Dash8 out of Canberra - baggage restrictions causing angst!!

[willsaway]

Heading to Seattle via Honolulu in 4 weeks time to travel home on Radiance, and decided to shout ourselves a domestic flight from Canberra prior to boarding Qantas at overseas terminal. Didn't realise that most day time flights out of Canberra are on a Dash8-400 which have linear (as opposed to weight) restrictions of a maximum of 140cm overall. Do any of you regular travelers who may fly out of Canberra have any knowledge of what happens in you front with a bag with larger dimensions? I don't mind getting hit with a fee, but am really worried we might be refused boarding! I've researched the internet but cannot get a definitive answer.

[MMDown Under]

Heading to Seattle via Honolulu in 4 weeks time to travel home on Radiance, and decided to shout ourselves a domestic flight from Canberra prior to boarding Qantas at overseas terminal. Didn't realise that most day time flights out of Canberra are on a Dash8-400 which have linear (as opposed to weight) restrictions of a maximum of 140cm overall. Do any of you regular travelers who may fly out of Canberra have any knowledge of what happens in you front with a bag with larger dimensions? I don't mind getting hit with a fee, but am really worried we might be refused boarding! I've researched the internet but cannot get a definitive answer.

 

Who are you flying with out of Canberra? Qantas domestic? If so, I would phone Qantas and find out the rules for flying Qantas domestic connecting to Qantas international? If you are not flying Qantas, you'll have to phone the airline you are flying with, as you may be able to pay a baggage surcharge before you fly. It is best to sort it out before you fly.

[willsaway]

Marion, thanks for that. Yes it is Qantas and I've been on the phone to them. As the domestic flight leads into the international on the same day, amounts and weights applicable to the o/s flight apply domestically but on a Dash8, not the dimensions. Im hoping someone might have personal knowledge of what actually happens at the check-in counter. I have nightmares about being turned away cause our bags are the normal size not the piddly Dash8 requirement.

[Docker123]

There are other planes under the Qantas banner from Canberra.

 

Check the Qantas booking site as it will show which plane for each available flight.

[willsaway]

Unfortunately nearly all day time flights are the smaller Dash8 planes. And even if not, they want a fee if $240 to change the flight.

[aussiebossyboots]

Living in Canberra we have done this quite often. A Qantas to Qantas connection - you are checked in at the Canberra counter and your baggage (large bag) gets checked in all the way through to your over seas destination.

 

Your carryon - will be too big for the Dash 8. Not to worry, when you go to board the Dash 8 at the counter where you get your boarding pass scanned for the last time before entering the plane (you will have to walk onto the tarmac), the Qantas staff person will put a 'premium hand luggage tag' on your carryon. You will then give your carry on bag to a person waiting near the plane baggage storage area - this happens on the tarmac.

 

When you land in Sydney, wait near the baggage storage area (of the plane) and one of the staff will bring out all the 'premium hand luggage tagged' bags for you to pick up your bag before you proceed to the terminal. Then you just make your way to the 'transfer desk' to get to the international airport.

 

This happens all the time, even if a passenger is not transferring onto an international flight. Hope the above makes sense. We have never been charged extra.

[willsaway]

I was hoping one of our Canberra posters would respond. We're down at Batemans Bay and normally would take the train but in this instance a flight was more convenient. I am so pleased to hear of your experience and appreciate you taking the time to post. When I realised it was a Dash8 we were booked on, and that there was no real alternative to the smaller plane, I researched everything I could find - you can buy excess weight, but not excess mass - and I really didn't want to buy smaller luggage, take smaller luggage away for over a month and/or get turned away at the checkin counter. The Qantas site is quite adamant about lineal dimensions but surely others have presented with bags bigger than 140cm overall. It was that experience I was looking for - hat's off to Cruise Critic members. Thank you again.

[NSWP]

Aaaah, another CC member from 'The Bay.' REX flights from Moruya to Sydney and return have a 15 kg limit, as they use the Bombardier 400 aircraft. No good if you are travelling overseas, we got caught once, never again.

 

As for Qantas out of Canberra, we have flown Canberra to Brisbane several times and often been on one of the Qantas 'partner planes, like Sunshine Airways Dash 8 prop plane, so have to take the small bags. Pain I know. Lot slower than the Boeing 737 jets as well.

