Did you measure your bag yourself?

REGULAR fliers may find they have to invest in a new suitcase soon if a proposal for standard, reduced size hand luggage from the IATA is brought in.
At its 71st annual assembly in Miami on June 9, the International Air Transport Association defined an ‘ideal case’ measuring 55 by 35 y 20 centimetres with a 38.5 litre capacity, which the association says should be made standard for all airlines.
This would mean quite a big reduction in size for many, if not all, airlines that run flights in and out of Spain, although the association insists it would actually make life easier for passengers as they would know for sure their luggage would be of the correct size.
While Ryanair and Vueling are the airlines currently operating in Spain that enforce the smallest measurements for luggage allowed to be carried on board, at 44-litre capacity (55 by 40 by 20cm) they are still 14 per cent larger than IATA’s new ‘ideal case.’
At the other end of the range are Iberia, British Airways and EasyJet, which allow up to 63-litre capacity, 63 per cent larger than IATA’s suggestion.
Although the new size is just that – a suggestion – as 90 per cent of all airlines are part of the association it is expected that they will gradually bring in the measure.
IATA has been in touch with luggage makers and aims to include an official logo on cases made to the new measurements to show they have the association’s approval by the end of this year.
Meanwhile Spanish Minister of Public Works and Transport Ana Pastor has stressed that she does not approve of the measure, and also asked for airline passengers to be allowed to carry a second item on board.
“Spain is not going to allow passengers’ rights to go backwards,” she said.