Bmi is to introduce new cabin baggage rules from next Monday (7 January), as restrictions are lifted at certain UK airports.
The one-bag rule has infuriated business travellers for some time, with laptops in particular providing a specific source of frustration, but this new regulatory environment should ease the situation.
The UK airline will allow business and premium economy passengers to take two cabin bags on board, while those in economy can take one. However, the introduction of new scanning equipment now means that all bmi passengers, regardless of class, can also take ”one personal item” with them.
This can include a small briefcase, handbag or baby-change bag, but also - and crucially ” a laptop. There may be a grey area here however, as the carrier says it will consider laptops in ”a thin satchel or slimline briefcase” as a personal item, but those in a larger computer bag or bulkier briefcase as cabin baggage.
”This will be determined at bmi”s discretion and it is difficult to have a hard and fast rule,” a bmi spokesman told ABTN. ”If a laptop bag purely holds a laptop, then that would count.”
UK airports that are now kitted out to cope with bmi”s new regime include; London Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. Other airports will follow suit when the security upgrades are in place.
Individual pieces of cabin baggage must be no larger than 55 x 40 x 23cm (21 x 15 x 9in).
Liquid restrictions limiting passengers to 100ml per container in a transparent bag remain.