Edited August 3, 2018 by NSWP

[GUT2407]

Aaaah, another CC member from 'The Bay.' REX flights from Moruya to Sydney and return have a 15 kg limit, as they use the Bombardier 400 aircraft. No good if you are travelling overseas, we got caught once, never again.

 

As for Qantas out of Canberra, we have flown Canberra to Brisbane several times and often been on one of the Qantas 'partner planes, like Sunshine Airways Dash 8 prop plane, so have to take the small bags. Pain I know. Lot slower than the Boeing 737 jets as well.

 

 

I love prop planes.

[MicCanberra]

Living in Canberra we have done this quite often. A Qantas to Qantas connection - you are checked in at the Canberra counter and your baggage (large bag) gets checked in all the way through to your over seas destination.

 

Your carryon - will be too big for the Dash 8. Not to worry, when you go to board the Dash 8 at the counter where you get your boarding pass scanned for the last time before entering the plane (you will have to walk onto the tarmac), the Qantas staff person will put a 'premium hand luggage tag' on your carryon. You will then give your carry on bag to a person waiting near the plane baggage storage area - this happens on the tarmac.

 

When you land in Sydney, wait near the baggage storage area (of the plane) and one of the staff will bring out all the 'premium hand luggage tagged' bags for you to pick up your bag before you proceed to the terminal. Then you just make your way to the 'transfer desk' to get to the international airport.

 

This happens all the time, even if a passenger is not transferring onto an international flight. Hope the above makes sense. We have never been charged extra.

Agreed, although I have never had a large travel bag (80x50x30cm - close to 160cm) as we usually use medium size bags which will fit under those restrictions anyway (70x40x30cm - 140cm). As mentioned, for connecting international flights the international conditions apply.

[MicCanberra]

I love prop planes.

We really have little choice here but I find them noisier.

[banzaii]

I love prop planes.

Love em or hate em, the dash 8s are here to stay for Canberra ==> Sydney and regional routes around Oz!

 

As others have pointed out, the CBR-SYD route is perfectly suited for the props. These are pretty much commuter flights for goverment and related business. Little or no luggage, no major difference in flight time (between prop or jet), cheaper running cost per pax. Unfortunately, these same factors are what causes the anxiety for international travellers like OP. That is why we stick to the XPT for CBR-SYD.

 

Qantas still has 45 of the -8s in Oz and operates another 5 in UnZud and has just started a refresh program to p!mp the upholstery and add tablet holders over the next year or so!

QantasLink Turboprop Factsheet https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/qac/domestic-clue-cards/qantaslink-turboprop-factsheet.pdf

 

With the increase in the price of jet fuel, carriers all over the world are retiring their smaller jets and opting to expand their turboprop fleets. ATR actually still make 48 and 72 seat prop planes. These are faster, more efficient and quieter than the aging dash8s and Saab 340s and are a viable option for Australias regional airlines. The main downside being an inability to fly above turbulance like the jets can.

 

Cheers

[banzaii]

Speaking of the old Saabs, I once went up to Sydney fot a State of Origin game in the early naughties with some mates. The 5 of us were all ex rugby/rugby league forwards with an average height around 6'4 and weight around 120kgs. On the return flight we found ourselves in the last 2 rows of seats.

 

These planes have a twin seat on one side and a single on the other with an aisle in between. As big fellas, the seats were actually more generous than normal economy seating - no complaints there!

 

It wasn't until we landed in CBR that we realised why the flight crew had raised eyebrows when we boarded. Before the plane had come to a standstill, the captain instructed all passengers to remain seated while the "gentlemen" seated in the last 2 rows disembarked first.

 

Of course we got some strange looks from our fellow passengers as we stooped our way down the aisles and onto the tarmac. This is when the pilot explained. Apparently the luggage on these planes is stowed in the very back behind the last row of seating, the wheels are halfway down the plane. With the combined weight of the luggage and 600kg of prime meat plus other passengers seated well behind the tipping point, they just couldn't risk having the plane empty from the front to back. :D

 

Being fun blokes we even offered to hold the plane steady until all was safe. That was when the co-pilot told us they didn't realise we were on the plane until after take-off when the plane wasn't handling correctly. Apparently they had to trim the plane differently to compensate for us. This is despite the saab already being "tuned" for the 66:34 seating configuration.

