Would fees end 'out of control' carry-ons?

[ixion]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- If George Clooney's character in "Up in the Air" had to fly Spirit Airlines, you have to wonder how the carry-on master would feel about having to pay a fee to bring his perfectly packed bag on board.

Like many air travelers, he clings to his luggage protectively and avoids handing it over at the ticket counter at all costs.

"Do you know how much time you lose by checking in?" he asks in the movie. "Thirty-five minutes a flight."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/04/12/carryon.problems/?hpt=Sbin

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Uh, "out of control"? You mean bags carried by PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING?

Leave it to CNN to try and spin for the airlines and the TSA. :grr:

[tomhayes]

1. I hate a lot of Carry-On baggage people

If they bring a small carry on, walk to their seat and place it in their bin it's fine.

But I've been on flights were everyone has a big carry-on and it has delayed take-off by 10-20 minutes in a few cases.

And on deplaning it can delay egress by the same amount.

[NeedleCast]

8. Airlines have forced the issue with heavy charges on checked baggage

Of course their excuse for it was "high cost of jet fuel" two years ago. Now that fuel prices are lower, why haven't the airlines gotten rid of the check baggage fees? Because they realize people have no choice except to pay them, which forces customers to try and get through with larger and larger carry ons. Realizing they have left this "loophole" to their endless list of revenue boosting fees, they're just trying to remove the loophole.

[sui generis]

2. as a frequent traveler

if you want to control out of control carry-ons, ban them.

How fucking hard is that?

Seriously, when I can't even put my jacket up because some selfish fat-ass entitled motherfucker who refuses to check anything has rollaboard-ed aboard his vacation home, laptop, gift bag and murse, it makes me start looking around for an eject button. Or a laser cannon.

Check your crap people, or stop flying if you can't afford it.

Having ranted all that, I am against baggage fees, period. All these entitled stupid people who have such crushing schedules they can't wait on their bag to come up - you're not all that.

I am so annoyed by little ninety pound wenches with their 120 pound rollaboard who can't even get their bag into the overhead compartment because it would crush their spine to attempt it, and to retrieve it. CHECK YOUR FUCKING BAGS.

Laptops = okay. SMALL carryon - like an incidental= okay. Rollaboards = not okay. Check everything that's not a laptop or a purse or a small gift bag and the airlines will magically start running on time.

[zorahopkins]

16. Please

Please, tell us how you REALLY feel.

What, by the way, is a "murse"?

;-)

[christx30]

18. Murse:

n. Used to describe a male handbag, or man-purse

[CreekDog]

21. Maybe you should stop flying if you can't handle people who are simply following the rules

A lot of us checked our bags until they started charging to do so

[Statistical]

25. Many people don't follow the rules that is the point.

There is a specific industry wide maximum size and weight for carry ons.

They even have metal bins (look like cages) to put your bag in.

Here is a hint to those who don't fly a lot:
If you bag won't slide into that cage (and no forcing it in doesn't count) and/or it sticks out the top when you try IT WON'T FIT in the overhead bin.

Still I think Spirit charging per bag is silly.
Charge a flat ticket price high enough to cover your costs.
Fine people who don't follow the rules.
Repeat offenders should be denied access to the plane.

I have seen people try to cram full sized luggage into overhead bins. I mean it is a FRACKIN overhead bin people. They haven't go any bigger. If you 5 foot by 3 foot, 150 pound bag didn't fit in there in 1980 it sure as FRACK doesn't fit there now!

:)

I feel better now.

[CreekDog]

27. I haven't seen those cages except for when I've made it through the security line

So when I actually have a chance to check my bag, I can't tell if it will go through as a carry on or not.

But this problem got a lot worse mostly because they started charging for checked baggage.

[Statistical]

28. I agree the baggage fees make things worse.

Whenever possibly I fly southwest but they don't go everywhere.

BAGS FLY FREE!!!!

[MattBaggins]

22. You got that.

I used to fly overseas with just a small bag no larger than an average hand bag. Even now with kids I try to pack everything into bags that can fit under the seat.

What's even worse is all the yahoos who want to drag those huge bags along in winter when everyone is wearing full length heavy coats.

Just start charging for anything larger than a normal handbag.

[KansDem]

3. If the airlines would just stick to their fucking maximum dimensions...

...there wouldn't be any "out of control" carry-ons!

I just flew to California and back three weeks ago. I took great pains to make certain I stayed within the requirements of "one carry-on not to exceed 45 inches for W-D-L, and a personal item such as purse, laptop, or attache case."

I took a carry-on that measured less than the maximum and my attache case. Well, coming back I flew out of LAX. I was seated in "Zone 4," the last group to board. As I was getting on the plane, I was told there wasn't any more overhead storage left and I'd have to check my carry-on. I wasn't all that miffed about having to do so, but I was pretty P.O.ed at the fact that I saw many travelers with what amounted to two fucking steamer trunks climbing on board. These were their "one carry-on not to exceed 45 inches for W-D-L, and a personal item such as purse, laptop, or attache case."

