Analise

I've travelled with the same pullman carryon for over 10 years now. I'm en route to DUS via ATL. Well, this time, I had to fly out of EWR. Security stopped me and told me I needed to check in my bag.

Not what I wanted to hear. I tried going to another security area thinking that all of Terminal B's gates were connected. Not true. Again, I don't know Terminal B that well. I think Terminal C's gates are accessible once past security.

I had packed a Le Sportsac bag to use on the way home so I took it out and put some of my things in that in order to flatten out the pullman. I went back to the same security area but went to the guy on the other side of the entrance. He stopped me but said I needed to put my purse inside the Sportsac. What a relief! So I got through without having to check in anything.

I now appreciate LGA and JFK. I've never had that problem before. Had no idea that EWR is more strict about carryon size.

sbm12

FWIW, only the airlines can really prevent you from boarding with an oversized bag. If it was one of the maroon coat folks at EWR I just walk past them when they object to my bags. They have no real enforcement power anyways.

A couple weeks ago I was flying to Canada with my wife. I brought our bags to the airport as I was going early and had time. So I had my backpack and two roller bags with me. Needless to say, the maroon coat was not impressed. I simply stated that one was my wife's and that she'd be meeting me at the airport later and walked by. The agent objected but they aren't going to leave their post and there's nothing they can do anyways.

Analise

I think they wore maroon coats but I was not paying that much attention to them. But they weren't airline employees, that I can confirm. These are the guys who stand at the entrance of the corridor leading to security and then the circular area where the gates are. I could have walked past them?? Who knew! That never occurred to me.

sbm12

Yup...those are the maroon coats. They have essentially zero authority or enforcement ability. I'm not suggesting you assault them or anything like that, but a simple, "oh, no, it fits fine" as you walk by usually defuses the situation.

Is the bag actually oversize?

fbnewyork

I've managed to avoid EWR for the last few years. But I usually travel with a sportsac bag inside my Briggs & Reilly 22". You never know who will deceide to exercise their 'power trip', and though I know 22" x 14" X 9 is exactly what AA Allows, I don't always check on other carriers.

Glad you made it on, with all your possesions intact!

Analise

It's not bigger than the flight attendants' pullmans. But they go threw without being stopped. Yes, it is bigger than the template but so are theirs so if they can use them, so will I. Again, I've never had any problem at LGA and JFK.

sbm12

You're not a flight attendant so I'm not sure why you're comparing your bags with theirs. They get to bring more bags and liquids through security, too.

Not a valid argument.

Choosing to not follow the rules because you have decided they do not apply to you is . Ignoring someone trying to apply rules the do not really exist in the way they see them is less so.

dchristiva

That's fortunate, but not necessarily indicative of the policies at LGA or JFK. While you may not have encountered the same problem at those airports, others might.

Analise

I assumed that for the TSA, security and concern for possible terrorist weapons were universal with no relaxation of the rules for anyone hence the strip searching of grandmothers. Obviously not given what you said about FAs. So then why have these rules at all?


I was not making an argument. I was stating an opinion I believed. Geez...relax.

Maybe you should follow your own platitude considering you said this:

Interesting....


Thanks.

Analise

Very true. I am just speaking from my experience alone. I have NEVER been stopped.

sbm12

The maroon coats are not TSA. I don't know where you got that impression.

As for the baggage rules, the TSA sets what they are for passengers and for crew. Your insinuation that the same rules apply to you and the crew is simply wrong.
I did not violate either the airline nor the TSA rules. I simply ignored the idiots that cannot process complex thoughts and who are not really empowered to do anything anyways. Big difference.

Analise

The TSA are idiots. You just want to argue when all I am doing is saying how much I appreciate the ease of going through security at LGA and JFK.

troyb

Question:

Does the FAA (or some other govt. body) set the rule for 1 + 1 bags (1 carryon + 1 personal) or is this the airline?

It has always been my understanding that this is the airline - otherwise any time you fly say CX or SQ F and they let you bring a few bags, the airline is breaking the law. Obviously not the case.

Got into an argument with several AA agents last month who told me the 1 + 1 rule was an "FAA regulation."

nerd

Don't pretty much all airlines make this claim in their pre-flight announcements?

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/prepare_fly/baggage/

sbm12

Both.

The FAA requires that the airline have a policy and that they follow it. The airline gets to decide what that policy is. But once it is written down and approved by the FAA the airline is expected to actually follow it.