Sorry to resurrect an old thread but this is absurd. Flying HNL-SFO wife had a small rimowa rollerboard, a small purse and a pillow around her neck and the FA as we were boarding said I'll allow it but I want you to know the pillow is considered a 3rd bag. ..., seriously? Not in a bag, around her neck couldn't fit in her purse, could definitely have been squeezed into her rollerboard if needed but where is the common sense? I feel it were in a separate bag I could probably understand but I've flown eastern/continental/united for 30 years, well over million miles and am just blown away by the idiocy.