New carryon rules--are they working?
 

We haven't had to take any flights since the new carryon rules went into effect. However, some posters have repeatedly claimed that if everyone cut way down on their carryon, then passengers would be able to board and exit the plane much more quickly.
Those of you who have flown since the new restrictions went into effect, has this held true? Are people getting on and off the planes *significantly* faster than before? Or is it still the same old same old?
Thanks

I also wonder if it has slowed picking up the checked baggage. . .

I also wonder if picking up luggage can be any slower :)

Traveled twice in the past 2 weeks. Everything seems to be running smoothly from what I experienced. No problem collecting baggage, no problem going through security, no problem boarding the airplane.

Well, that's good news! But do you think pax are boarding and exiting planes much faster than they did when people brought so much more stuff on board?

I still take my regular 22 incher and my computer bag on board when traveling domestically. Most of the hotels I stay in provide most of the items I need and the few items they may not provide, I just buy the small "sample" sizes at the local market. At worst it costs me ~$5 per trip, a sum I'm willing to pay so I don't have to check a bag. The only thing I had to figure out was how to get cologne as I like the expensive stuff, so

couple of weeks ago I went to Macy's to restock on my favorite cologne and asked the very nice clerk to throw in as many samples as she could. She gave me ~15 of the tiny bottles. I throw about 2 per trip into my computer bag and along with all the cables, pens, misc electronic stuff, etc., TSA has not been able to "catch me yet" :-D and if they do, it doesn't cost me anything......

so, for ~5 or LESS, as couple of the hotels provided all I needed (shaving cream, toothpaste, deodorant) plus the regular stuff, I avoid the baggage check - I just hate it.

I don't have to travel internationally until end of October, but that's Peru so I don't think it's as bad, but then London in NOV, and DUB in NOV and DEC, and I just hope that by that time some of this stuff will be relaxed and if not I will have to check a bag as I carry 2 laptops, cameras, etc.....oh well.....can't avoid this charade....

sorry, I didn't finish my thought, got interrupted by a phone call...

to answer your question,

domestically it has helped in boarding. The businesspeople still take their full load on board, but I see that the occasional flyer is boarding with nothing or very little. The businessperson always knew the limits and they know the plane(s), so they were hardly ever any problems with that group. So, I guess you could say that the liquid prohibitions are helping during boarding.

Travelled from London two weeks ago...it was significantly better....every facet of it...much quicker through security with only one bag to check...allowed the random checks which seem to run now close to 90% to be much quicker and loading and unloading of plane is much quicker...frankly I wish they would make these restrictions permanent and not have to deal with people bringing on carry ons that should be checked and then telling me to remove my stuff from the overhead, put it under my seat when their bags don't fit.

As Marie Antoinette once said, "Let them eat cake too"...these business people are no better than the rest of us serfs.

I'll say people have cut down. Read this:

I flew last Monday from San Francisco to Ft. Lauderdale. I placed my backpack in the overhead bin. When the full plane landed in Ft. Lauderdale, I open the overhead bin to get my carryon. It wasn't there. Thinking I must have left in in Dallas, the first thing I thought of was, my keys!

It was a rough landing in Ft. Lauderdale and the bag had slid to the next overhead bin. Two overhead bins on a full plane and only my bag was up there.

Perhaps we will be able to start boarding the planes like they do in Europe; when the light comes on, you walk on. None of this loud, noisy Group boarding anymore. Or perhaps they could say, if you are sitting next to a window, board first.

I heard about a solution to the perfume problem. - not sure if it works or not.

Soak several small pieces of cloth in the cologne and place them in ziploc bags (double or tripple bagged perhaps)

No bottle, no liquid, but plenty of nice scent to do it's job.

Flew yesterday out of Savannah connecting in Atlanta. Was wondering about the Bath and Body Works store inside security in Atlanta - selling all sorts of banned items.

No one ever rechecked my carryon at gate in Atlanta, so I could have stocked up on all sorts of lotions and potions which violated rules if I wanted to.