Public ire as airlines use mechanical scales to weigh carry-on baggage at gates

Images of market-style scales are being circulated on social media, stirring heated debate online.

A photo shared on social media shows passengers having their hand baggage weighed by a market-style scale at the boarding gate at a Vietnamese airport.

Some passengers said they feel "trapped" when their luggage is weighed at the boarding gate.

"At the check-in counter, if your bag exceeds the limit, you have options: remove items or purchase extra baggage," one said.

"[But] at the gate, passengers have no choice but to pay when they are stopped just before boarding.

"It doesn’t feel like using a service; it feels like being ripped off."

Vietnam Airlines allows economy class passengers to carry a total of 12 kg comprising one main item of up to 10 kg and a smaller personal item such as a handbag or laptop.

Complaints have poured in over its decision to inspect hand luggage at boarding gates and not just at check-in counters.

Bloggers and travel experts say the practice is "unprofessional" and inconvenient for passengers, and damages the industry’s image.

Nguyen Tien Dat, vice president of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said some airlines are mishandling inspections and creating an "unsightly" impression, adding that the use of market-style scales for checks at the gate is "inappropriate."

Dao Minh Hien, an aviation researcher in Australia, said Australian airports are equipped with electronic weighing stations across terminals, allowing passengers to themselves check their luggage.

He hoped Vietnamese airports would implement similar systems to minimize disputes and enhance the passenger experience.

Leading global carriers routinely check hand luggage at boarding gates.

Singapore Airlines, which permits only seven kilograms for economy class, states that staff "may check baggage at both the check-in counter and before boarding."

But it collects overweight items for checking in rather than collect baggage fees.

Japan Airlines has a 10 kg limit and warns that oversized or overweight bags "may be checked at the departure gate."

All airlines use electronic scales.

Amid the recent disputes, Vietnamese aviation authorities issued a directive saying weighing hand baggage at boarding gates should be done without inconveniencing passengers.