Originally Posted by
lisah101
I always put my purse in the front zipper pocket of my rollerbag, when boarding. I downsized to a much smaller purse realizing there is nothing I needed for a trip that I couldn't fit in my purse or laptop bag. I did buy a new Tumi laptop bag that is much roomier than the old one, and can even fit my purse in there to place the whole thing under my seat. I understand women love their big purses, but I don't think women should get an exception to the rule for carryons just because most happen to carry a purse. It feels like discrimination.
FYI... here is my new fav laptop bag - tons more room than the old one with compartments and it looks a little nicer I think.
http://www.tumi.com/product/index.js...ndSrc=paramNav
Thanks - I can see Tumi has put some thought into it, and appearance, too.
As one mentioned above, if currently undergoing an audit (and I am in a technical field and have been an auditor), I understand that agents and FA may have misunderstood the policy on number of items and type of items, and been misinformed as to the source of the policy.
My observation on my return flights yesterday was that an overzealous TSA agent saw me with carry-on + purse and the laptop which I had just removed for the bin - as I took out the flat tote bag (looks like a shopping bag for the grocery store but has the logo of a professional firm on it) which does have a top zipper into which I then put purse and laptop in-flight and went off on that. I explained to her that onboard the laptop and purse are combined into that tote bag. She obviously doesn't travel much, may well not own a laptop, and stated her erroneous ideas that one could not have both a purse and a laptop on board when one had a carry-on bag.
It was less than 5 minutes later that at the door of the aircraft that an FA told a lady with a purse + carry-on + standard small plastic bag with what appeared to be a couple of t-shirts or small box item that she couldn't have an "extra item" because of the FAA - and the lady incredulously stated that she had just bought them less than 5 minutes before but heard the flight called, and would be tucking into her carry-on. It was the tone and command-style communication of the FA that offended the passenger.
On my outbound, having just come from the TSA with bare laptop still in hand (with boarding pass and ID/elite card) after a long security line + purse (no, much smaller and not the size of the shoulder bag / computer bag noted) + carry-on as the flight was being called and I was in FC. I then put the laptop away at the jetway entry door before boarding, and then took it out again on board where I combined it with purse into the flat tote. It was not like I had an extra or separate bag for the laptop in hand which I had pulled from my carry-on for going through TSA security -- just in hand as from the TSA tub. That agent was one erroneously also citing the FAA and stating that they did not permit two personal articles - purse and laptop. I was incredulous.
Again, it is not the FAA or TSA that itemizes the number or type of articles, as erroneously stated. That is an airline policy, filed in tariff rules, and it seemed to be directly interpreted in a manner that could use revision for a more modern environment.