There's not some conspiracy afoot to understaff EWR (or any other station) to reduce the number of checked bags. CO does get cargo revenue and they do already limit the amount of bags one can check (2 for Y, 3 for J/F). Of course, not everyone checks the maximum amount of luggage but I'm guessing if folks did, the rules would be revised.

I think the bigger issue here is that CO has grown ^ in terms of routes and passengers carried but not in terms of staff. Sure they might have recalled everyone furloughed after 9/11 and never gone through layoffs - but with added flights, higher loads and more gates (at least at IAH) there's more work to be done without an increase in personal levels (to the best of my knowledge).

To give CO credit, I believe they have been trying to hire new FA's for the EWR base (and others I guess) as well as office/staffing positions for Houston (a few months ago there was a full page ad in the Chronicle sighting the vacancies) so perhaps there's new folks coming through the pipeline. If so, than it's only a matter of time before the reinforcements hit and the lines (hopefully) decrease. If not, than I hope CO takes a serious look at what the customer (from the dirt cheap poor and starving Y student to the nefarious full-fare J'er) is going through and come to realize the lines are becoming a little too long.