When Carry-ons Don't Fit

[FWAAA]

I have measured my one larger carry on and if it is totally packed and I mean stuffed it is just over the limit at 51 and a half inches measured as UPS does. I'm in compliance and I resent not having a spot for my bag because some recto cranial inversion brings on a bag that while it fits it is nearly 3 to 4 times the legal size.

I hear ya' Piney. I carry an ancient Samsonite Silhouette hardshell that is well within the carryon limits of my preferred airline (AA) plus a small computer/personal item. And nothing frosts me more than some novice airline employee or fellow traveler who says "hey, that carryon is too big and you're gonna need to check it."

Screw That! On many airplanes, the Samsonite goes in the overhead bin wheels first (most bins can accomodate three similar bags this way) and the computer goes under the seat in front of me. I'm usually in F (what with AA's complimentary F upgrades for EXPs), so there's almost always lots of bin space and plenty of room in front for the computer bag.

But what happens if I'm not one of the first to board the airplane? Overhead bin pigs stuff their carryon, their personal item, their duty free grocery bag, their overcoats and their assorted other crap in the bins - quickly filling them. Leaving me with precious little room for my one rollaboard carryon. :angry:

 

[andyperkins]

HA!

Y'all, if someone carries on only a small tote bag, they are entitled to put it in the overhead bin, just like the guy who drags on the big roll-aboard.
They should not be made to feel like they SHOULD put it under the seat in front of them.
Why penalize them for checking their big piece?

Very good point! When I started flying in `86 I worked for a company that flew 727-100's with OPEN overheads so everyone had to check their luggage we could have everyone on and off in 20 minutes. Remember in the 90’s? The over the shoulder suit bag was the big deal, but you couldn’t pack too much or your arms would fall off.

Now its 2006 and everyone is pulling or pushing, a small house on wheels! They don’t have to carry it so they stuff it with everything they think they need. After PHL-BOS-PHL-BOS-PHL-BOS-PHL trying to get all the bags for 100+ people on and get off the gate so you’re on time, you know something has got to change.

We have to make sure people get the bags every time and they need to get them within 30 minutes of landing before anyone is going to start checking luggage. Personally I don’t think there should be any bags in the cabin that are larger than a computer bag. Now that some of the computers have 17â€￾ screens these are very large bags and under our current carry on policy should count as the carry on luggage not the personal item.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Everyone wearing a hat on board should have to wear it the entire flight.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

As a paying passenger, the day somebody tells me to check my 22" rollerboard is the day that I'll unzip it, dump the thing in the middle of the ailse, and unpack all the good stuff before I hand it off to be checked. You wanna be bag Nazis, well, be prepared for bag revenge. Learn to pick your battles. Believe me, the job isn't as hard as some of you are making it out to be. It's good customer service to let the people try to stow the bag. You know the rest if it doesn't fit.

Eye

 

[Seatacus]

On an Airbus 319 if all 108 passengers brought a legal rollerboard carryon to put in the overhead, could the overheads accomodate all 108 carryons?????? I don't think so.........

 

[john john]

I'll unzip it, dump the thing in the middle of the ailse, and unpack all the good stuff before I hand it off to be checked.
Eye

That would be great entertainment

 

[Sally4th]

All my flying is between PHL and LGW. I used to fly British Airways (note past tense). one of the major reasons I moved to US was the carry on allowance and lack of GA bag Nazis. Yes, that was enough to get me to change airlines and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Having said that I'm continually shocked at the carry on abuse I see even at US's generous allowance.

I think just a sizer present at the gate would be enough to wake people up to police themselves. Just a gentle subtle reminder, no man power involved at all.

 

[SKY HIGH]

You wanna be bag Nazis, well, be prepared for bag revenge. Learn to pick your battles. Believe me, the job isn't as hard as some of you are making it out to be. It's good customer service to let the people try to stow the bag. You know the rest if it doesn't fit.
Eye

sky high states: Learn to pick your battles? Try this one. FULL FLIGHT, PACKED OVERHEADS AND IT'S "DEPARTURE TIME" (gotta be ON-TIME)AND YOU'RE THE LAST TO BOARD with your rollaboard and tote.

..........THAT BATTLE HAPPENS EVERYDAY! :down:

 

[andyperkins]

All my flying is between PHL and LGW. I used to fly British Airways (note past tense). one of the major reasons I moved to US was the carry on allowance and lack of GA bag Nazis. Yes, that was enough to get me to change airlines and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Having said that I'm continually shocked at the carry on abuse I see even at US's generous allowance.

I think just a sizer present at the gate would be enough to wake people up to police themselves. Just a gentle subtle reminder, no man power involved at all.