 

[emoji6][emoji6][emoji848]

 

Cheers

[Suzbluz]

I'm another Canberra person. We have done this several times with big bags and international connection and we have never had an issue. Have a great trip!

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7600-F using Forums mobile app

[MicCanberra]

Speaking of the old Saabs, I once went up to Sydney fot a State of Origin game in the early naughties with some mates. The 5 of us were all ex rugby/rugby league forwards with an average height around 6'4 and weight around 120kgs. On the return flight we found ourselves in the last 2 rows of seats.

 

These planes have a twin seat on one side and a single on the other with an aisle in between. As big fellas, the seats were actually more generous than normal economy seating - no complaints there!

 

It wasn't until we landed in CBR that we realised why the flight crew had raised eyebrows when we boarded. Before the plane had come to a standstill, the captain instructed all passengers to remain seated while the "gentlemen" seated in the last 2 rows disembarked first.

 

Of course we got some strange looks from our fellow passengers as we stooped our way down the aisles and onto the tarmac. This is when the pilot explained. Apparently the luggage on these planes is stowed in the very back behind the last row of seating, the wheels are halfway down the plane. With the combined weight of the luggage and 600kg of prime meat plus other passengers seated well behind the tipping point, they just couldn't risk having the plane empty from the front to back. :D

 

Being fun blokes we even offered to hold the plane steady until all was safe. That was when the co-pilot told us they didn't realise we were on the plane until after take-off when the plane wasn't handling correctly. Apparently they had to trim the plane differently to compensate for us. This is despite the saab already being "tuned" for the 66:34 seating configuration.

 

[emoji6][emoji6][emoji848]

 

Cheers

I am surprised they hadn't moved you more to the middle before take off.

[banzaii]

I am surprised they hadn't moved you more to the middle before take off.

I suspect they were too 'busy' to notice - perhaps they realised after take off and didn't want to make an issue. When we landed though I don't think there was any choice but to move us first.

 

Cheers

[MicCanberra]

I suppose not.

[willsaway]

CRUNCH TIME. Tried 2 medium size bags as per MicCanberra post. Nope. So 1 big bag and 1 within dash8 limits. Nope. Going with Aussiebossyboots and Suzbluz and 2 x everyday big bags. Even culling and being ruthless we simply couldn't do 6 weeks away with medium luggage. Keep your fingers crossed we get away with it. Will post outcome next week.

[MicCanberra]

CRUNCH TIME. Tried 2 medium size bags as per MicCanberra post. Nope. So 1 big bag and 1 within dash8 limits. Nope. Going with Aussiebossyboots and Suzbluz and 2 x everyday big bags. Even culling and being ruthless we simply couldn't do 6 weeks away with medium luggage. Keep your fingers crossed we get away with it. Will post outcome next week.

Good luck, I suppose we have got into the routine of packing fairly light and take as the same amount of luggage for trips that are either 1 week or 6 weeks. And just remember, when travelling halve your original planned luggage and double your money.

[willsaway]

Easy peasy. All that worry for nought. There is an international departures desk where we presented. Bags checked for weight and off they went directly to Honolulu. It simply wasn't an issue. Thanks all.

[aussiebossyboots]

Glad it all worked out. Canberra airport is pretty good and they are really used to international connections.

 

There are mainly Dash 8 flights Canberra- Sydney (it's only 30-35 minutes in the air). I always take a carryon that fits into a standard jet overhead locker, they then take my carryon off me and tag it as 'premium hand luggage' which is placed manually by the baggage handlers onto the plane just before I climb the stairs into the aircraft.

 

On arrival, I wait (along with all the other passengers with premium hand luggage) for the baggage handlers to bring over our carryon that cannot fit into the overhead lockers on a Dash 8 just near the plane.

 

Enjoy the holiday.

[MMDown Under]

Good luck, I suppose we have got into the routine of packing fairly light and take as the same amount of luggage for trips that are either 1 week or 6 weeks. And just remember, when travelling halve your original planned luggage and double your money.

 

Yes, that is the best advice I ever was given in relation to travel.

 

Glad it all worked out.