OK. Enforce the rules and hold up the boarding. I guess that works too.

But, this is a zero-sum game. If I take a scammer bag, there is no room left for yours.

False.

Theres an extra inch, two or more free between the top of the bag and the top of the bin. Unless your bag fits there, we can end this "zero sum" argument once and for all.

I saw this in action in one of the previous times when AA got serious about carryons.

Someone brushed by this person monitoring the entry to security, and well, she (the monitor) had a hissy fit, and yelled at TSA "He's not compliant! He's not compliant! Do not allow him to enter!"

Honestly can't remember how things worked out, but there's your authoratay in action. Yelling.

Unless you're in a plane with the new bins where you put your bag on its side... Then those inches take up space. But, then again, with clothes..... Aren't all bags squishy? There's gotta be some wiggle room involved.

I think if you have the "standard" 22x14x9 bags and don't over-pack it, you'll be alright.

Couple of data points -- this weekend at LGA, they had AA employees at the entrance of the security line with 2 sizers, but they seemed more interested in verifying Pre status than checking bags. With that said, I didn't see anyone try to enter with an egregious violation. At PHL, a supervisor-type came over and repositioned the sizer and stood with it right after the BP scanner. I was the first on and was not hassled...I had my "basically compliant" rollaboard and personal item. When I say "basically compliant" one could argue whether the rollaboard fit "comfortably" into the sizer or perhaps quip about a 1/4 inch on length or width, depending how the handles were sitting, but both items meet the requirement IMHO. I did hear a couple of people boarding talking about how their bags were checked because they were too large. I have no idea how over they were. But the flight was very lightly loaded, so they weren't denied just for the purpose of having enough bin space.

So it seems after all... AA gate agents will either enforce the bag sizes or they wont.
but look at it this way..
now instead of worrying about everything that has to do with getting thru an airport.
you can now add "will my bag pass the GA for my flight" drama.

Or "I will make sure I have a carry on that fits the sizer so I avoid any GA flight drama"
Your choice

Except I ended up with a GA who managed to make an issue about a perfectly compliant backpack. As my sole carry on.

The issue is not the rules. It's bad management.

I had a wonderful encounter with one of these friendly AA employees at the JFK precheck security line. She embodies everything about NY that made me leave the city and find a new home ;-). I had a bag that is compliant, i was on a 24 hour trip with hardly anything inside... maybe she wanted to see if she could stick a credit card in between the sizer and the bag ;-). I dont know, i ignored her and walked on to the tsa agent and was through before she could understand what had happened.

I’m sorry this will both all thr law and order types out there, but there was 2 inches of clearance above my bag, enough for someone near me to layer a coat up there. i understand something that is either wider than it ahould be or so fat that it doesnt fit in a bin at all, but eyeballing a roller bag like what i had and deciding you want to check it seems more like an employee who woke up on the wrong side of the bed than a well thought out policy.

For practical matters (practical as in what "I" can do) the options are the same

1) do nothing and just "fear the GA drama".
2) make sure bags are compliant (does not imply flight will be drama free)


Obviously, you are for 1).

Or, we can reasonably tone down the hyperbole and go for 3 - targeted enforcement of major violators. It is easier to implement from a management standpoint, and easier to get tacit employee and customer buy in. Heck, just start with those who bring too many items. Instead, we have mickey mouse club enforcement, where one agent is chasing millimeters, others don't give a damn and others oscillate wildly.

If AA wants to manage to the sizer, they need to sizer basically every bag. Consistent, easy to enforce rules. Not this rubbish they have now.

This is the key - MAJOR violators. Targeting single (obviously) business passengers with the typical basic load of a rolling carryon and personal item is counter productive. They are not the problem with baggage overload in the cabin. The most flagrant violators are families with children (too many items) and infrequent flyers who have no clue about cabin baggage size restrictions.

I recall, probably around 20 years ago, at SAN there were clear plastic templates that were attached to the front end of the TSA bag scanning equipment. If your bag didn’t fit through that template, you had to go back to the check-in counter. That device wouldn’t check for length violations obviously but it solved some issues with width and depth. I don’t know why these disappeared or exactly when but they weren’t around long.

There are also some business travelers who flaunt the rules. Roller bag + garment bag + briefcase/backpack or other examples. They're used to no enforcement, so they may as well.

I don't have an issue with AA holding a line with this either. But do so consistently as opposed to one agent bringing out a vernier calipers and the other allowing 4 bags through.

Other airlines sharing the same checkpoint (CO for one as I remember) with more lenient carry-on dimensions objected, so they were removed.

I travel every week for work with a duffle - it's so unclear to me why people would need a suitcase/duffle AND a garment bag...