fairhsa

I guess you don't fly long haul. yes, on longer flights people change their clothes (particularly if they are going to a different temperature zone than they left); change to sleep in; wash with their wash kits in the toilet; do work with their laptops, iPads, notebooks and files; read their books... actually access many parts of their luggage. Of course they may not access the fragile items they packed in hand-luggage because they didn't want it thrown around by baggage handlers but they still want it in the cabin. I don't see any of the above as being unreasonable.

So I don't think removing overhead bins or banning carry-ons is the answer. As someone else noted, if you are in Business Class, it's not a cost issue. For me, I travel hand-luggage only because of speed. I am often on business trips of 1 or 2 days, with meetings straight after landing and right before departure and all that extra time hanging around picking up and dropping off bags really adds up if you do it every day.

Now... if they introduced a service whereby the luggage would be available at the gate right as you walk off the plane... sure... I might let some of my luggage go.

I'd also note that the amount of luggage that can be carried, and the strictness with which it is enforced, varies hugely around the world. In most of Asia, just about everyone carries as much as they can possibly carry (and fills their check baggage allowance as well) mostly as a matter of culture. They have to bring lots of presents for friends and family they visit and visa versa on the way home. I have a friend married to a Thai lady and his description of what she packs was hilarious. Basically the entire kitchen and wardrobe.... But I digress.

Australia is an interesting example. Australian domestic luggage allowance is different from "standard". It allows two small pieces, or 1 small piece, but not big pieces. Internationally, you can take the bigger piece on board, but the weight is strictly enforced - NOT by the airline, but by the airport dragon who hides behind a curtain and grabs people just as they walk into the customs area. (There are many strategies for getting around this, but the fact is, it really does limit what you can take on board). Which means much more luggage is checked and less problems on board. Is it the right answer? Not really, it really irritates me that I have to have a competely different travel strategy for Aussie trips, but it does highlight that there are different ways of enforcing things around the world.

Frankly, a better option (if we had the technology, and I'm sure we will soon) is a "tradable bin space allowance". You get such an allowance (which is precisely your share of the available bins, so if there are 100 bins and 200 seats on the plane, your allowance is 0.5 bin, for example). Thus if everyone carried their allowance on board, the bins would be exactly full. Then, if you need more space than your allowance, you "trade" for it. This is the economically rational solution (at this point you realise I'm an economic consultant ) which solves all the problems. We just need the technology to make it work. Give it a few years!