Carry-on Items That Meets UA's Size Requirements? Enforcement?
 

Not that I think anybody else on the planet even has one, but another bag that does not fit the sizer - Timbuk2 Checkpoint Roller. Just a hair too thick, and a hair too long. I can just squeeze it into the AA sizer, but not the UA sizer.

Too bad, too, as I love that bag.

Does anyone have experience with the Tumi Alpha 2 International Carryon? While the dimensions meet United's rules (9x14x22), I just recently got this bag and have flown 2 segments on a 73G in F where the bag would not fit at all in the bins over row 1, and row 3 was already full, so I ended up putting it sideways over row 2. Is this due to the curvature of the plane or just the fact that the bins on the 73G are older? I've had no problem with the 738's 9's and 320's. I seem to end up on a lot of 73G's and 319's so I'm wondering if this is going to be a recurring problem. My old bag that was the same dimensions (but did not have the hard type sides like the Tumi) fit in there, probably because it was able to compress. Thoughts?

This is my primary bag and it easily fits the United sizer (it is actually an inch shorter then it needs to be).

These specific United airplanes have smaller bins in the front of first class and bags that fit the United sizer will not fit these bins properly. Other airlines extend the same size bins into the isle further but United shortens the bins as the airplane curves toward the front. Personally I don't hit this very often and don't think it is a reason to switch to a different bag. Of course this is one of the reasons people line up in group one 40 minutes early...

Aggressive enforcement this morning at SFO
 

This morning at the Premier security checkpoint, an Airserv employee was aggressively enforcing the sizer requirement, to the point that she made the average TSO seem polite and docile by comparison. ;)

Anyone try the Samsonite Silhouette Sphere 2 21" yet? Looking to buy new carry-on bags for the wife and I and want to be sure the updated version maintains the same compliance as the original.

That just happens to be my new bag. Fits fine, if snugly!

FYI, on a few aircraft -- maybe Airbus 3xx, if memory serves? -- it only fits in the overhead bins wheels out. First time that's ever happened to me.

Great, thanks for the reply!

The luggage works stealth series that many pilots use is a solid bag, and also can be serviced by the mfg to last a lifetime. They fit everywhere, even in the crj700 bins as well.

Solid is right! The bags alone weigh in the neighborhood of 14-15 lbs. Great for durability, not great for bad backs and weight limits. Note that many lightweight bags are literally half the weight, some even lighter. It all depends on what your use case is and what you want out of the bag.

Stealth 22 (like Andiamo) for consumers is now good for camping with a trailer. :) I adore Andiamo, have a few of their bags, but today no airline will allow me to board a plane with them. For those of us who do fly with LH and/or their partners, we are stuck with (Handgepäck) IATA 21.5" and 8 kg max. (17.6 lbs)

Yes, they are a tad heavy. I'll have to weigh mine empty to see the actual. The durability is outstanding though, mines logged thousands of miles over 15 years, and it's still going strong. Like I said above, it's one of the few bags that can fit in the older crj700 bins.

Luggageworks has a new light weight plastic option, but I don't know much about it. I think it's Stealth light or something..

The alternate to a regular Luggageworks Stealth that I would recommend is Travel Pro. If you look at most flight crews, nearly all the flight attendants have Travel Pro's, so you know they have to be decent. I have a Travel Pro Flight Crew4 as well, and while it doesn't feel as strong as my LW stealth, it's been a good bag with no issues, and fits the sizer.

Fine for domestic travel, where carryon is seldom weighed but in EU or ME you can easily get zapped for overweight carryon.

Sizing gate-checked bags?
 

This week in EWR I asked for a gate check tag from the GA for my roll-aboard when I went to board. He told me to put my bags in the sizer. I gave him a quizical look and asked "Why? It's being gate checked.... I know it's too big for this plane (ERJ145)..." He just said, "Put the bag in the sizer!" and as I started messing with my bags, he says, "We'll just check it to your destination baggage claim." Then I got them in the sizer and said, "Why? They both (roll-aboard & backpack) fit fine? Does this mean you'll let me take it on the plane?" He told me "Close the expander!" (the zipper that lets the bag get about 1" thicker... it was open, but not really needed). No idea why that would make any difference to the ramp guys....

Is this a new policy, to start sizing all the roll-aboards that are being gate checked anyway? First time this happened to me on UA.... F9 started doing that, so they could tell people their stuff wouldn't fit and zing them with a $100 baggage fee... Their sizers were a good 6" smaller than the overheads on their RJ's (let alone the A319 I usually flew on)... revenue generators I guess.

Is UA headed the F9 route, nickel and dimeing passengers for everything they bring on the plane with them? I was on an almost $1,000 ticket this week too... just didn't sit well with me given the revenue.

this has been reported from time to time in this thread or its predecessor -- but appears rare.

The UA sizer's are 1" in all dimensions larger that the long published WxDxH dimensions (but UA did drop the total sum dimension option) so don't think this is a new revenue drive. Long discussion/debate in the predecessor thread

The nickel and dimeing is what all the domestic airlines are doing.

I have found a Samsonite rolling bag which might fit personal item: http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Savo.../dp/B00GRLY14W claims 9"x10"x18" and a user claims the actual measurements are 10"x11.5"x18" -- but since it's not a hardshell, one would actually need to fit this into a United sizer to see whether it fits. It's the closest I have ever seen.