Travel News

Relaxed baggage limit 'could cause problems'

Plans to relax rules that allow air passengers to take only one piece of carry-on luggage on flights could cause severe disruption, it has been warned.

The government has said that the 'one-bag' limit could be lifted from January 7th if airports are able to use more advanced security scanners.

However, the cost of the machines and airlines' prerogative to decide whether they want to allow more than one piece of luggage on their flights could lead to inconsistency and confusion, the BBC reports.

Neil Pakey, head of the Airport Operators Association and managing director of Liverpool John Lennon airport, said that January 7th is too soon for many travel hubs to have the necessary procedures in place to allow passengers to carry more than one bag.

"Some of the operators say there's going to be a great deal of confusion because it looks as if there may be different rules at different airports," he added.

One of the major problems with air travel that has gone hand-in-hand with the imposition of the one-bag limit is lost baggage, one of the most important eventualities for people to prepare for with travel insurance.

Recent research by the European Consumer Centre watchdog found that 33 per cent of all complaints made by air passengers in 2006 related to lost items.

Overall, the number of grievances expressed last year stood at 2,979, almost double the 1,521 of 2005.