“They are showing no mercy,” says Ritter, a TV consultant from Los Angeles.
A few weeks ago, he witnessed a gate agent stop a passenger from boarding with her carry-on. As Ritter boarded the plane, he saw the passenger out of the line, frantically shifting contents to other bags to make the carry-on lighter.
Why are airlines getting so strict about carry-on luggage? The reason isn’t higher fuel costs or lack of space; it’s money.
“Airlines are likely doubling down on this strategy to extract as much as they can from customers,” explains Jeff Galak, who teaches marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “By being strict on what counts as a carry-on bag, they can move some free bags to paid ones.”
I’m not sure which airline was involved in this, but when I flew Southwest last May, when they decided I had too many carry-ons (they decided a document pocket worn around my neck was a carry-on), they checked one of my bags for free, in addition to the 2 free bags I had already checked. On a second flight, there wasn’t room in the overhead compartment.
The issue is more about space in the passenger cabin. Because bag fees are so out of control, more passengers are trying to stuff more into their carry-ons. I guess it depends on the airline’s business model - a true discount airline or a nickel-and-dime full fare airline.
Fuskie
Who notes Southwest is also embarking on a interior redesign that, in addition to providing USB chargers in each seat, is going to increase the amount of overhead storage…
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My limited experience in Europe was that they were much more strict. If you were domestic in Europe, the allowed carry-on was smaller, and they weighed it.
In the US I have yet to have my carry-on weighed, though once I was told it was too large (and they checked it for free at the gate).
I don’t like paying the fees, but I also really don’t like check-in in general, even if it were free. Bags get damaged, sometimes stuff goes missing, sometimes your bag disappears for three days, etc. Carry-on avoids all of that. Plus I won’t have to deal with baggage claim; I can just walk right out the door and get transport to wherever I’m going. Also, too much baggage can be a pain in places with no elevators (which I experienced in both Paris and Madrid…fifth floor both times, and I had to lug the full bags…never again…that’s when I discovered the Rick Steves protocol).
I didn’t poke around more. There used to be videos of seminars he (or his people) hosted. I recall a female guide unpacking her bag to show women they could do it too. (Apparently women complain about it more than men…I know 1poorlady does, though I’ve gotten her to lighten-up a bit…she still can’t do a single carry-on, but I’m gently working on it.)