Originally Posted by
penguino
My carryon is wheeless and soft sided and, in a test pack, can be squished to UA allowable size, 22 x 14 x 9. My personal item bag is also soft sided and, although it looks big, can be squished to 17 x 10 x 9. I'm not trying to game the system; I just don't want any surprises at the gate.
The only time I have ever witnessed a problem was at the gate of another major US airline. The flight was full and the gate attendants were looking for any reason at all to make passengers gate check their bags. They were borderline rude about it. I understand in a way after seeing people carry on huge suitcases clearly not meant to be overhead. I've seen people nearly break the overhead bins trying to force an oversized suitcase up there. I've also seen people put both their carryon and personal item overhead, not polite at all.
I wish I could pare down to what fits in an allowable personal underseat item.
The sizer is 10x15x23 giving an extra inch in each dimension. If it needs to be squished given the 11% extra leeway on the primary dimension (9) it's gonna be checked if it's my gate. How often do I use the sizer. maybe a half dozen to a dozen times per shift (LGA on a Friday evening/monday morning, maybe 5-10/flight.) After seeing upteen zillion bags over my career, I don't need the sizer, but if you don't believe my experience and you wish to challenge, the sizer is there for you. Anything that is being restrained by the sizer after squishing is significantly above the size allowed. A bag that snaps bag to oversized once it is removed from the constraints is oversized. The sizer isn't the rule, it's a template, the dimensions are the rule, which are smaller than the template, although a bag that fits in the template without being squished, even if slightly oversized will likely pass my muster. On the majority of aircraft, especially to business destinations, on narrowbody aircraft, many people that do conform need to check their bags due to finite space in the bins. If I have some that don't conform, those will go before those that do conform and only are at the end of line. Allowing oversized on while forcibly checking compliant bags in group 4/5 seems to me to be a poor application of published rues.