OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg): New rules for checking in bags of irregular shape and size!

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has introduced new rules for checking in bags of irregular shape and size at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg on 25 March 2019. The new rules are aimed at preventing blockages and breakdowns in the baggage handling system caused by bags that do not have any flat surfaces or that have long straps or grips as per the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines. The new rules have been agreed to after extensive consultations with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and other bodies representing airlines. 

The new baggage rules are:

1. Only regular-shaped bags will be allowed at check-in counters.
2. This means that the bags must have at least one flat surface to be accepted on the check-in system.
3. Round or irregular-shaped bags will not be allowed at check-in counters.
4. Bags with longs straps will not be allowed at check-in counters.

Passengers trying to check in bags that do not conform to these rules will be offered the option of having their baggage wrapped with one flat side at airport approved baggage wrapping stations. 
Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) in Dubai recently instituted the same kind of baggage rules that will now be applied at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg.

Fastjet includes checked bags & snacks/refreshments in airfare!

Pan-African airline Fastjet now includes one piece of checked luggage as well as a snack and/or refreshment in all tickets sold. Previously, the airline charged all luggage and on-board snacks separately. The new, inclusive fare product is available on all new routes as well as existing network points since 06 August 2018.
Fastjet recently launched daily flights between Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, added an additional frequency between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Harare on Wednesdays and introduced double daily flights between Maputo and Beira in Mozambique. The airline also intends to launch additional routes in both Tanzania and Mozambique and has detailed plans to introduce scheduled services in South Africa later this year.

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Botswana to ban imports of bottled natural and mineral water!

Botswana's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has imposed restrictions on the importation of bottled natural and mineral water through the country's Control of Goods, Prices and Other Charges Act. As of 01 August 2018, the importation of water packed in bottles of less than 10 litres in to Botswana will be prohibited. The implementation of the regulations aims at promoting the competitiveness and sustainability of Botswana's domestic water bottling sector. The Statutory Instrument No. 44 of 2018 was published in the Government Gazette dated 06 April 2018.

Etihad Airways increases Coral Economy baggage allowance

Etihad Airways, a flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has increased the baggage allowance for its Coral Economy class to 30kg. The new allowance applies to all flights except for those to or from the US and Canada, where a per piece baggage policy remains in use.
Members of Etihad Airways' Etihad Guest program will enjoy additional allowances. For example, an Etihad Guest Elite member traveling in Economy will now be able to check as much as 50 kilos of baggage on a complimentary basis.
The new guidelines will also allow for complimentary carriage of some sporting equipment. In addition to the standard checked baggage allowance, a guest in any cabin will be able to check in up to 15kg of SCUBA equipment and golf bags weighing up to 15 kg on a complimentary basis.
Earlier this year Etihad Airways already increased the checked luggage allowances for its Pearl Business and Diamond First passengers to 40kg and 50kg respectively.

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South African Airways to introduce a new check-in baggage policy

South Africa's flag carrier, South African Airways (SAA), will introduce a new check-in baggage policy in response to varying customer requirements in each of its markets on 05 Sept 2012. The airline will move to a checked baggage policy that restricts the number of pieces of baggage a passenger may check in, rather than the total weight of the passenger’s checked baggage. Each of these pieces will be subject to weight and size restrictions. The new policy describes the number of baggage pieces a passenger may check-in, as well as the weight restrictions for each piece, according to route and class of travel. The policy aligns with most of the larger Star Alliance member carriers ensuring a transparent and consistent set of rules across South African Airways and other Star Alliance network.

Passengers travelling on multi-sector/multi-carrier tickets and SAA code-share partner flights, ie. tickets purchased from South African Airways for a flight with a SAA flight number, but operated by another airline, should check with the other airlines to see which baggage policy is applicable.

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Qantas announces new baggage policy

Australia's flag carrier, Qantas, will introduce changes to its international checked baggage policy in May 2012, moving from a weight system to a piece and weight system. Under the new policy, economy passenger weights will remain unchanged at a limit of 23kg for non-frequent flyer bronze customers, while economy passengers will be restricted to travelling with just one bag. Premium Economy passengers will be allowed two items of up to 23kg each, while first and business class passengers will be allowed three pieces up to 32kg each.
The piece and weight baggage system is also used by a number of oneworld™ carriers such as British Airways and American Airlines.
The new international policy will apply to all tickets issued on or after 2 May 2012 for Qantas international flights and oneworld™ partner flights with a "QF" flight number.

Qantas is currently offering flights to 20 domestic destinations and 21 international destinations in 14 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania excluding the destinations served by its subsidiaries. In the entire Qantas group it serves 60 domestic and 27 international destinations.

Behind-The-Scenes: Your bag's journey after you've checked in (video)

To promote a free mobile app that allows you to track your luggage, Delta Air Lines made the following video that shows you where your bags go after they pass through those black rubber flaps at the airport.
Due to "security reasons", and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the probably most interesting part of the bag's journey from Atlanta to New York in the US could not be filmed, but it is still good to see that they handle your luggage with a certain care at the two aiports. Let's just imagine that this is how they do it everywhere in the world. Thx Delta!

South Africa: Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) to improve baggage management

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) told the media today that certain key elements are currently being implemented to ensure improved overall baggage management, in particular baggage security.
ACSA is therefore improving its baggage operations by a closer collaboration with all the different role players and is furthermore looking at a better leveraging of available real-time bag tracking technology as well at an improved processing of bags that are being transferred on to other destinations and a broader training of baggage handling personnel.

Tebogo Mekgoe, Assistant General Manager for Airport Operations at O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, told the journalists: "By way of example, O.R. Tambo International handles about 27 000 outbound bags a day. We have very sophisticated equipment, highly trained personnel and are improving co-operation with stakeholders. That is why, over the past two years, we have seen a decline in terms of mishandled bags* from 18 per 1000 departing passengers in January 2010 passengers to 10,4 per 1000 departing passengers currently".

The global average for mishandled bags is 12/1000 passengers. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) has set a target to reduce this to 4 mishandled bags per 1000.
As it relates specifically to baggage theft, on average, the number of reported pilfered bags at O.R. Tambo International Airport has improved from 174 bags per month in 2010 to 111 per month this year. The airport processes approximately 700 000 outbound bags per month.

*A mishandled bag is a report of a delayed, damaged and or pilfered bag, which is recorded by either an airline or its handling company on behalf of the passenger and which is handled as a claim.

Lufthansa: new baggage rules

Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa standardises the baggage rules on all their flights. The new rules apply to all tickets purchased on or after 1 June 2011.
In future, passengers especially on intra-European flights and on long-haul flights to Asia, the Middle East and some countries in Africa and South America will have a higher free baggage allowance. For tickets booked before 1 June 2011 the previous baggage allowances, as printed on the ticket, will apply.
Under the so-called piece concept, passengers are entitled to check in a specified number of baggage items free of charge, depending on their travel class. Weight restrictions also apply and are graduated according to Economy, Business and First Class.

• Economy Class: 1 item of baggage weighing up to 23 kg (previously: any number of baggage items weighing a total of 20 kg)
• Business Class: 2 items of baggage weighing up to 32 kg each, i.e. a maximum of 64 kg (previously: any number of baggage items weighing a total of 30 kg)
• First Class: 3 items of baggage weighing up to 32 kg each, i.e. a maximum of 96 kg (previously: any number of baggage items weighing a total of 40 kg)