Bag rejected bc it didn't "easily fit" checker: If my carry-on fits, you must acquit!
 

Mods, please put this in an appropriate thread if a carry-on one exists.

Traveling paid First/Biz today ORD-DFW. I boarded first.

They randomly selected people for the carry on size checker. What threw me is some bags fit in, including mine, but we were told they didn't "easily" fit in and thus has to be checked.

I didn't squeeze mine in, but i did not let gravity take it in-- if that makes sense.

Having a size checker and making a judgement call seems to be antithetical.

If it fits you must acquit!

The bag checker frames are two small. My doesn't fit, but it always fits straight in the overheads with no problem. It only the 14" of width, the same as most people that have a much smaller bag.

What makes you think that one thing has to do with the other? The standard of measure is the sizer. If your bag doesn't fit, then by definition it's too big for AA. The size of the overhead bins on your particular plane are irrelevant.

OTOH, I have no idea how the gate agents define one that "easily" fits the sizer. Sounds like the gate agents are looking for any excuse to force people to check their bags.

ER, which airline?

AA
 

this was an AA flight.

didnt charge me and got my bag back fine at baggage claim.

but still funny. maybe just an agent on a power trip?

tag it, then rip the tag off as you walk down the jetbridge

Worked for me at EWR once.;)

That's the smartest option.

From AA.com: (emphasis mine)

You can bring one small carry-on bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as the carry-on bag fits comfortably in the sizer without being forced and does not exceed overall dimensions of 45 inches (length + width + height).

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...nAllowance.jsp

At many stations, once the bag is tagged it is sent down below with no chance for the pax to intervene.

and is a non-issue if not choosing to ignore the size limits of the airline anyway

A subjective, unscientific, criterium.

Rip the tag off.

Not really that subjective, if the bag won't fit, merely with the assistance of gravity then it is too large.

I may be wrong, but I though that last time someone measured the sizer it was slightly larger than the allowed dimensions, so if you have to help it, then it really is too large.

I has the exact opposite on a BA flight out of BUD today. I was singled-out to put my somewhat-bulging 22" case in the sizer and it spectacularly didn't fit in either dimension. I was all ready to pull stuff out when the agent just said "That's fine sir". Most strange.

My bigger issue is with "personal items" on AA in domestic F. Which the DYKWIAs interpret to mean an enormous Tumi or similar rolling briefcase roughly 18" cubical, which they invariably shove under the asymmetrical "shared" foot space between the two seats, extending well beyond the divider above and reducing the window-side (where I'm often sitting) foot space to just about nothing. I usually have to bite my tongue to ask them not to pay for part of my seat since they just took it...