LT

OK, I've had it, and I need to vent . . .

I am sick and tired of boarding yet another airplane to find that the overhead space, which is DESIGNED to handle coats, SMALL bags, and other such items for ALL OF THE PASSENGERS IN THE CORRESPONDING ROW is usurped by 2 of these hulking behemoths.

I understand that checking luggage is a hassle -- I've had my bags lost a number of times; once even forever. Nevertheless, it's just plain selfish and rude to hog up a space that is designed to be shared by EVERYONE.

It's time that the airlines either start enforcing their carry-on policies or reduce the size of bags that are allowed to be carried on. Fair is fair -- my time and space is just as important to me as Mr./Ms. rollaboard's time and space is to them.

OK, I'm sure I'll be hearing plenty of squeals from the rollaboard set . . . so bring it on!

ed

I agree completely!!!

Also the huge duffle bags that hit every seat as the are carried down the aisle.

One of the excuses given is that they don't want to take the time to get checked luggage off the carrousel

What do they have to do that's so important??

Patty

This has nothing to do with rollaboards specifically, but rather the size and number of total pieces of ANY type of carry on luggage. I use a very compact rollaboard that fits under the seat if there's no overhead bin space. Having a carry on with wheels is just so much easier to deal with and less tiring than carrying around a bag without wheels when you have a long layover or are walking long distances between gates.

oleg

Ed,
What's wrong with duffel bags? Yes, I will try to violate this carry-on policy when I fly next time. Let me give you the reason why. I am going to Anchorage from NYC with a barely legal connection in Detroit. I know that if check in my luggage all the way thru, my chance of receiving it within 24hrs upon landing in Alaska is very, very slim. This luggage contains all warm clothes & footwear I need to hike to glaciers and in the backcountry. What will I have to do? Wear t-shirs and shorts?! Or may be you recommend wearing winter staff with heavy boots on the plane?
I do not know if I will be able to carry it on this time (was able to do it in the past). Noone was inconvinienced, as far as I recall. I would gladly stop doing this if our airlines stop providing us with service second only to Somali Air!

gail

It was probably my husband hogging thew overhead bin with his enormous but almost legal when empty suitcase. He says as a very frequent business traveler he can't afford the time to wait to retrieve bag on landing. The only time the bag has been turned away has been on very samll (20-30 seat) planes and on one international flight. He admits as long as they let him bring it, he will.

While I agree it is rude - I hate it when I fly and can not find any room - until the airlines play bag police themselves, people will continue to bring steamer trunks in the passenger cabin. Flew BA to London in April and they enforced a 13 pound weight limit on carryons. Boarding and deplaning was incredibly fast, even on 2 fully booked flights.

FainaAgain

All the airlines care about is to take off as close to the scheduled time as possible. Until they start checking what we are bringing aboard (which is never) feel free to bring the kitchen sink and the bucanner's trunk.

I wish they would at least check our boarding passes. On my flight on Continental out of Zurich, or maybe Newark, they were looking for a passenger on the plane who had boarded the wrong plane.

inthechips2

If they want to maintain a schedule, one of the biggest delays I can see is the TIME it takes to stow the steamer trunks in the overhead bin. Then when they don't fit and have to take them down to the baggage hold anyways, even more of a delay.

I too have had my luggage go missing and once it was because of a way too tight connection, so I can sympathize, but people, please, can you simply not bring on a rollaboard the size of a Buick?

ed

Oleg-- If you will note I said HUGE

wally34949

I remember saying to a flight attendant, I like the way they board the planes in Europe. When the light comes on, you board. None of this Zone 1,2,3-99 stuff. Their response was that would only work if we limited the carryons.

But they used to say one carry on and a purse. Well, most men don't have a purse so that was discrimination so now they say one carry on and one personal item.

But if they bring a rollaboard on, that should be their ONLY carry on.

J62

As soon as AA can figure out how to ensure that the FIRST bag from a flight into JFK gets onto the baggage claim in less than 60min after landing I'll start to check my bags.

With carryon only I'm already 45miles up the road by that time, includiding the train ride to long term parking.

Clifton

Amen, LT I agree too. Funny, I was just on a full Delta flight on Friday and the FA said to a last minute someone - "if you're dragging something behind you, there's no room back here. Passenger was completely disgusted but hey, the bag he was pulling wasn't any smaller than the ones the beat him on the plane.

