Weighing hand baggage at boarding gates should be done without inconveniencing passengers and creating a negative impression of flying, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has told airlines.
It said in a statement Wednesday quoting media reports that the some airlines and ground service providers are doing it in an “unprofessional manner,” causing trouble to passengers.
It ordered airlines and ground service providers to promptly revamp their systems for controlling carry-on baggage at check-in areas and boarding gates to avoid congestion.
Airlines are also required to use standardized and “aesthetically appropriate” weighing equipment, it added.
 |
Passengers move their baggage on a trolley at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in. Ho Chi Minh City, January 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran |
The statement came after many travelers expressed unhappiness with the weighing process at boarding gates, especially after state-owned Vietnam Airlines said Monday it would collect fees on overweight baggage at boarding gates.
This means passengers’ baggage is weighed twice after the first time at the check-in counter.
The airline has begun to charge a VND600,000 (US$23) fee on any baggage that exceeds the weight limit by 10 kilograms or more.
Vietnam Airlines current imposes a 12-kilogram limit on economy class, while Vietjet, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines caps it at 7 kilograms.
An airline spokesperson said it is meant to ensure safety, as the overhead luggage compartments have weight limits.
Private carrier Vietjet has also begun scrutiny of carry-on baggage at boarding gates. But neither has said why it has to be done twice rather than at just the check-in counter.
