People travelling with take on suitcases .

Not only planes. I was once on a train in Germany and a man got up to lift down a wheeled case for an elderly woman. Alas it was a home-made trolley affair. First case then trolley fell onto my head, shoulders, knees and feet, then the man stepped back onto my glasses. Then they both got off the train leaving me with smashed glasses and blood trickling down my face from a gash in forehead.
In this country there is insufficient space for luggage on trains.

Air travel is not for the faint hearted, the bags are one thing but I do wish they wouldn’t serve alcohol on a flight seeing as some passengers board a flight inebriated already.

I have just flown with cabin baggage only. One small under seat bag, along with a wheelie case which they are very strict in dimensions.

I can lift both bags easily, what I cannot do is reach the overhead locker 🤷‍♀️. The male cabin crew member saw my attempt (I was about to stand on the seat to reach) took the overhead case off of me and put it in the locker over my seat.

I agree, but I think air travel brings out the worst in people.

I had to sit next to a bad tempered couple on a flight to Spain who were cross with me for moving or even touching her coat which she had flung in the overhead locker. I was trying to find a spot for my small carry-on case.

Nowadays you pay for carry-on unless it's a genuine handbag.
I'm getting the train to London this weekend......I'll let you know how I get on. Some trains have no luggage space at all.

It drives us nuts seeing people with massive 'carry on' cases. Some are huge. We're always glad when the crew begin taking them to put in the hold.

Most airlines do state that you have to be able to lift your own bag into the overhead locker. We only travel with hand luggage (yes, even for a fortnight's holiday) and although I'm only 5'2, I can manage to do it.

IME most airlines have restrictions on size and sometimes also weight but it does discriminate again people of both sexes if they are short in stature or not very strong because you are supposed to be able to handle your own bag. A couple of years ago I had a mild shoulder injury and although I could easily manage a bag putting it up in the overhead locker proved impossible as I'm also not very tall. I explained my problem at the check in desk and it was put in the hold at no extra cost.I've been on several flights when they have checked carry on bags into the hold so I think you only have to ask.Having said that, it can be difficult getting a carry on into an over head locker if you are relatively short, especially if you are one of the last on so I gratefully accept help from taller people if they offer to help me.

SueDonim

British Airways has a 23k weight limit on cabin bags. 23kilo!! Who could lift that into an overhead locker? And what would it consist of, to be so heavy in a small bag? Gold ingots, maybe. 🤔

I’m sorry your friend’s had an accident.

That is the weight limit for checked bags ( that go in the hold, not the cabin)

From BA website " You must be able to lift your cabin bag into the overhead compartment unassisted".

I agree with all the comments, but it's not just the weight of the suitcase, it's because the overhead lockers are too high for me. (And I'm not overly short either). Quite often, I used travel out on my own with an empty suitcase, and would throw my case in the air in the direction of the locker, provided no one was underneath. It usually landed in the right place. Priority boarding helped in this matter.

I'm sure airlines stipulate on booking that you have to be able to lift your own cabin bag into the overhead compartment unassisted?

It’s not just planes that have an issue with luggage. We travelled by train to Edinburgh recently. We live in the NW and the train came from Euston. By the time it arrived at our station it was packed and the main luggage rack was beyond full. Our bags were too big / heavy for the overhead racks and we had to leave them in the passageway. As the journey continued more and more people had to do the same. The man who checked our tickets told us we shouldn’t have got on the train if there wasn’t enough room! We had non refundable tickets, only good for that particular train.
On a train back from Durham in the summer I realised, too late, that I was travelling on a day when university students were also travelling home. This train stopped at Newcastle, Durham, Leeds and Manchester. The passageway was quickly jammed with cases, like a hurdles track. The ticket collector didn’t suggest to anyone that they shouldn’t have got on that train.

They are fairly strict over here and won’t let you take overweight big cases on board- they make you check it through with ‘normal’ luggage. 7kg limit. Even so , many have very large carry on cases which take up a lot of room. It is a fair bit cheaper to just travel with hand luggage and that is the reason I suppose.

We went on a fly-cruise at Easter this year. As DH is disabled it was up to me to lift the giant suitcase into the car boot. The most I could manage was 14 kg, so I packed it out with empty wine boxes but could still fit in my long dresses on top. But no way would it fit into an onboard locker or be lifted so high.

I remember taking precious items and medication out of a cabin bag and putting them into a polythene bag because they'd run out of a space in the overhead lockers about halfway through boarding.

It really annoys me. I’m in the USA visiting family & my carry-on baggage consisted of my handbag and my camera bag which is like a small day-sack.
By the time we boarded the flight at Newcastle, all the overhead lockers near our seats were already full of people’s suitcases & I had to entrust my camera bag to the steward who eventually found a space for it about to 10 rows away 😡

SueDonim

British Airways has a 23k weight limit on cabin bags. 23kilo!! Who could lift that into an overhead locker? And what would it consist of, to be so heavy in a small bag? Gold ingots, maybe. 🤔

I’m sorry your friend’s had an accident.

There is a limit on the size of cabin bag with British Airways and I'd be surprised if anyone could fit 23kg of luggage into a bag that size, unless they are gold ingots.

It was kind of your friend's DH, 62Granny and one of the crew should have helped him and made sure he was all tight.

Often cabin luggage has to go in the hold anyway.

I am assuming the 80 year old gentleman was probably helping a woman with her case, my DH would do this, and have seen some women falter and look around when dealing with a heavy case, obvs looking for a man to help them out. They should ask a member of staff or not take such a heavy bag on board. I always deal with my own luggage and certainly wouldn’t act like a damsel in distress.

British Airways has a 23k weight limit on cabin bags. 23kilo!! Who could lift that into an overhead locker? And what would it consist of, to be so heavy in a small bag? Gold ingots, maybe. 🤔

I’m sorry your friend’s had an accident.