WillCAD

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/trav...velers-n128396

It's been the subject of intense debate here on FT.

I like the idea of calling people out on the fact that they're blatantly violating the rules and being horribly inconsiderate of others with oversized carry-ons. I just wonder if the practice will lead to confrontations and fights when someone snaps a pic of you and your Rollaboard Transatlantic Steamer Trunk.

piper28

Personally I'm getting a little tired of the social media lynching practice that's really started up in the last year or two. Anyone that doesn't behave the way someone expects them to is immediately attacked via social media. Oh, and don't worry about whether you actually get the facts right when you attack someone this way, because that part isn't important. I do not feel the world is a better place for this type of practice, and if someone got their cell phone broken over it, quite frankly, my sympathy wouldn't be with the owner of the cell phone.

(Note, I'm not condoning bringing too much carryon luggage onto a plane, I'm just sick of the people that hide behind an alias on the internet trying to police the world so it looks like their viewpoint.)

cajunguy

Having been busted for a bag that didn't fit the 'form' for Ryanair and paying out a few extra GBP to get on the flight WITH my carryon I didn't see the point as they still didn't make me gate check it, I had used that same carryon many times on other Ryanair flights. Ryanair is notorious for charging extra for everything. What annoyed me even more was that another passenger came on with 3 items AND this huge hat (picture sumbrero) then trying to get passengers to move their stowed luggage in the overhead so they could put their hat up there. The flight attendents didn't budge. I was hoping for the other items to move/shift during the flight and crush the hat!

Rus925

Or maybe they just don't know. Certainly there are obnoxious travelers—Mr. Hilton has certainly outed himself as one of them with this campaign—but I imagine a lot of FTers wouldn't know the luggage allowance (or even think to check) for Amtrak. And most travelers aren't FTers.

Posting a picture of a gate agent seeing but not responding to a passenger exceeding the carry-on limit might be reasonable, as it puts a face to a systemic problem and could push the airlines to action. But picking on individual travelers is just juvenile, mean-spirited (bullying, even), and cowardly: if you have such a problem with a fellow passenger's carry-on choices, tell them in person how it negatively the other travelers instead of cyber-"shaming" them while hiding behind your smartphone.

(Also, I agree with everything piper28 said.)

Zembla

Respecting carry on rules is an act of decency and civilization. Waving your smartphone and threatening with social media at those who carry their 20ft container along, brings you down to their level of imho.

mmff

+1

idayvuelta

While I'm no fan of the double-wide carryon AND a "personal item" almost as big AND a purse AND a shopping bag approach, if you've ever flown an airline that strictly enforces limits it's not a fun experience either. It slows down the check in or boarding process and subjects you to needless bureaucracy. The weight limits tend to be very low and, because a sizer applies to all types of bins, it's generally small. So even though you have a bag that fits in wheels first in every single bin known to man, you end up checking it because it's a half inch too big in one dimension, or weighs more than 10 kilos. For actual business travelers, this is a massive hassle.

This hashtag effort is funny, but it strikes me as more busybody than anything else.

oldsmoboi

I wouldn't go out of my way to shame the kettles going on their one holiday a year and attempting to avoid the baggage fee... but I regularly see people who should know better bringing luggage larger than allowable on board.

How do I know they know better? The platinum or chairman's tags on the bags. Really, you get free bag check at silver and above. Just check the damn thing.

FlyAndLive21

I don't have a problem with a larger carry on if your are experienced enough to know that it fits.

On the other hand, I find it ridiculous when people checks huge bags for short trips.

gooselee

The social media approach is juvenile for sure.

That said, on my flight last night some guy shoved his way through the boarding crowd, running over several people's feet with the two full-size rollaboards he was dragging along, both dangling elite tags from multiple airlines.

I'm not going to defend that guy in any way, but if GAs aren't going to call out something that blatant, I also can't really put all the blame on the passengers.

dchristiva

I hear you, but this isn't a societal issue. Airlines have clearly identified size limitations for carry ons and I have no issue with folks "exposing" other passengers who violate those written and announced size limitations. Folks who willfully break the rules are costing me space for my appropriately-sized carry ons. If I choose to expose another passenger who brings more luggage/stuff on board than the airlines allow, I'm not expressing my viewpoint, I'm defending the airline's policy and protecting my opportunity to carry on luggage that fits within that policy.

dchristiva

Curious, how do you know the length of other passengers' trips?

Rus925

Can you break out the logic steps from you tweeting a photo of an overpacked traveler to you not having to check your carry-ons? Because I don't think the latter logically follows the former; it just makes the unfriendly skies that much more hostile. Not to mention that, if we're talking about vigilante enforcement of airline policies, United (and likely the others) prohibits photos in the cabin, so what's next? Bag-shaming shaming? Meta-tweeting?

gooselee

Sometimes these folks are my travel companions.

On more than one occasion I've gone on a trip with an overpacker. If they've got an overstuffed roller they are trying to carry on, I gently insist that they allow me to check it for them using my free baggage allowance. Generally makes for a more pleasant journey all around.

Doc Savage

Any lawyers know if the posting of pictures could result in a winning lawsuit?