Jetstar carry-on baggage rule is stricter this year: This is what happens at the airport

March 11, 2020



Jetstar carry-on baggage rule is stricter this year: 
This is what happens at the airport


MANILA - SINGAPORE ROUTE
I've been flying Manila to Singapore via Jetstar airlines from NAIA 1 almost every year and this year they became stricter with their carry-on baggage rule.

For the past several years, their carry-on baggage allowance is limited to two items, which consists of one small item (includes items such as a handbag or thin laptop bag that must fit under seat). + 1 main item (which must fit in the overhead locker and not exceed 56cm (H) x 36cm (W) x 23cm (D)), which must all equal 7 kg. Both items are weighed together at the airport. Unlike other airlines, where they only weigh your main item like a stroller bag or backpack as carry-on baggage and exclude the handbag, laptop and camera bag, Jetstar weighs both items at the check in counter and puts a tag on it. Note that web check in is not available for this route so everyone passes through the check in counter where the first thing the airline employee does is to weigh your main item as carry-on plus your other small item like a handbag.






What's new this year:

What's new this year is that the airline employee at the check-in counter warned us not to buy anything at the airport duty free shops because they may charge us at the gate if we exceed our carry-on baggage allowance. I thought they were not serious. Lo and behold, they actually weigh your carry on baggage again at the gate. But this time, they only weigh the big carry-on baggage (which may be a stroller bag or a backpack), without the handbag.


Carry-on luggage being weighed at the gate


The only time I saw the same thing happen is when we flew Jetstar from Melbourne to Adelaide. They make everyone line up and weigh their carry on luggage prior to passing through the gate

Charges for excess baggage:
So don't make a mistake of not weighing your carry on luggage without your handbag, laptop bag or camera bag. Excess baggage paid at the check-in counter is 2200 pesos for a minimum of 15kilos, if you don't have prepaid baggage (which means baggage paid online before check in), or 650 pesos per kilo if you exceed your prepaid baggage allowance.

SINGAPORE - MANILA ROUTE
In this route, check in is automated. This means that you simply approach a kiosk, type in your booking reference number, scan your passport then they issue you a boarding pass. After getting your boarding pass, you approach a desk where you present your passport and boarding pass for document verification. Then you proceed directly to immigration.

They don't weigh your carry-on luggage at check in. No one approaches you to inspect your carry-on, weigh both your carry-on luggage and one other small item allowed as cabin baggage. This is unlike our experience in 2015, as I've described in my post JETSTAR AIRLINES: Are they Enforcing the Strict Carry-on Bag Weight Policy for Economy Class Passengers?, where they weigh both carry on luggage and whatever else you intend to bring to the cabin to tag it.

At the gate, they make several announcements that you should only be carrying 7 kilos of carry-on luggage but no one weighs it before or after boarding commences. You get through easily as long as you only bring one carry on size luggage and 1 small item.

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