They sure do. No way to verify once on board who is allowed to use overhead and who agreed not to.

when I flew BOS-ORD with AA in january they had this zone. i expect it to be the same kind of experience on DL....

It became crazy. People were trying to get past the GA to board with huge carryons. She wasnt having any of it thankfully. I was in one of the first Y zones (because I got bumped to MCE due to IRROPs) and they wanted everyone to gate check their carryons. I slipped by and noticed 3 of the same exact bags I had getting gate checked

The best was when a Chinese man and his wife tried brining a big box on board and keeping it int heir lap... FA caught it immediently and he threw a fit.

No, if the price is $60 more people will fly WN or someone else that still charge them the fee but a cheaper fare and carry on.

These fees are here to stay because they work for the airlines. And the customers seem to have accepted them too, 3B in 2013 alone.

Flew ATL-PBI yesterday. They announced a new experimental boarding procedure. It was insane to say the least. 8 zones, yes, 8.

1. Wheel chair
2. Car seats (this separation has been going on quite a while)
3. FC AND DM together
4. PM, Gold, partners
5. FO, CC and EC
6. Lite Travelers (those without luggage needed to go in overhead
7. Zone 2
8. Zone 3

Needless to say, it was mass confusion. Given the amount of DM on that route, even the initial boarding was a cluster.
Are there people at Delta whose sole job is to figure out how to annoy their customers?

As a PM, I do not care for this process. I'd like to board at some point too.

Sorry, forgot to include them. Will correct it. It was PM and Gold, then FO and CC, EC. Too many zones to keep an accurate track.

Except for the 50% of passengers they'd lose because their fares would be higher, that is.

PAX, at home, preparing for trip...

"Hmmm... should I check my luggage tomorrow and pay $25, or should I take it to the gate, let them check it there, and get earlier boarding for doing so? After all, it worked the last two times. Helen, bring me the bigger roll-aboard. The sky's the limit!"

If anyone ever writes The Idiot's Guide to the Law of Unintended Consequences I am going to buy a score of copies and send them to Virginia Ave.

No, DL would lose ticket sales. People just look at the total price for fare, taxes and fees without considering additional fees or the details of what's included in the ticket price.

This is the major issue I have with the Alaska boarding process. I'm Delta GM but, as PDX is my home airport, it's easier to fly Alaska for certain routes. Last week I missed the "partner elite" boarding call and boarded with everyone else who "agreed to not use the overhead bins." The gate agent saw my roller bag, snidely said "is that going under your seat," I said "I'm sorry - I thought you were boarding elites," she let me board after looking at my eBoarding pass, but I boarded into coach and tossed my roller board into the overhead bin. None of the FA's said "boo" to me. Maybe its because I was in the exit row, but there really does not appear to be enforced once people get on board. I can totally see this being something which kettles take advantage of.

If seated in F I board with the rest of that class when called, just so that I can enjoy the drink they offer me at a more leisurely pace...

I used to do that, but it seems like lately many FAs have been waiting to do PDB service until most of the plane has boarded. I'll still board early versus sitting in the airport, but if there's a SkyClub or a better club I'll stay there until the last minute.