ! You poor thing, on a happier note i can't wait to see dat girl launched x

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    1. Thanks Lauren, that is a happier note and is it comes down to crunch time, i'm getting more and more excited!!

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  5. That is ridiculous! I have never heard or seen that done before! Far out. Your allowed to take 1 personal bag and a carry on bag, the weight of your personal bag shouldn't be added to the carry on bag.. argghh! no wonder your pi**ed i would be too!!!

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    1. MOST airlines give you that, clearly Tiger are not most airlines - no wonder people refuse to travel with them again.

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  6. Oh my goodness I would have been fuming!!!

    I was in a very similar situation when I was leaving Melbourne, going to Perth with TIGER too. You probably had someone good when you left Melbourne, but I had a major b****. I also went with carry on which was just fine, but then she decided to weigh my handbag too!!!

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    1. did you have to pay extra too? So this is a Tiger wide policy? so ludacris!

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  7. I have a huge LV bag and it is always packed to the max when flying, nobody ever told me to weigh it. Plus ou handbag is allowed anyway, as far as I know it's personal bag plus carry on.
    That being said I flew with Tiger once (always Jetstar) and the one experience was HORRIBLE, never ever again.

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    1. Oooh I have a large Guess bag I use to take on flights to stuff tonnes in, but this time I didn't need it and that added to me shock of having my tiny bad weighed! haha

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  8. Thats absurb!

    Next thing they'll be weighing their customers and if your over ?KG you will have to pay extra.

    No airline i have ever been on has weighed my handbag (hence why i seem to put everything into it)

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    1. A made a similar comment to that, but in not such a nice way lol.

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  9. Oh my god! I would be checking all their terms and conditions - if it doesn't state that handbags are weighed I would be making a very large complaint... That woman just sounds like she had a large pole in a place where it shouldn't have been!!!

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    1. bahahahahaha I think that's a great way of putting it Sophie! I would have complained even more at the time, but you know.. airport... yelling... flight leaving soon.. I had to make a choice and my choice was to get on the plane and see A!

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  10. What a cranky b*tch! I have never had my handbag weighed before, and I would be willing to bet it weighs about the same if not more than yours.

    That sucks... it's all down to who you get, I suppose! Sometimes you'll get someone lovely who will let you get away with it, but then others who are obviously having a bad day and want to share it with others!

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    1. I wish her mum didn't teach her to share!! bahahaha.

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  11. had my handbag weighed on swiss airlines from New York to Athens - great service on the flight though

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