<p>Charging for checked baggage but not carryon encourages more people to carry more on. That causes slower boarding and deplaning, it means that the last few passengers on the plane end up not being able to stow even a small bag, and it means that heavier bags get dropped on people by other people trying to wrestle a big bag in a small space. I don’t know what the solution is, but we’re not there.</p>
<p>And it’s linked to seat reclining. The more the plane is delayed by passengers trying to stow their several large bags that barely fit in the overhead compartment over someone else’s seat, the earlier the airline has to schedule the boarding. And so passengers have to get up even earlier in the dark o’clock to get to the airport earlier, so they’re sleepy, so they want to recline their seats. And the passengers behind them are cranky too because of not enough sleep, and they get mad because they can’t open their laptops because the person in front of them wants to sleep.</p>
<p>Ive paid to check bags, only to hear it announced when on the plane, that it will be free if passengers check their carry ons.
Just one reason why I prefer the train.</p>
<p>TSA made an exception for musical instruments since they are not big but can’t fit into a nice square. I didn’t know we had a territorial claim of the overhead compartment space. There aren’t enough overhead space to guarantee a carryon size space for every passenger. People who bring on a carry on is benefiting from those don’t. Shall we just share and not be so territorial? </p>
<p>My pet peeve are the folks who clearly have bags that don’t fit easily in the overhead area and spend all lots of time pushing, shoving, and painfully inching/maneuvering their bags into a space that’s really too small for the bags they have. Either get a bag that fits or stop being cheap and check it! Those folks waste everyone’s time at both ends of the flight.</p>
<p>On my flights this month, South African Airways restricted carry-on baggage to 8 kg (17.6 pounds). That’s NOTHING! Virgin Atlantic was 10 kg (22 pounds). I noticed that enforcement was random - they took my rollerboard, but didn’t stop people with backpacks that looked way heavier than the limit.</p>
<p>And, since they’ve told you explicitly NOT to do that, I don’t feel too guilty about dumping my carry-on right on top of your small bag or coat.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize it in time, but Delta thoughtfully put me in “Zone 1” for boarding because I was in an exit row! That makes sense. Sometimes, there’s no room left for my stuff in the overhead bins, and I’m stuck.</p>
But it must make economic sense–I assume that it either reduces the overall weight of the plane (because people bring less) or results in less baggage-handling labor.
Yes, alas, the airline has chosen to use my baggage checking fees to subsidize cheapskates like you. I will get you back by grabbing onto your (fully reclined, no doubt) seat back to climb out of the womb-like seat.</p>
<p>My pet peeve is when you have lucked out and gotten the bulkhead seat (which means there is no space for belongings on the floor but much more room for legs) and there is no room in the overhead compartment. I don’t want to have my purse 15 rows away! Luckily, I carry a small purse inside my travel bag so that I can grab that and stuff it into the magazine holder. But I too wish people would use the bins near them. I can’t blame it on musicians as it has never been instruments taking up the space.</p>
<p>That’s not it at all. Charging for checked baggage reduces the sticker price of the airline seat, so the airline can get more customers. The airlines aren’t trying to get more people to carry more stuff on. Rather, they are trying to squeeze money out of the people who check baggage. Soon, I predict, they’ll find a way to charge for carry-on baggage too.</p>
<p>It’s all about more revenue per flight. That’s why the airlines squeeze more passengers into the same sized plane, and it’s why they charge for food, and checked baggage, and 4 more measly inches of legroom, and whatever else they can ding passengers for.</p>
<p>There are already airlines that charge for checked OR carry on luggage. Can’t remember which carrier–it isn’t one of the large national ones but it’s out there.</p>
<p>Igloo, it’s nothing to do with being territorial. It’s just a question of common sense. If everyone who boards first puts their bags in the front bins and people who board next are seated beneath loaded bins, it’s chaos. Haven’t you every seen a FA calling out for someone to identify a bag, then pulling it out when no one claims it? </p>
<p>If airlines have made exceptions for musical instruments, then it’s up to the airlines to handle the administration of their rules. They’ll have to deal with it ultimately, because from where I normally sit, people could go to the back of the plane to find bin space, but they can’t realistically go back to their seat against the tide of people boarding. It just doesn’t make sense. </p>
<p>So everyone who can’t find a space in their own overhead bin should stand there and call for FA help holding the line until a FA comes to help? Instead of finding a space where they can and sit down? Interesting. How’s that speeding up the process? Is it really about being practical or just being annoyed that you didn’t get what you thought rightfully yours? what’s the big hurry to go back to your seat and sit down any way? </p>
<p>The decision whether to check bag or carry on is not always so clear cut. I prefer to check bag, even if it’s a carryon since I am short and don’t like to lift bag over my head. My H hates checking in since he does not like waiting for the bags. We always travel light so cost is not an issue. We are heading to Europe and have 1-hour layover in Amsterdam. Friend warned me to do carry on since we may not make the connection and easier to grab bags and run for the next flight than risk lost luggage, especially when you are on vacation. And yes, it’s free checked bag but we may just do one carry on each to be safe.</p>
<p>I wonder what would happen if someone saw that their overhead bin was full, took out someone else’s bag and put that in a different bin.
Probably another newsworthy event we would get too read about, LOL.</p>