Me, I had a non-stop so I checked the 22" roller. Brought on my laptop bag, which is a much smaller bag. I tell you what, I put it up in the overhead and when they started asking everyone with smaller bags to put them under our feet, I didn't budge. Makes no sense to me why I would bring on one small bag the size that was intended for the overhead, and end up being the guy who has no footroom AND gets to wait at baggage claim so that others can bring on bigger bags. No problem, I'll wait while they carry them back off to be checked. Maybe the airlines will stop letting the stuff roll on if they consistantly have to roll the stuff back off again before they can take off.

I've had stuff go missing or delayed too but until there's actually enough room for everyone to bring on the size bag currently being brought on, I wish they'd put simple dividers in the bins to split them evenly by seat.

Clifton

Sounded like the fact that it was a non-stop was the reson for my check decision. I really should proof read. I've checked on connections as well if I have something as big as a 22" along.

rkkwan

Whether to check luggage or not is a complex issue, and the answer really depends on lots of stuff. Just want to share how I make the decision.

[Of course, if I'm going to Hong Kong for a month, I'll need to check a 26". Or if it's day trip to Dallas, then it's just a small duffle bag. But here, we're talking about something in between.]

Factors that are important:

- How much stuff you have. A 22" is generally allowed, but it generally doesn't fit under a seat, and on some planes, can only fit the overhead when laid sideways, taking up a lot of room. One should really think twice before bringing a 22" on board. 20" is a lot better.

- Type of plane you're flying. If you're flying a regional jet, then you basically have to gate-check all 20" or 22". That's actually a good thing. Really no need to check them. If you're flying a 767, 777 or 330/340, then they have plenty of large overhead bins, usually enough (though barely) for everybody even on a full flight. But if you're flying a narrowbody - 737s, 757s or A310s - then it's a problen when the flight is full.

- Where you sit and when you board. If you're "elite", or taking young kids, and can pre-board, no problem. Otherwise, if you want to bring large carryons, sit in the back if the airline boards by rows, or get a "A" pass on Southwest and other airlines that board by zones. [But if your connecting flight comes in late, then you may still board last, which brings up my next point.]

- Connections are tough. If you check luggage, you worry about your bags not making tight connections (intended or not). But if you don't check them, you may have to board the next flight after most others have boarded, meaning little overhead room. [One reason why the fewer connections the better in an itinerary.]

- If you're flying back to the US, then there's another reason not to check bags. You get through customs a whole lot faster than otherwise.

- Last, it depends on the nature of your trip. If you're going to stay at the destination airport for at least a day, then even if your checked luggage won't make it, it's not a disaster. As long as you have some basic stuff and medicine in your carryon. But if you're connecting to a cruise, or immediately going to other cities, then losing a checked luggage may totally ruin your trip.

What I'm trying to say is that each trip is different. Sometimes I check luggage, sometimes I don't. There's no one single answer to this complex problem. To give you an example, I'll tell you how I decide what to bring:

- I'm only going for 4 days. So, no need for 22". A 20" and a camera bag should be enough. An even smaller backpack-on-wheels may also fit, but I need to bring winter clothes; chargers for iPod, phone and camcorder; and a thick guidebook.

- I am going to pick up my car immediately upon arrival and head away from the airport. Meaning I cannot lose my luggage.

- On the outbound, I have a regional jet, a full 737, and an empty 757. So, the problem is the 737 flight. I am not elite, so can't board first, but I have a seat near the front to get off quickly. So, for sure there won't be much luggage space left.

- Combining those last two points, I decide to take the less spacious back-pack-on-wheels rather than the 20". This way, if I don't have any overhead space on the 737 flight, I can still tolerate having it under my feet for the 3 hour DFW-EWR leg.

- Coming back, the issues are different. I don't care if my bags make it home with me or not, but I need to clear customs at EWR. Without having to wait for luggage, I can save a least 15 minutes of time, and can probably standby on an earlier flight to IAH.

So, while I've checked luggages on other trips - even short domestic ones - I decided to take the smaller luggage and not check any. Turns out to be a very wise choice.

clevelandbrown

The overhead bins are DESIGNED to handle rollers, or at least that is what the safety briefing at the start of every flight says.

It would be nice if the airlines checked what everyone else carries on to be sure it is legal, but I'm sure the cost of that additional service would drive up ticket prices, and who want's that? Would you pay more to fly on an airline that would bar your almost within the limits carry-on?

When you consider the huge number of pieces handled, the number of lost or late pieces is tiny, but certainly irritating if it happens to you.

A close legal connection is no reason not to check luggage. The airlines have special procedures to expedite luggage when there is a close connection. The only time my wife and I had to deal with lost luggage was when our initial flight was late, and as we left the plane, the agent advised us that it was too late for us to make our connection, and directed us to a counter were they booked us on a later flight. When we got to our destination, our bags were not on the carrousel, so we went to the office to find out what to do. Our bags were sitting in the office; they had made the connection that we couldn't!

