donotblink

A Report from View from the Wing today indicates Gate Agents Instructed not to Proactively Gate Check Bags on 737 MAX aircraft and aircraft that have gone through project oasis because they have bigger overhead bins.

3Cforme

That kind of kills the 'Airlines would be better off letting people check bags rather than take them as carry-ons' argument, doesn't it? AA would rather have passengers take carry-ons rather than paying AA labor to load/unload bags in the hold.

Question two, RE: policing overhead bin storage.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I think paxs are being to realize that they can simply show up to the gate with bag in tow, ask to check it and not have to pay the bag fee. Seems as though "proactively" gate checking bags might be crimping bag fees. Better off to keep the flying public dumb and paying money.

DMPHL

Proactively gate-checking bags also takes time. When every second counts to get to D-0, then I'm sure that's a factor, also.

coolcoil

This in itself does not kill the argument, because the time and effort to gate check bags is very different than for regular checked bags as noted by @DMPHL.

To be sure, I don't know why the airlines encourage carry-on's, but I assume some smart people in each company have thought long and hard about it, and they all seem to have come to the same conclusion. One hypothesis that I have is that the average total weight of luggage is much lower when carrying on is encouraged. It costs a lot more to lift a 50 lb. checked bag 35,000 feet in the air than it does a 20 lb. carry-on bag. I know that when I am going to check bags, I bring a lot more stuff with me than when I want to do carry-on only.

Drunkmuppet

I really wonder as more aircraft get the modification if we will see airlines begin to charge for overhead space, or to bring a second item onto the plane. (I hope they're not reading this)

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

DCP2016

Can we do the opposite of what is done now, allow everyone to check a bag for free and charge for overhead space? I know there's a bunch of people that like their carry-on but there is an equal amount of people like me who like checking our bags and only carrying a personal item onto the plane.

fotographer

DCP2016

What's likely going to happen is the a la Spirit/Frontier/Allegiant route where checked bags AND carry-on bags will be charged.

ijgordon

Though I'm pretty sure Spirit (not sure about others) charges more for a carry-on than a checked bag. Which makes sense from the perspective of (1) paying for the convenience of not having to wait at baggage claim and risk of misdirected luggage, and (2) They can't fit 180 rollaboards on an A320 anyway so they have to encourage some people to check the bag underneath.

james318

This. Make people pay for the convenience of not having to schlep to baggage claim and wait. Of course I say this as someone who checks no matter what, even when the agent tells me that my bag will surely fit in the overhead. I just don't want to fight with everyone else. And I also always store my laptop bag under the seat in front of me.

donotblink

Catbert10

I see this policy as a god thing, and likely a push-back from customers complaining about GAs aggressive gate checking of bags. Due to the push for D-0, GAs have been demanding that later groups gate check bags even when overhead bin space remained on the airplane. Pretty annoying to have a GA basically demand that you gate check your bag, only to find space available on the plane when you get to your seat.

donotblink

So I just took two flights this weekend LGA -> MIA and back, both on the 737 MAX. At the boarding gate for both flights, they announced that if people were in the upper groups (8 and 9 IIRC) they would need to gate check their bags. I was in 8C and the pax in 9A was crying historically to a flight attendant--she was saying that the people at the end of the jet-bridge made her check her bag and that she still saw space in the overhead bin. She claimed that her son's babysitter in NYC would need to leave shortly after the flight landed and that she didn't want her son to be left at home alone. I don't know the full circumstances of what was going on in this person's life, but I'm not sure why she booked flights knowing she wouldn't have child care in the event of any IRROPS or anything. I hate to be cynical, but she could have just been lying because she was impatient. She got up after everyone was in their seats to go back to the jet-bridge (ignoring instructions from crew-members to sit down) to get her bag, but they had already taken it down.