Cabin Bags - UK's Version Of Travel Trolleys Or Luggage

You may wonder what the heck are cabin bags, especially if you are not from the UK (United Kingdom). Actually, a cabin bag is simply a trolley or luggage that you use to store your belongings when you go travelling, especially when sitting airplanes. Remember those luggage at the airport? Yes, those are cabin bags.

The Number One Concern With Cabin Bags - What Happens If Your Baggage Exceeds The Airport Weight And Size Limit?

There are 2 things to consider here.

Weight

Weight (in kg or lbs) is simply how heavy the cabin bag is. Airports all have their own requirements when it comes to how heavy your luggage should be. What happens if your luggage exceeds the allowed weight? Well, you have to pay extra fees per kg or lb. Prices may vary according to airports.

Here's a tip for you. Don't make it look like your cabin bag is very heavy to push and carry. Try to make it effortless, as if it's light. This way, the airport personnel won't suspect your luggage exceeds the weight limit.

Size

Size (or dimension) is determined by 3 things; height, width and thickness. Usually, when you buy your cabin bag (from the many brands out there), you can choose your size accordingly. If you like travelling light, you obviously need to choose a smaller sized cabin bag.

Again, the size that are allowed are different based on different airports around the world.

What Not To Store Inside Cabin Bags

Again, this vary wildly between countries and airports worldwide. For example, you are not allowed to bring flowers or foods (meat, milk) in your cabin bags. Some airports and countries don't even allow you to bring your pets! So think twice before bringing good old Rocky.

The number one problem item seems to be items that are made from metal material. This is because knives and guns are made from metal themselves. To airport security, metal means threat. But having that said, if you really need to bring something like a razor or a watch, it should not cause problems with most authorities. Place them in a carry-on bag (those bags that you can carry over your shoulders or ones that you can carry), not putting it in your cabin bag and you're fine. Still, it's hard to say when it comes to strict airport personnel.

If Your Belongings In The Cabin Bags Get Lost Or Damaged, Are The Securities Responsible For It?

The bad news is, most airliners won't claim responsibility for your loss. However, you can claim compensation for your losses or damages. The catch is there's a limit per person. For example, a US airport will only compensate you $3000 in case you lose anything. Then again, whether or not the airline respects this compensation policy depends on the country laws and regulations. 

That's because cabin bags, especially the ones that you can push around (trolley) always must get checked through security and stored in a different compartment in the airplane (not with you). Therefore, it's always a risk you simply have to take.

Thankfully, the good news is, you should only store valuable items (that you cannot afford to lose, e.g. passport, gold bars, etc.) in your carry-on bag. A carry-on bag (as explained earlier) is always your best bet because you can carry it onto the airplane and keep it with you at all times. Put the rest of unimportant items (like clothing, toothbrush, etc.) in the cabin bags.