I don't like to wrestle with the overhead bins, so in those instances when I abolutely need our luggage as soon as we land (such as when we could catch an earlier train) I gate check the rollers. Every time we have done that, but once, our bags were waiting on the jet way by the time we got off the plane. The one time we had to wait four or five minutes for the bags.

yk

I agree with rkkwan's reasoning. My recent trip was DFW-LGW, AMS-LGW-DFW.

It was an 8-day trip, but I managed to pack everything into a 20" and a purse.

For DFW-LGW, I carried on my 20" rollaboard. Why? Because I didn't want to wait for my luggage at LGW. But I knew it was going to be a full flight, so I boarded the plane as soon as my "zone" was announced. In the end, I believe everybody found a space to stow the luggage.

In retrospect, I could have checked my luggage, as the immigration line in LGW took forever.

On my return flight: AMS-LGW was on BA's 737, then LGW-DFW was a 777. I checked my luggage. I knew both flight would be full and I didn't feel like dragging my rollaboard with me for 2 hours at LGW during the layover. Also, I know that by the time I clear immigration at DFW, my luggage should be out by then.

That was a good decision. I didn't have to "race" to board for either flights. The LGW-DFW flight ran out of storage space for the last few passengers. When I arrived at DFW, I waited for a mere 5 minutes before my luggage appeared.

Spygirl

I don't understand your rant at all, LT. The simple fact of the matter is, commercial aircraft are in fact DESIGNED TO CARRY ROLLABOARDS in their overhead bins-when they are not, such as with commuter aircraft, then you check your rollerboards at the gate, and when you deplane, they're at the bottom of the steps waiting for you.

All carriers specify the dimensions of the bags that may be carried on board their aircraft,(which you can access either on their website or by phone). If there are space limitations on that particular flight, why, they enforce their rules rigorously, and your rollaboard, if it doesn't meet the airline specs., will be tagged and taken from you, where it will be found on the jetway upon your disembarkation. If it isn't a full flight, then they may relax their rules, or they may not-it varies with the airline.

So your assumption that commercial aircraft are not designed to carry rollaboards is sort of out of left field, and QUITE inaccurate-indeed, the brand new 747-400s, A-340s, etc. have HUGE overhead bins, precisely to accomodate large carry-on bags,(but those that do not meet the airline's carry-on dimensions will be tagged and checked) as a concession to the business traveler, and those who hate to wait.

rjw_lgb_ca

American actually has the 3-seat side of its MD-80s equipped with larger overhead bins that take the rollaboards <i>wheel-first</i>. Of course, some horse's a$$ invariably puts their damn rollaboard in sideways since they can't be bothered to read the friggin' sign.

I feel everyone's pain vis-&agrave;-vis the out-of-control aspect of carry-on luggage nowadays, but I think we are all carrying the trauma of lost luggage with us now, and we try to avoid it at all costs. So if we have to bring three weeks worth of clothing onboard with ourselves, so be it. I do it too. I feel awful about it.

Worktowander

Yes, I've felt the pain of lost luggage. But mostly, I've felt the pain of sharp elbows, knees and tongues around the baggage carousel after we've all been standing around for an hour waiting for the first bag to drop.

I think conscientious rollaboarders shouldn't be lumped in with the ...shall we say ... amateurs?

If I carry on my airline-legal sized rollaboard, my other stuff ALWAYs goes under the seat in front of me. I don't lay my jacket out on the floor of the overhead bin, preventing anyone else from using it, I don't ALSO carry a laptop, a purse and a daypack, I don't put anything in the rollaboard that causes me to jump up into the aisle 12 times a trip to root around in it, and I don't carry on large, overstuffed cardboard boxes barely held together with duct tape as &quot;luggage.&quot; And if I carry my rollaboard, I do not check luggage -- Even two-week trips are done out of that one case. Meaning less weight, less fuel cost, lower ticket prices for all of us.

A rollaboard bag, well used, is not a sin.

Say it with me now ---

Let the rollaboards fly, let the baggage carousels die!

ajaynejr

Some flights (Delta) I have been on recently -- the F/A's want the bigger pieces in the bins and the smaller pieces at passengers' feet.

Someone was saying in another forum that airlines want as much passenger baggage in the cabin as possible so more space down below is available for mail and unaccompanied freight.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

inthechips2

I need to resurrect this thread (specifically to Patty) because I am looking for a small rollaboard that will fit under the seat, yet hold 2 days or so worth of clothing. Is there such a beast?? Thanks.