Dear United: Start enforcing friggin carry-on bag limits!

Quite simple: Start enforcing the size of bags allowed as carry-on. I have flown a ridiculus amount of miles the last quarter. It's seriously gotten out of control.

Just because it has wheels does not mean it is a carry-on people. So many examples of baggage limits being abused it's silly. When a bag takes up an entire bin on an INTL 777 do you think it's too big? hmmm

The baggage issues is what leads to the stampedes at the gates and long and frustrating boarding processes.

Seriously UA, it's time to clean it up and stop letting some people take advantage of the system while screwing other pax who comply!!!

Wow.... I sooo agree! ^ Well said.

Darn tootin'. I'm sure someone will be along to complain soon that "I fly 100,001 miles a year, I should be allowed to ride an elephant on board if I feel like it" but frankly I like being the last to board, and it annoys me when there isn't room for my (tiny by American standards due to being maximal allowed size for Australian domestic travel) bag.

Part of the issue is if you fly on a region US domestic flight, they figure everyone is gate checking most bags anyways.

Then that same schmuck with a huge laptop bag, overstuffed gym, and locker on wheels goes to their mainline flight and expect to bring everything on board.

I've seen two near fights on planes in the last couple weeks between PAX over luggage issues.

UA is to blame. Checked bag fees have made carry-on abuse worse. Either stick to the requirements of have none at all.

Near fights? Seriously? Perhaps are you being overly dramatic as people who disagree aren't always headed to fisticuffs.

I flew allot of Domestic Flights in December 2011 (16 segments ), thats allot for me.. I was blown away at what a fiascio it is to board ( the times I was in the back ) Gosh, soo many people are carrying on, and yes the size limits are be pushed to the max. I guess its the occasional flyers that are avoiding the checked bag fees are mostly to blame. Only if they knew.. if the flight is somewhat full they will be able to gate check for free. Last ones on the baggage hold, first ones off? Sounds good to me. Spread the word. Perphas that will help enforcement if the carrier knew they are going to loose revenue.

Agree. It is beyond belief ridiculous the sense of entitlement that some have to bring on stuff that would not even fit in two sizers.

I could not agree with you on another thread, but you have it right on this issue. The biggest abusers seems to be those sitting in FC. Checking for luggage size is so rare that it is unfair. Do it consistently and the rules will be followed.

I dunno. I'm not sure "sense of entitlement" is the problem here. Seriously, what do we expect Kettles to do? Between higher fares, bag fees and lax enforcement, it's perfectly understandable that people want to bring more luggage on board. (The reason I personally tend to limit my carry-ons is not out of some sense of social duty but because I don't like to carry so much stuff.) To a large extent, it seems to me, priority boarding solves this problem. Board early, get more space; board later, gate check your bag(s). I don't like this system, mind you, but it is what it is.

That said, I agree that people shouldn't be allowed to do so. One carry-on that can fit width-wise in the overhead, a personal item or two that can fit under the seat, and anything else has to be gate checked.

Why do people keep focusing on the 'Kettles' and the 'Y' pax and the baggage fees?

Some of the worst abusers are elite pax and FC pax (not to mention the occasional FAs who take up an entire FC bin).

Elite pax aren't carrying everything on to avoid baggage fees - they don't pay them either way.

I carry-on because I don't want to spend huge amounts of time waiting for checked bags and because I can't secure my bag (lock). AS has tried to address the first problem by guaranteeing 20-minute baggage delivery - if it takes longer, you receive compensation on the spot. That's a step in the right direction, although it still leaves the second problem - security of checked luggage.

1. Once a carrier proposes it's carryon policy, it is adopted by FAA and a violation (by the carrier) can result in fines to the carrier (as well as individual GA and FA). That needs to happen on a random and routine basis. Only way to make this work is to make it genuinely and individually costly.

2. Not only is the OH issue a problem in terms of fairness, but it has turned the boarding process into a nightmare. Back in the old days, F boarded last, not first under the theory that nobody wants to sit in their seat on the ground. But for OH space, I would just as soon be the last pax to board.

3. Solution lies in enforcing the sizer rules. Over-sized bags get gate-checked (no matter how empty the flight). And, gate-checked bags go to baggage office, not carousel, at final destination. The bag fee + a penalty (no freebies for status, cc holders and the like) is assessed at the baggage office so that the GA's don't stand around delaying the flight. Let those who break the rules wait for 90 mins. at destination to pay triple the bag fee.

