Keep calm and carry-on

In Round Two of the carry-on news, IATA has come out to clarify what it calls a misunderstanding in the reporting of last week’s Cabin OK initiative.

The initiative aims to provide passengers with a greater assurance that their carry-on bags will travel with them in the aircraft cabin, even when the flight is full, by complying with the size guideline, which sets a smaller size than those set by most airlines as the maximum.

The Cabin OK size guideline is 55 x 35 x 20cm, with the size calculated to make the best use of storage space in the cabin.

If embraced by passengers, everyone would be able to travel with their carry-on bags on board aircrafts of 120 seats or more, even if the flight is jam-packed with travellers and their belongings.

“Cabin OK is all about providing the customer with greater assurances,” IATA’s senior vp for airport, passenger, cargo and security, Thomas Windmuller, said.

“If you have a Cabin OK bag, you can be pretty sure that you are within the maximum carry-on limits of airlines around the world. If you are traveling on an airline participating in the program, you will have the best chance that your bag will be with you in the cabin even on a full flight.”

To break it down for you (again), here are the key things you need to know.

Cabin OK is a guideline, not a standard

Airlines have no plans to restrict carry-on baggage to the Cabin OK dimensions, with most airlines using maximum size limits that are larger than this, and will not be impacted by the Cabin OK initiative.

Passengers will be able to continue to use carry-on baggage that is larger than the Cabin OK size provided it is within airline maximum size limits.

Cabin OK does not replace airline maximum size limitations

These are determined individually by each airline. There are no plans to set an industry standard.

Cabin OK is an optimum size, not a maximum size

We use the word “optimum” because the Cabin OK dimensions have been calculated to allow all passengers on board a typical jet aircraft of 120 seats or more to be able to carry-on one piece of baggage in the normally available storage space.

Cabin OK will give passengers greater certainty that their carry-on bag will be accepted in the cabin

A typical fully booked narrow-body jet aircraft is not able to accommodate a bag for every passenger on board at maximum size limits.

On participating airlines, the Cabin OK logo will indicate to crew and ground staff that these bags should have a high priority to remain the cabin.

The Cabin OK initiative does not require passengers to buy new baggage

The Cabin OK size is smaller in dimensions than the published size maximums of most airlines.

Passengers with carry-on bags larger than Cabin OK sized bags will not be obliged to buy new bags.

Cabin OK is not a revenue generating scheme for the airlines

For the vast majority of airlines, the current practice when all baggage complying with maximum size limits cannot fit into the cabin storage is to check this baggage in the aircraft hold free of charge. The Cabin OK initiative will not change this practice.

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