And it took way too much time for them to squeeze their fucking "steamer trunks turned 'carry-ons'" in the overhead compartments. :grr:

If they were required to check these items, then there would be plenty of overhead compartment space for carry-ons that adhered to the restrictions. And much less time to get seated!

[NutmegYankee]

6. But you didn't get billed for having to check the bag right?

[Statistical]

26. No. If they do a gate check you aren't billed.

When I fly business trips less than 3 days I routinely take a single carryon and nothing else (to avoid losing bags which is a total waste of time on a business trip less than 3 days).

Got a nice samsonite travel roller which is exactly the maximum size allowed by airlines designed to roll sideways (narrow ways) down the aisle. It fits a suit, ties, dress shows, couple dress shirts and casual clothing just fine. Along with all the normal stuff you need. That plug a thin laptop bag is all I need and it meets the rules set by airlines for carry-ons.

More than once I have had to get it gate checked when my company was to cheap to get business class. It is annoying to see people with enough luggage for a 7 day cruise crammed into overhead bins and then have your (by the rules) single carry on gate checked.

[kestrel91316]

4. All they need to do is ENFORCE the size restrictions on carry-ons AND

enforce the limitation to one carry-on. Seriously.

[Bragi]

5. Not routinely losing checked baggage would help /nt

[DevonRex]

10. It would also help if it weren't shredded when they finally did manage

to locate your luggage and get it to you. That's happened to us twice.

[LeftyMom]

12. Same here. And I've never got paid for it, even after filling out the paperwork.

[DevonRex]

14. We got paid once but it didn't even cover the cost of the bag

much less my husband's business suits inside it. He hasn't checked anything since then.

[MattBaggins]

23. It would also help

If people didn't buy tissue paper luggage from Walmart and stuff 100 pounds of crap in a 50 pound bag.

[DevonRex]

24. That's a stupid reply just on its face. nt

[LeftyMom]

31. The last suitcase had damaged by an airline appeared to have been run over by heavy equipment.

I'm pretty sure it's sorry state on arrival would not have varied much no matter where I bought it.

[frazzled]

7. The fees have CAUSED the "out-of-control" carry-ons

Unless on a very short business hop, over the last 5 or 6 years, we began to check our bags always. We're getting older, and it just wasn't worth the hassle to have to find a bin and hoist a bag up there.

Then airlines started adding those fees to check a piece of luggage. Sorry, but we hate paying those. So we've taken to each taking a roll-aboard into the cabin.

Stop charging $25 a bag each way to check a piece of luggage, and I will not take a carry-on any more.

[NeedleCast]

9. Exactly

[melm00se]

13. not really

even before the checked bag fees there were dumbasses who still carried on the equivalent of "around the world" steamer trunks (times 2).

I can tell you that I would stop traveling all together if they did away with carry-ons. there is no f-ing way that the airlines are going to get their hands on my laptop bag.

[frazzled]

15. Hyperbole will get you nowhere

It was never possible to take the equivalent of an around-the-world steamer trunk into the cabin of an airplane. If it doesn't fit in the overhead, it doesn't fit. And pretty much nothing bigger than a 23-in. roll-aboard fits there. It may exceed the allowable by a few inches, but we're not talking about trunks, and never were.

[Matariki]

17. Yeah, no one could see THAT coming when they added those fees.

Ever since airlines started doing that, getting onto the plane has been a mess. Flight crews would end up begging people to put luggage under the seat or check it in. What did the airlines think was going to happen :eyes:

[LeftyMom]

11. Well, they could stop hosing people on charges for checked baggage and then destroying their crap.

I'll start checking bags when I don't absolutely have to as soon as I get paid for the ones I've had destroyed.

[SteveM]

19. Haven't check-in baggage since the airlines started this crap...

My computer bag is full of underwear and socks; my carry-on supplies me for up to 2 weeks of vacation. Need more stuff? Send it parcel post in advance.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

20. No...

but no checked bag fees would,

On my domestic flights in Canada on Air Canada and WestJet where there are no fees for checked bags the morons with the enormous suitcases just aren't a problem.

[Statistical]

29. Heads up! On Southwest up to 2 checked bags fly free!

I rarely carry checked bag but I love to fly SW for business travel because there is less cabin clutter because people are trying to pull a clown car conspiracy and cram a 2 week vacation into the overhead bin to save $100.

Plus "business class" on SW boards first. Emergency exit row + free drink + plenty of room. Well it makes flying slightly less miserable. :)

[Scout]

30. guess i must be really lucky....

i've always checked in my bag curbside (when it was allowed), gave the sky caps a good tip, and i've NEVER lost my luggage or had it arrive damaged. now that you have to check it in inside, i do that and i've still never had a problem.

[Gaedel]

32. Get rid of overhead bins

They should go back to just having the hat and coat shelves over the seats. If it doesn't fit under the seat in front of you, it doesn't go.

Then maybe planes could leave on time and you could deplane quick enough to make a connection.