Carry-on luggage culture has become annoying
Nov 13, 2019, 4:31 am
#46
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Exclusively OMNI/PR, for Reasons
Posts: 4,188
Yes, for maximal work productivity and family time, it's absolutely all about the planning. That's why my planning focuses on wasting as little time in the airport as possible. There's plenty of excess time for things like podcasts, phone calls, spiritual ruminations, primal screaming, etc. getting to/from the airport and during the enforced idleness of flight. Although that last one will often make the flight shorter than planned ...
Nov 13, 2019, 8:13 am
#47
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SFO/TPA
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 199
I'll check my bag the day the airlines guarantee my bag won’t be lost, damaged or arrive with contents missing, all of which I've experienced.
I can understand that it can be annoying when you’ve gone to the time, trouble and expense to check your luggage only to have to put up with the inconveniences of other people’s carryons throughout the process. But just because someone hit me in the head with their overstuffed backpack or duffel or tote as they schlepped down the aisle doesn’t mean they didn’t *also* check a bunch of bags. You can see them at baggage claim, already laden with these things before the first bag rolls off the belt.
I can understand that it can be annoying when you’ve gone to the time, trouble and expense to check your luggage only to have to put up with the inconveniences of other people’s carryons throughout the process. But just because someone hit me in the head with their overstuffed backpack or duffel or tote as they schlepped down the aisle doesn’t mean they didn’t *also* check a bunch of bags. You can see them at baggage claim, already laden with these things before the first bag rolls off the belt.
Nov 14, 2019, 2:09 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
I'll check my bag the day the airlines guarantee my bag won’t be lost, damaged or arrive with contents missing, all of which I've experienced.
I can understand that it can be annoying when you’ve gone to the time, trouble and expense to check your luggage only to have to put up with the inconveniences of other people’s carryons throughout the process. But just because someone hit me in the head with their overstuffed backpack or duffel or tote as they schlepped down the aisle doesn’t mean they didn’t *also* check a bunch of bags. You can see them at baggage claim, already laden with these things before the first bag rolls off the belt.
I can understand that it can be annoying when you’ve gone to the time, trouble and expense to check your luggage only to have to put up with the inconveniences of other people’s carryons throughout the process. But just because someone hit me in the head with their overstuffed backpack or duffel or tote as they schlepped down the aisle doesn’t mean they didn’t *also* check a bunch of bags. You can see them at baggage claim, already laden with these things before the first bag rolls off the belt.
Time is only wasted if the individual chooses to waste it rather than using it beneficially.
Nov 14, 2019, 5:59 am
#49
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SFO/TPA
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 199
Glass half full. Look on lost or damaged bags as an opportunity to replace stuff at the airline's or insurance company's expense. Delayed bags the same if to a lesser extent, and you don't have to lug them to your destination as a courier or similar will bring them to your door. Have a Plan B if it's vital to your trip,
Correct. Including me.
Nov 14, 2019, 1:52 pm
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Global Entry
Posts: 2,862
It's all about the ancillary revenues bud. That's it. They don't care about your bag, check 5 if you want, check 5 bags at 100lbs each. The airlines don't give af. But you're gonna pay for it.
That race to the bottom created this. One airline figured out they could make X$ per year by not giving out free bags, so they did it. People adjusted. That's why there's more carry-ons than ever before. Now they're selling priority boarding so you can make sure you get a coveted overhead spot.
That race to the bottom created this. One airline figured out they could make X$ per year by not giving out free bags, so they did it. People adjusted. That's why there's more carry-ons than ever before. Now they're selling priority boarding so you can make sure you get a coveted overhead spot.
Nov 15, 2019, 2:25 am
#51
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
Half and half. I too dislike shopping and form filling but always try to keep a mindset that looks for the positives in any situation. If that includes getting new clothes, toiletries, suitcase etc from an airline then that's what I focus on. If the airline won't pay then the insurance company will.
IME, lost, stolen or delayed luggage is so infrequent now it's not worth fretting about.
IME, lost, stolen or delayed luggage is so infrequent now it's not worth fretting about.
Nov 23, 2019, 2:32 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege, Clan LoganAir
Posts: 112
Erm, no. You have actually just filled that (really, truly, gone forever) lost time with something *you* consider productive. If podcasts are your thing, fine, but for everyone else, that's just a time-filler/killer.
Nov 23, 2019, 2:38 am
#53
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
You do realise surely that the podcast was just one example out of many possibilities, you just have to find something that works for you for a win win. It's all about the planning.
Nov 23, 2019, 2:51 am
#54
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club, Qatar Airways Privilege, Clan LoganAir
Posts: 112
Indeed I should. What works for me is music and a Killer Sudoku, anything work-related needs far more attention from me than I can give with one eye out for my bags. However, my response was not about podcasts per se, but rather that you only "win back" lost time if what you fill it with genuinely frees up an equivalent time opportunity later on. Which an optional/discretionary filler, such as a podcast I'd argue, doesn't do, whatever it's innate worth. Apologies if that point's been made too..
Nov 23, 2019, 10:22 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: UA Million Miler
Posts: 1,359
I too, like pretty much everyone, prefer carry-on for the reasons articulated here and elsewhere. But if I have too much stuff for carry-on only, I'm ok with checking. Sometimes I can make good use of the baggage claim waiting time, like catching up on emails. Other times, no, such as I am apt to take the last flight from Chicago to DC, which gets to DCA around midnight. If I have a checked bag, the waiting time is pretty much wasted as I'm too tired to do anything useful. I just want to go to sleep. Either way, there are much more attractive places to spend time than in baggage claim.
Nov 24, 2019, 12:41 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ORD, MKE
Programs: UA, AA, Hilton and regular member of everything else
Posts: 1,332
Yup. It's all about how much passangers are willing to stand for and it looks like lots of people are willing to pay for things that used to be free. I'd rather pay more to WN and get free bags than fly BE, get charged for everything and get treated like trash if something goes wrong. Non-BE fares almost always cost more than WN fares (at least from MDW). I don't fly much for work anymore and status isn't worth what it used to be anyway. My solution is that I've just started flying less... at least domestically. I used to take lots of spontaneous weekend trips within the US. Those have pretty much stopped and I try to fly, better non-US carriers for my int'l trips.