Garment bag carry on new policy?
Oct 21, 2013, 8:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 63
Garment bag carry on new policy?
I travel with a small to mid size garment bag and a backpack, 120 flights a year, boarding a flight out if Vegas this weekend and the gate agent scolds me and says the garment bag now counts for 2 bags and while she'd let me go today, it was policy and if she noticed me again, she'd have to check it.
Seriously....
Seriously....
Oct 21, 2013, 8:22 pm
#2
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Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
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I travel with a small to mid size garment bag and a backpack, 120 flights a year, boarding a flight out if Vegas this weekend and the gate agent scolds me and says the garment bag now counts for 2 bags and while she'd let me go today, it was policy and if she noticed me again, she'd have to check it.
Seriously....
Seriously....
Oct 21, 2013, 10:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 709
No offense, but most garment bags take up waaay more overhead space than a rollaboard. If you can fit three rollaboards lengthwise in an overhead bin, you're often hard pressed to get more than one rollaboard in a bin that already has a garment bag. I would love to see garment bags, guitars, and any other oddly shaped bag/carrying cases not be permitted as carry-on luggage. Just my two cents.
Oct 21, 2013, 10:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Does your garment bag exceed these dimensions? If so, she's correct.
You're allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item. Personal items include a purse, briefcase or laptop bag.
•Up to 45 in/115 cm (14 x 9 x 22 in or 36 x 23 x 56 cm)
•Up to 40 lbs/18 kg
•Up to 45 in/115 cm (14 x 9 x 22 in or 36 x 23 x 56 cm)
•Up to 40 lbs/18 kg
Oct 21, 2013, 10:37 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
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Does your garment bag exceed these dimensions? If so, she's correct.
Oct 21, 2013, 10:41 pm
#6
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Crikey....I missed the two bag comment in the OP.
Oct 21, 2013, 10:51 pm
#7
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Oct 22, 2013, 9:13 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC/SFO
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I've been thinking of how this could possibly have occurred (saying it counts as two bags) and am still confused...
Oct 22, 2013, 9:14 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
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Posts: 9,171
If the OP had another carry-on bag it may have just been the agents way of saying that the OP couldn't have effectively three cabin items - a normal carry-on and a personal item the size of two personal items. Badly phrased by all means, but correct.
Jim
Last edited by BoeingBoy; Oct 22, 2013 at 9:21 am
Oct 22, 2013, 11:16 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 63
As I said, it was a small to mid size garment gag. Not sure if it's with in specs, but I have a suit, pair of jeans and 3-4 shirts. Total weight was ~20 pounds, maybe. I also had a standard backpack. I travel with this setup ALOT and never questioned. This bag fits into most of the small regional jets as well when I really fold it up....for perspective.
Gate Agent didn't seem to have the best of mornings that day.
My bag:
Closure Type: Zip Closure
Maximum Strap Length: 42.0 "
Shell Material Polyester
Liner Material: Polyester
Dimensions: 18.0 " H x 22.5 " W x 6.5 " D
Gate Agent didn't seem to have the best of mornings that day.
My bag:
Closure Type: Zip Closure
Maximum Strap Length: 42.0 "
Shell Material Polyester
Liner Material: Polyester
Dimensions: 18.0 " H x 22.5 " W x 6.5 " D
Oct 22, 2013, 11:28 am
#11
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Oct 23, 2013, 9:00 am
#12
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Location: High Point, NC
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If you only had two carry-on bags and one would fit beneath the seat, there should be no problem taking both on board. However, an unfolded garment bag has the appearance of not fitting under the seat and if the backpack appears too big to go under the seat the agent could have thought that there was a problem. Depending on seat, even a folded garment bag is too wide to go under the seat.
Jim
Jim
Oct 23, 2013, 8:41 pm
#13
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Oct 24, 2013, 12:33 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: BOS / PHL
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No offense, but most garment bags take up waaay more overhead space than a rollaboard. If you can fit three rollaboards lengthwise in an overhead bin, you're often hard pressed to get more than one rollaboard in a bin that already has a garment bag. I would love to see garment bags, guitars, and any other oddly shaped bag/carrying cases not be permitted as carry-on luggage. Just my two cents.
I actually don't think "rollaboards" should be allowed either (or at least the large ones that everyone seems to have). Get rid of the maximum size "rollaboards" that everyone seems to carry, boarding will be far more efficient and I wouldn't feel the need to rush onto the plane 30 minutes early when Zone 1 is called.
(While I would not advocate traveling on RyanAir, they've figured out that big rollaboards are not worth the trouble)
Oct 24, 2013, 1:16 pm
#15
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OP's question is about what the rule is not what it ought to be. The answer is that per US' own policy, a bag is a bag is a bag. If the garment bag fits the dimensions (sizer), it's one bag. If it's too large, it doesn't become two bags, it becomes too large to be carried on and should be checked.
Same thing for any item.
As to what the rule ought to be, I'm not prepared to suggest a change until US (and other carriers) seriously enforce their own rules as they stand now. I wager that if US actually enforced the letter of the law, there would rarely be mainline flights where all compliant carry-ons could not be acommodated.
Same thing for any item.
As to what the rule ought to be, I'm not prepared to suggest a change until US (and other carriers) seriously enforce their own rules as they stand now. I wager that if US actually enforced the letter of the law, there would rarely be mainline flights where all compliant carry-ons could not be acommodated.