Egads! It sounds positively frightening boarding a US domestic flight!! I have travelled domestically in the US a few times over the years, but not for 5 years or so, and don't ever recall any particular problems with carry-on luggage storage (maybe because I wasn't carrying much?). Has it got (and does it continue to get) as bad as it is made to sound here?? Will be doing some US Dom flights next year, and while I should be AA Plat at the time (which may get me priority boarding?) I'd still prefer to board in a leisurely and civilised fashion and not have to scramble (or be amongst other pax scrambling) for overhead locker space. With some of the comments in this thread I think I need to be practising rugby scrums, or sacking the quarterback, something like that!!

And for the record, I am with the "travel light" hand luggage faction. I wouldn't want to lug around anymore than I absolutely have to.

Cheers