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No issue as long as you only bring one item on board (personal or carry on, not both)

artemis

Thankfully, it hasn't happened to me (I've only had things stolen out of checked luggage). The cases where I've heard it happening have either been on overnight flights where the victim was asleep, or when the victim spent a considerable time in the lav. At least you can properly lock carryons, though, which you simply can't do with checked luggage these days. And if it's a daytime flight, you can also keep an eye on it.

It would be interesting to see if there are any statistics on the frequency of theft from checked versus carryon luggage. I don't know if such statistics exist (especially since minor theft is probably significantly under-reported).

pinniped

For a while now I've wondered why we haven't had an airline settle upon one checked bag per person for regular U.S. domestic flights. We have WN at two bags and pretty much everybody else at zero bags (elites and CC holders excepted, of course). I somewhat understand the environmental and fuel-reduction strategy of encouraging pax to bring less stuff, but I wonder if allowing a single checked bag per person wouldn't result in a better operational outcome.

There will still be a lot of us carrying valuable equipment or simply in such a time-crunch on arrival that we want our carry-on with us. But if this even moved 10 bags per flight from the cabin to the baggage hold, it seems like a lot of the boarding stress vanishes.

I can't recall ever seeing serious carry-on stowage issues on WN. I think you could get most of that operational ease, yet still prevent people from bringing 100 pounds of crap, by allowing one checked bag.

jrl767

sadly, across a very large swath of contemporary society, common courtesy seems in very large measure to be going the way of the dinosaurs ... consideration of others' interests tends to vanish in the almost universal preoccupation with immediate benefits to self ...

artemis

I'm sure you're right. I think a lot of passengers like WN precisely because they don't feel like they are being "nickeled and dimed" by having to pay for a checked bag, even if WN costs a bit more. Many people WANT to check luggage, they just don't like feeling like they're paying extra for it; for some of those folks,bringing a humongous carryon instead of checking a bag is a way of putting one over on the airline (at the expense of everyone who truly needs to bring a carryon).

I wonder: if the airlines had had a crystal ball back when the idea of paying to check luggage was first devised and they could see all the operational hassles this policy was going to cause, would they still have gone with it? Or would they have decided to allow a free checked bag and institute a carryon fee instead?

ROCAT

Sure they would most of the hassle is on the passengers and front line staff but brings in tons of money. With most of the industry going with the same policy the issues are the same with all the legacies so the airlines have little fear of losing business.

artemis

But the hassle isn't just restricted to passengers and front-line staff; it can cause delays in takeoff which cost the airlines money.

wilma one

My smaller item is a computer bag and there's not enough room for it and my legs under the seat. All my stuff goes in the overhead, including the stupid magazines I take out of the pocket in the seat back. Every inch counts when you're over 6' tall. You probably don't remember what it's like to be trapped in these seats since you're a 1K in first class anyway.

wilma one

I bring both and they go in the overhead. If you don't like it too bad. It's not my problem.

artemis

wilma one is demonstrating your point quite nicely in this thread. (And I suspect that if he/she had to pay $50 for EACH item placed in the carryon bin, he/she would quickly learn to endure having a computer bag in the underseat space, or would spend the money to upgrade to economy plus for more legroom.)

Efrem

Do you also park across two parking spaces in a parking lot, so you'll have room to swing your doors open wide? It's the same behavior. Only difference is that, in a parking lot, you may have to face a real human being who knows you or at least says something directly to you, instead of putting anonymous bags up there with none of the passengers who board later knowing whose they are. Says a lot for your sense of ethics.

ThomasSmrs

At my local municipal parking lot behind the city government building, parking is free. They strictly enforce the parking regulation. If your car is taking up 2 spaces, you will get towed to the city impound lot. The ticket is $35 and the towing fine is $375. Ouch. How do I know this? My co-worker made that mistake and learned the expensive lesson. She did appeal the ticket and won, so she didn't have to pay the $35 fee as a first time offender. The $375 towing fee was not forgiven.

They also have a strange rule. All vehicles must BACK into the parking spaces. (i.e. your front bumper must be facing out)

Tchiowa

Safety. All safety experts tell you to back into parking spots so that when you leave your first move is forward where you have full vision of all possible dangers.

jrl767

interesting story on NPR a week or so ago ... researchers gathered data in several countries around the world, and discovered that the percentage of urban drivers who back into parking spaces directly correlated to the country's projected economic growth

the underlying rationale was the principle of delayed gratification ... a little aggravation early on (more difficult to back in) has greater downstream benefit (easier, and far safer, to pull into traffic)

in the US, there were approx 6% backing in, whereas in China, the number was approx 85%

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You are a COS if you and your personal item cannot be stowed in your assigned space. Purchase an extra seat in economy or upgrade to E+ / First.