Baze

Virgin America takes the bag from you when they tag it and the GA takes it down the jetway. So once you decide to gate check you aren't getting it back until baggage claim.

Often1

I have never heard a UA GA mention TSA, but do routinely hear both GA's and FA's mention FAA. In fact, it is up to UA to set its own carry-on policy, but once it files that with FAA, it becomes a violation of FAA rules to fail to enforce it. Thus, the GA/FA is sort of correct and more than good enough for the purposes of making the rules clear.

I actually fairly routinely see GA's stopping people in the first few groups and making a bit of a show of a couple of violators. Usually it is people who are clearly breaking the rules and other than some puffing about how UA is victimizing its best customers, the issue is resolved quickly with a gate check.

AA has cracked down recently. On mainline where the gate checks get a real non-valet tag, if the tag isn't scanned into the hold, I've seen GA's board and demand a bag from passengers.

fastair

often1 and encampbe are correct. It’s an ez google. 14cfr121.589 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/121.589
“§ 121.589 Carry-on baggage.(a) No certificate holder may allow the boarding of carry-on baggage on an airplane unless each passenger's baggage has been scanned to control the size and amount carried on board in accordance with an approved carry-on baggage program in its operations specifications. In addition, no passenger may board an airplane if his/her carry-on baggage exceeds the baggage allowance prescribed in the carry-on baggage program in the certificate holder's operations specifications.”

Kacee

The worst offenses I typically see are on ps business class, where three large carryons are not all that uncommon.

I sympathize with GAs not wanting to confront the pax . . . they tend to reek of entitlement.

Dr_wanderlust

my recent experience has been different. Boarding as group 1 in paid first I have been asked last 3 out of 4 flights to put my legal-sized bag in the demonstration box. This despite others before and after me had obviously larger than allowed carry-ons. UA sure knows how to make paying customers who follow the rules feel welcome.

aquamarinesteph

I have a friend who has breathing difficulties and regularly travels with a portable CPAP machine. She says that it doesn't count toward her carry on luggage since it's a medical item, so she routinely boards with a carry on, a jumbo purse & the CPAP machine in its own case.

LarryJ

Medical assistance devices are exempt from carry-on bag limitations.

Wayside

Perhaps the TSA requirement has to do with once the bag is tagged? There’s probably no (quick) way to differentiate between a bag tagged at the ticket counter and one tagged at the gate (not talking green tags but electronic printed tags). Of course passengers can check items in luggage that can’t be carried through the checkpoint in carry on luggage so the TSA has a vested interest in ensuring a tagged bag doesn’t end up accessible to anyone until they’re outside the sterile area.

drowelf

FAs, at least those working the flight, are exempt from the carry-on requirements. The rule quoted below is for passengers, not flight crew.

Mary2e

I had a strange enforcement issue. I had my travel tote plus a small rollaboard - it was no way near the size limitation. I was also carrying an 9"x11" picture. A flat picture that would have easily fit right on top of my rollaboard.

The GA told me I had too many carry ons when she saw me ask a question at the desk. I jammed my bag into the rollaboard.

Then I boarded with group 1 (I was in F) and when I got to the gate, she looked embarrassed.

I think they're getting out of hand. Even if I had a full size rollaboard the picture would have fit on top.

Fizzer

I agree with checking Group 1 and 2 . Boarding SFO to OGG last week in Group 1 I saw the GA pull a lady ahead of me to one side in order to check her rollaboard in the sizer. She and her husband were trying to shuffle items around to make it fit ( it was about 6" too fat ) when I boarded.

uanj

Just what I saw on my SFO-LAS flight last night. Several non-revs cleared into first going to someone's birthday party and 3-4 bags each.

chipmaster

I have done PDX/PVG/LAX/PDX, never on that segment have I been asked to size or check my roller. I travel with a backpack and at the time a domestic roller that didn't fit the sizer. These days go in Grp1 and generally haven't hear or seen them run out of space on the domestic. I actually don't have an issue that they would enforce, just do it across the board. But again what if they force check and there is lots of empty overhead?

On a PDX/PVG/SFO/PDX the UA GA at SFO on my return in a full flight was insistent that I size my roller. It didn't fit, like my 10th or 12th trip on UA but she wasn't going to budge insisted on me checking, no amount of pleading was going to change her, she dug her heels in! I was the 1st inline in Grp2 and I'm sure she wanted to make an example of me. Was really nice to wait for my luggage for 30' after midnight in PDX. I later saw multiple folks come on after me, clearly after Grp2 with larger and sometimes 3 bags. I was later told that SFO was very strict, YMMV.


Its UA, you expect consistency of policy and enforcement, LOL. I have no problem checking but consistent enforcement please, or be explicit on who gets the exemption. I think its a larger cultural and discipline issue. Maybe the leadership will learn someday that starting with the customer facing folks if they pride themselves on customer service with consistency and fairness they might actually do better than expected

lhrsfo

I personally prefer the more Germanic approach of a rule is a rule is a rule. It makes things so much simpler and takes the stress out of the situation. But there's really no reason why the rule can't be written so that there are worthy exceptions, such as travellers in Business or First get an extra carry on or some such perk. And having implemented that rule, then it should be enforced.

mackenzie77

Flew LGA-ORD flight last week with my wife and young toddler. Wife was super under the weather and was holding a very tired and cranky kid so I carried all of our baggage for us. In hindsight, I can't imagine what some people might have been thinking seeing me dragging two rollerboards, two backpacks, and a small duffel bag through the gate (family boarded first without me).....