Carry-On Mess

Have you flown lately? It isn't getting any more pleasurable to fly from or into the U.S. With fees increasing on just about everything overcrowded planes and dysfunctional flight schedules the passenger's comfort is the last thought on the minds of the airlines. But what is turning my stomach these days is the infamous "carry-on bag rule".

Just board a flight today and try to stow your carry on. The passengers scramble to stow gear before others fill the overhead bins, drag bags heavier than allowed, slip aboard with more than the two items typically permitted and bump into seat mates while cramming in belongings. It's havoc on board. Because the airlines charge so much to check in regular bags fliers try to cram as much in the overhead bins or next to their seat .

The problem has become bad since the major airlines began imposing fees for the first checked bag on domestic flights. Congress is considering legislation to limit and standardize carry on size and to ensure enforcement at airport checkpoints. This is something the airlines probably don't want because some frustrated passengers, fed up with fees, would revolt against those limitations on the basis of the costs they impose in checking in more luggage. If they stop flying the airlines would lose even more revenue amidst the huge losses they already gave these days.

The mantra for fliers today is "It's a fight for the overheads". By the time the last boarding group races for space in the compartments on a typically packed flight, there is panic. Some passengers are left standing in the aisle with no place to put their belongings and they take extra time looking for a spot for their bags, which can delay the flight even further. But the airlines have brought this on all by themselves by charging for checking bags. It's like the Great Race when boarding zones are called out as everyone races to get on the plane as fast as possible in order to not be left without a bin to stow their luggage What I most dislike about the carry on crunch is:
- People who bring full-size luggage on flights
- People who board early, before their zone is called, many times the airport checkers let them through
- People who bring on more than 3 bags
- People who have carry on bags deemed too large at the boarding gate, checked when there's no room on the plane, fly free
- People breaking the carry on rules because the policy is not or unevenly enforced.

Good luck with your bags next time you fly.