4. Needless to say, there are occasions where a bag fits the sizer but can't be acommodated due to aircraft size or the simple fact that there are too many roll-a-boards even of the right size. Those bags ought to be gate-checked just like wheelchairs and strollers. They are brought to the jet bridge.

It is possibly true that there are occasional first-time flyers who can't figure out the rules, but it's clear that most of those lugging steamer trunks into the OH are experienced travelers who know excactly what they are doing and know that it's wrong. There's a way to deter the conduct.

I wish I was being overly dramatic.

Case 1: Two pax fighting over bin space late in boarding process. Ended with FA warning both of them to cool it or they would not be flying.

Case 2: Pax moved Mr MegaBag's luggage to fit his in the bin and MegaBag's response was to stand up and say don't touch my bag. Shouting match ensured until FA came up and put MegaBag's luggage in closest.

I fly mostly INTL but the last two months I've done quite a bit of domestic and the bag size is the #1 issue at boarding IMO. It is the heart of why people fight to get onto the plane. Then when you get to the last pax boarding they get antsy because all the bins are full of bags (too many of which are oversize for carry-on) and that's when the frustrations shine though.

Just think how many times you flight was not able to close the door because pax were still in aisle trying to find bin space and FAs are scrambling to either gate check of adjust bags in the bins.

It seems out of control.

I flew two MRs over the past two weeks, and for four of my eight flights, the GA came over the loudspeaker about 75% into boarding and said 'The overhead bins are now full, please gate check your carry-ons if they don't fit under the seat in front of you'

Now, I'm all for promoting carry-on baggage as high airline baggage fees are a bit ridiculous (the plane is going there ANYWAYS), however if 25% of the passengers on the plane cannot use overhead space there is a serious issue. And, it's a consequence of people using "carry-ons" that can only fit sideways, are too wide, take up too much space, etc.

Sorry folks, but its time to be considerate of others around you. If you KNOW your carry-on is a big boy (and you know who are you), then check it through security by all means, but then gate check it so you can save on fees. There is NO ONE who flies ANY airline enough each year that they are sitting in a position where their carry-on should affect others. If you are so "elite" that you "deserve" to carry-on/stow your luggage, no matter what size, then you'd be in first class, and thus wouldn't have a problem.

So let me pose this to you:

I have a well worn, tried and true Travelpro carryon. Bought it 7 years ago, has travelled the world. It was billed by Travelpro as fitting the carryon sizing at the time. It fits exactly in the overhead, wheels in, on all normal aircraft (the exception being the older 767's which have those terrible bins). It just barely does *not* fit into the carry-on sizer, even though it has never not fit wheels-in in a non-767 overhead.

I have a small, thin personal shoulder bag just big enough to fit a laptop and charger and iPad/iPhone plus their chargers, and nothing else.

I carry-on exclusively on every business flight, save super long endurance=testing ones (e.g., a flight last year REP-ICN-NRT-SEA-DEN) when I know I won't want to drag it through the airports. This is true whether in coach or not. I have never been stopped and asked to check the bag, although on occasion when they have asked on full flights for "volunteered" bags to be checked at the gate, and I am homeward bound, I will usually do it.

Do you view me with the same contempt?

It definitely helps when the FAs assist (direct) baggage stowage. It's much easier when FAs are in the aisles making sure small bags are stowed under seats, coats are kept in laps until everyone is on, bags are stowed appropriately (wheels out, not sideways) - and what's up with folks who seem to think the bin over their seat is 'their' bin?

In particular, it helps when FAs keep an eye on the bins over bulkhead seats, because those folks have to stow everything for takeoff and landing - no one wants to be separated from a small personal item (purse, laptop).

And please, it's inexcusable when an entire F bin is taken up with flight crew bags.

Perhaps the more militant fliers would prefer the Spirit Airlines model - charge all pax for all bags, other than a small (rigorously enforced size and weight) personal item which has to be stowed under the seat unless the pax has paid for bin storage and the bag has been tagged.

Bulkhead seats? Too bad, you still have to pay for overhead storage. Compromised underseat storage (odd seat struts, IFE equipment boxes) - bring a smaller bag, do your research, pay for overhead bin storage.