For every linear foot of overhead locker space (and, by extension, pound of locker capacity), I bet there are more than three times as many people in Y as there are in F.

But this is getting a bit offtopic.

Why is it purely economic? If a pax can't take their luggage on board, it has to be loaded underneath. This is a cost, if anything, not a saving.

It's both safety and convenience. Look at the reports on the BD Kegworth crash in 1989. There were people decapitated and given broken necks by falling luggage. It resulted in a change of design of the lockers, but really, does show what an impact excessive carry-on can have in an emergency situation. Those were avoidable deaths.

And convenience, of course. Do you really want to have to turn up to the gate early and fight to get on, only to find that the only locker space is 20 rows back or under the seat in front? Do you really want to have to have extended turnaround and boarding times, because of the amount of stuff people are taking on with them? Not to mention the constant banging of the shoulders and face when sat in aisle seats and while waiting for disembarkation.

Personally, I'm please to fly on airlines that do have a restrictive carry-on policy. It's a much more pleasant experience on departure and arrival. Horror of horrors, I usually do check luggage on my regular weekly flight. There are ways to pass the 10 minutes I usually have to wait. Coffee, cigarettes, crossword...

EasyJet have just removed a lot of their size restriction and all weight restrictions on carry-on. I won't be flying with them again if I can help it. Boarding's already enough of a melee without having to deal with oversized carry-ons.

Anybody have any recent experience with this...another thread has discussed some recent changes and consensus seems to be that dvd/laptop/game boy type items are now OK??

I flew AZ CDG-MXP today and discussed this with the purser on the flight. He said that everybody at AZ knows there is no safety problem but that the government refuses to allow them.

He said that AZ has been fighting this because they know it costs them passesngers -- especially families on long flights.

To clarify, I believe that AZ only has a particular problem with 'digital audio players' - i.e. CD players, DVD players, iPods etc. There is no problem to use a laptop on an AZ flight - the announcement says 'not connected to printers or CD readers', but this is interpreted to mean 'as long as you don't have a CD in the drive' in my experience.

No idea about Gameboys though.

What about connecting?
 

We are connecting onto AZ in MXP after arriving from ATL. Will they weigh our carryon in MXP? We are travelling with a small child and our carryon meats Delta's size and weight requirements, but will be a little over in the weight department according to AZ regulations.

If you have BPs to you final destination nobody would check the weight,they are too busy with security.

Anyone know if Alitalia does cattle call boarding or is it an orderly process in MXP? What about preboarding with a child?

Nobody will check your baggage weight and there is no such thing as an "orderly process" for anything in Italy.

No luggage weight checks or size checks at the gates. With a BP, you will go directly to the gate.

I do not recall any security from USA to a continuing AZ flight at MXP.

The "preboard" on most flights consists of a long line onto a bus. Quite a bit of indeference to the line, since the bus is not final destination. The planes load at both ends. If the plane is one of the smaller ones, you will be required to relinquish your luggage at planeside on the tarmack, as it does not fit inside the plane. In the past, on some of the really small planes, the luggage is thrown into a shelf like affair on the back of the plane, and a net pulled up to retain the luggage.

The last time we went through MXP, the bus drivers were on strike.

You have to go through a security check (but no shoe carnival) and passport control. Both are generally quite smooth, but sometimes passport gets a long line if there are a few other flights coming in at the same time.

Gameboys are not allowed either. My son is only allowed to play it on long car or plane trips: strictly a treat. Not that time. :td:

At the risk of being overly repetitive: AZ doesn't have any problem with digital audio players. It does have one with laser-based means of sound/data reproduction (i.e. CD/DVD).
I can't imagine a Gameboy not being allowed, I raise very few eyebrows using my PDA inflight.

Graraps, your first paragraph is right.

I have, however, seen an AZ Flight Attendant tell a child that he can not use his Gameboy.

More likely to be a misinformed/technologically challenged FA than anything else. Last night I was told by an FA that I couldn't use my PDA. I told her that I was certain I could, she said she'd check with the captain and came back to tell me that I was free to use it till descent started! :D