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Jetstar to charge for cabin bag storage
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Economy & Trade

Jetstar to charge for cabin bag storage

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Australian budget airline Jetstar will begin charging passengers for using overhead cabin baggage storage.
  • From February, the airline will remove the standard 7kg cabin baggage limit, allowing only smaller bags under the seat.
  • Passengers wishing to use overhead compartments will pay an additional fee, which also includes early boarding privileges.

Jetstar, an Australian budget airline, has announced a significant change to its cabin baggage policy, which will see passengers charged for using overhead storage space. Starting in February, the airline will eliminate the current 7-kilogram weight limit for cabin baggage. Instead, passengers will only be permitted to bring smaller bags that fit under the seat in front of them.

Those who wish to bring larger bags and utilize the overhead compartments will need to pay an extra fee. This fee will also grant them the benefit of early boarding. Jetstar stated that this decision follows extensive research and customer feedback, aligning with policies already adopted by several other low-cost carriers.

These changes are being made after extensive research and feedback from customers and crew who consistently identified the process of weighing bags at the aircraft door and the difficulty of finding space in the overhead lockers as among the most stressful aspects of the airport experience.

— JetstarJetstar explains the rationale behind the new cabin baggage policy.

The announcement has sparked varied reactions on social media, with some passengers expressing dissatisfaction and questioning the airline's future pricing strategies. Jetstar indicated that the fee for overhead bin space will start at approximately 25 Australian dollars (around RM72) for short-haul flights, though prices may fluctuate based on demand and route, with a Cairns to Tokyo flight example cited at around 52 Australian dollars (RM149).

Jetstar explained that this change aims to optimize cabin storage, streamline the boarding process, and improve on-time departures. The airline also noted that it will no longer routinely weigh passenger bags at the gate, but customers are advised to ensure their bags do not exceed 10 kilograms to manage lifting them into the overhead bins themselves. This policy mirrors similar approaches taken by airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair.

The changes will optimize the use of storage space in the cabin, streamline the boarding process and help more flights depart on schedule.

— Stephanie TullyJetstar CEO Stephanie Tully outlines the expected benefits of the new policy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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