Originally Posted by CyBeR (Post 16676692)

He did indeed partially hit it, but in a different way than you think. His first point first was free, the second was speedy. If you would be able to check a bag for free and you got it back within minutes of arriving at the carrousel, you'd probably check bags more often than you do now already. I posit a third point: if the likelyhood of bags going missing or being pillaged by TSA (I think baggage handlers are more trustworthy to be honest) is reduced to zero, even more hesitation would be gone.

But in reality, for leisure travellers, only the 'free' part is really of importance. They don't care if they have to wait a bit and in the pillaging thing really isn't all that frequent (it's never happened to me), but those extra few dollars really make a difference in people's willingness to check their bags. If stuffing it all in a carryon allows people to save $15, they will!

Which is why we in Europe (I love starting sentences with this) don't really have this problem of people bringing in the kitchen sink to stick in the overhead bins: Only LCCs charge for checked baggage and in those cases it's mostly accepted (and I believe thus often paid, though it must be said I avoid LCCs like the plague) because 'well, it's low-cost so that is to be expected'. Not so of full-service carriers; if KL started to charge a baggage fee (beyond the first bag), I'm positive the exact same would happen.

Originally Posted by Ancien Maestro (Post 16678295)

I'm 6'5" and need the leg room..

Could I put my personal belongings under my seat? That will impede leg room and storage of the passenger behind..

Originally Posted by Emma1420 (Post 16679901)

And WN still has free checked bags, and they still have the crowded overhead bin issues, and they still often have to gate check items. I agree with the idea that the current rules should be enforced. There are far too many people (both leisure and business travellers) who seem to think that the carry on rules don't apply to them.

Originally Posted by Foxhat (Post 16680203)

They tried this at IAD a few years ago. All the xray machines had templates that blocked anything over the size allowed by UA for carryons. A number of the other airlines sued to have it removed and they prevailed. I think at that point TSA washed their hands of it and in effect said it's the airlines problem.

Originally Posted by gobluetwo (Post 16682523)

The x-ray bag sizers are certainly not a recent phenomenon, although I don't recall having seen them in the timeframe you indicate.

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon (Post 16682365)

I would like to see federal legislation to require that all common carriers such as airlines, trains and inter-city and interstate bus lines allow two checked bags free of charge there should be a floor of 50lbs each bag and a floor for a certain dimension of height, width and length below which common carriers would be prohibited from charging excess, oversize or overweight fees.

In effect I am in favour of at least partial or piecemeal re-regulation.

Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel (Post 16682450)

Then only bring one item.

Originally Posted by gobluetwo (Post 16682523)

I remember this from the mid-90's. Could have been even earlier. The x-ray bag sizers are certainly not a recent phenomenon, although I don't recall having seen them in the timeframe you indicate.

Originally Posted by QueenOfCoach (Post 16685924)

It's easy to generalize and talk about "kettle gate lice with giant carryon", but many of those people just have one regulation rollaboard and a backpack. (That would have been me. I knew and observed the carryon rules.) All they want is space for that one rollaboard. If they have to crowd the gate in order to be the first in their group to board the plane, then so be it.

My comments above stand. Airlines who are raking in the bucks with baggage fees are well advised to look for aircraft design that maximizes overhead space.

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon (Post 16682365)

I would like to see federal legislation to require that all common carriers such as airlines, trains and inter-city and interstate bus lines allow two checked bags free of charge there should be a floor of 50lbs each bag and a floor for a certain dimension of height, width and length below which common carriers would be prohibited from charging excess, oversize or overweight fees.

In effect I am in favour of at least partial or piecemeal re-regulation.

Originally Posted by Joshua (Post 16685698)

How about this solution?

What if your airfare was reduced by $15 if you didn't bring a carry-on? (This is effectively what happens with checked bag fees--fares would be higher if the airlines weren't making $25 or $50 off of non-elites who want to bring bags.)

I'd certainly accept it, and elites would probably be exempt from the fee. These days, I try to travel with just a personal item, since I usually travel between the same city pairs.

I resent when I'm asked to stow my personal item under the seat when I've brought on neither a carry on nor any checked baggage, despite the fact I could be doing so for free.

In any case, there simply isn't enough room for 1 rollaboard for a 767 or MD-88 full flight, and we all know that most flights are full these days.