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Jetstar is set to overhaul its carry‑on baggage rules as passengers continue to be slugged up to $110 under the airline's strict policy.
The budget airline offers a 7kg carry-on allowance for basic fares, split between one larger item for the overhead locker and one smaller item to go under the seat in front.
Carry-on baggage must be able to fit in the overhead locker.
If customers want to buy an additional 7kg of carry-on baggage, it costs $60 for domestic flights and $85 for international flights.
However, if baggage exceeds the allowance at the boarding gate, it will cost even more: $85 for domestic and $110 for international flights.
Jetstar's head of network and fleet Ted Knight acknowledged it was a 'pain point'.
'You know, sometimes you're walking up to the gate and you get that kind of gate anxiety and you're not sure whether you weighed your bag correctly or if you forgot to weigh it,' Mr Knight told news.com.au.
'In our constant work really to just reduce pain points, to deliver a seamless experience, one part of our policy we're looking at is our carry-on bags.'
Jetstar passengers may soon not need to worry about the weight of their carry-on luggage
Passengers often face a nervous wait when they check in their carry-on luggage, hoping it doesn't weigh too much for fear of being charged more
Jetstar’s current carry-on baggage rules
Jetstar is looking at policies in America where many airlines have no weight limits for carry-on bags on domestic flights but restrict bags by size.
If Jetstar implemented that, it would be a first for an Australian airline.
'We're looking at different options between size and weight as well,' Mr Knight said. 'So at the moment it's weight-based, we're looking at different options for sizes.'
Aircraft weight and balance issues would need to be taken into account before implementing the new rules.
Planes have a strict maximum take-off weight, which includes the weight of the plane, fuel, food and drink supplies, cargo, the weight of pilots and crew, and the weight of passengers and their baggage.
Flight control difficulties can arise if aircraft are overloaded or incorrectly loaded.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia changed its carry-on baggage allowance on February 2 to allow an extra 1kg to be brought on board.
Instead of one or two small bags with a combined weight of 7kg, passengers can now only take one bag but up to 8kg.
Daily Mail has contacted Jetstar for further comment.
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