Vietnam Airlines criticised for using ‘market scales’ to weigh cabin bags at boarding gates
Vietnam Airlines has come under fire after photos surfaced online showing staff using mechanical “market-style” scales to weigh passengers’ carry-on luggage at boarding gates, rather than the electronic scales used by most international carriers.
The images quickly went viral across Vietnamese social media, with many travellers calling the practice “unprofessional”, “unsightly” and even “exploitative”.
Passengers upset luggage is weighed at the gate with no alternative
According to Vietnam’s media VnExpress, passengers said the airline’s approach have left them cornered, as weighing bags at the very last minute gives them no chance to repack or remove items.
“At the check-in counter, if your bag exceeds the limit, you have options: remove items or purchase extra baggage,” one traveller 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.”
Under Vietnam Airlines’ policy, economy-class passengers are allowed a total of 12kg of hand luggage: one main bag of up to 10kg and one smaller item such as a laptop or handbag.
Use of analogue scales deemed ‘inappropriate’
Photos of the analogue scales being used at gates have gone viral on Vietnamese social media, with many calling the practice “unsightly” and damaging to the airline’s image.
Source: VnExpress
Nguyen Tien Dat, vice president of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said the use of market-style scales is “inappropriate” and creates a negative impression of Vietnam’s aviation industry.
Dao Minh Hien, an aviation researcher based in Australia, noted that most airports there have electronic self-weighing stations, allowing passengers to check their baggage weight conveniently.
He said similar systems should be adopted in Vietnam to reduce disputes and improve customer experience.
Other airlines use electronic scales
According to local media, other leading airlines do conduct cabin baggage checks at boarding gates, but all use electronic scales, not analogue ones.
Amid growing backlash, Vietnam’s aviation authorities have issued a directive reminding airlines that baggage checks at boarding gates must be done without inconveniencing passengers.
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Featured image adapted from VnExpress and EndTimeImages on Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