That's all I'm asking for. A little help at the door would stop many of the problems we deal with in the cabin.

 

[desertgal]

On an Airbus 319 if all 108 passengers brought a legal rollerboard carryon to put in the overhead, could the overheads accomodate all 108 carryons?????? I don't think so.........

An outstanding gate agent in PHX the other day told us when 25 rollaboards have gone past her, she comes down to see if its time to start checking.
She keeps a counter in her hand and clicks off as they go by her.
She said the most she's been able to fit was 29.
Can't remember if it was a 319 or 320.
On a full 319, we will ALWAYS runout of bin space and have to check.
Sometimes we can squeek by on the 320.

 

[Seatacus]

An outstanding gate agent in PHX the other day told us when 25 rollaboards have gone past her, she comes down to see if its time to start checking.
She keeps a counter in her hand and clicks off as they go by her.
She said the most she's been able to fit was 29.
Can't remember if it was a 319 or 320.
On a full 319, we will ALWAYS runout of bin space and have to check.
Sometimes we can squeek by on the 320.

That's my point. Even if your carryon is legal size the aircraft cannot accomodate all. So the first people on get to stow carryon and the last get to check them, legal size or not.......

 

[EyeInTheSky]

sky high states: Learn to pick your battles? Try this one. FULL FLIGHT, PACKED OVERHEADS AND IT'S "DEPARTURE TIME" (gotta be ON-TIME)AND YOU'RE THE LAST TO BOARD with your rollaboard and tote.

..........THAT BATTLE HAPPENS EVERYDAY! :down:

SKY HIGH, never the last to board being a new Chairman's Preferred and all. If I am, I'd expect no space. New employer allows me to pick my flights to work (I used to work at U). I try to use my old friends; but the minute I get some psycho f/a telling me to check my legal-sized carry-on bag without letting me try to find a space for it is the minute I go over to another airline. I am getting a little concerned with what I read on here regarding this new "tude" from the f/a's. So far, I have yet to experience this new "bag Nazi" phenomenon.

Eye

 

[MarkMyWords]

The problem with Bob's solution is

1) it would create a mad rush for the door during general boarding. As it is, you can't get people to listen and board by zones (or rows). Open that door and someone knows there is a 15.00 fee if your bag doesn't fit will cause a larger rush for the door.

2) It is unfair to penalize the last customer on a late connection to check his/her bag because he/she is the last customer on and there is no room.

3) Imagine the additional delay time you woudl take on a full flight when you had to collect 15.00 from each customer that had to pay. Closing out a flight and pushing on time is hard enough without having to take credit card info and processing several transactions. When I was an agent boarding a PIT-PHL, LGA or BOS flight, it was not unusal to gate check 10-15 bags at the end of a full flight.

4) Since our overhead bins are not all standard in size, it would be even more complicated. Bags that fit "wheels in" on an airbus, won't fit the same on a 733. So, in general, a 733 has less storage space then an A319. You make it that much more difficult when your own product is inconsistent.

Those are just a few of my thoughts......as Jim said....great in theory.....much harder to do in practice.

 

[Travelpro72]

True some carry-on luggage is oversized but I think the true problem is the "personal item". As a f/a working a 5 leg day on the 737 with the tiny overhead compartments it gets tough. I am not David Copperfield and cannot make magic. I am not going to go throught the cabin on every single leg twisting and turning luggage. If the bag hangs off the edge and the door does not close to the overhead down below it goes. I taylor the announcement to say, "please be sure the door closes completely and no bags are hanging over the edge of the compartment". I swear that as I'm saying this 10 people stand up and rearrange their luggage. The personal item regardless of the fact that it contains a laptop or top secret CIA documents are most of the time oversized. I just had a basketball team with almost each having a rollerboard and a HUGE gym bag. I said one or the other needed to be checked and it was not a personal item. They insisted it was. On another note. The pillows and blankets in the overheads all over the place need to have a designated compartment. Much easier to know that inflight they are in compartment (wherever).

 

[US1YFARE]

As it is, you can't get people to listen and board by zones (or rows).

I agree with that. I still think they should always board FC first.

On a recent US flight, tons of people rushed to the gate and the poor woman was so overwhelmed. It was like it was her first day. The other gate agent YELLED at her and said, Board FC only, Board FC Only...the poor girl got scared and the other gate agent GRABBED the PA out of her hand and SCREAMED:

FIRST CLASS ONLY...LISTEN TO ME FIRST CLASS ONLY!!!

She had the right idea, just need a little training in how to communicate that to her co-workers and customers.

The pillows and blankets in the overheads all over the place need to have a designated compartment.

Yes, the trash can--they are so foul i do not understand anyone would want to put any part of their body on them.