Hello Everyone!
My husband and I leave Friday for our 4 week European adventure! I have been looking into the different restrictions for carry on baggage and am confused and to what applies. We booked our flight through United Airlines and are doing Arizona to California, California to Chicago, and then Chicago to Vienna. All scheduled by United.
My question is, which airline's carry on bag restrictions are applicable? United? Or do I need to check for each individual servicer?
Primarily the airline that checks you in and looks at your luggage and the final stop is the gate attendants - whoever they may be.
The original marketing carrier of your first segment will govern checked baggage rules, United defines "original marketing carrier" as "the airline whose flight number is assigned to the first segment of your itinerary".
My last trip to Europe was ticked by United with first segment a United flight operated by Skywest and the transcontinental flight operated by Lufthansa. My United eTicket specified checked baggage limits and charges.
While United's carry-on rules may apply, you may not want to vigorously fight the flight operator. The carry-on problem usually is the smaller overhead compartments on the puddle jumpers. Big carry-on bags may not fit the overhead. My United eTicket said: "Due to FAA regulations, operating carriers may have different carry-on requirements. Please check with the operating carrier for more information or go to united.com."
And while I have only been checked one time in a lot of flights (and failed - Virgin Atlantic) there are weight limitations that I would guess a great number of the carry on bags exceed.
which airline's carry on bag restrictions are applicable?
Whichever airline is operating the flight.
If it's simply a question of being charged if the carryon allowed free by the first carrier won't physically fit on subsequent ones -- even if it has to be checked, there won't be a charge.
Checking bags at the gate should be free, if the airline requires it. To be prepared for that possibility, have your valuables, prescription medicines, guidebook, reservations, and other things you can't afford to lose in a smaller carry-on that will definitely fit under the seat in front of you. To me, the benefits of packing light are not primarily about carrying a big bag onto the airplane (or dragging it onto three different planes), but about all the other time in hotels, train stations, stairs, etc., where you need to handle it yourself.
deviolinst if I understand what you are asking, its more a question of the size of airplane you are getting on. The regional contract carriers for United can be on smaller aircraft, which have smaller bin space. Then you may have to gate check. Plus you are at the mercy of bin hogs who get on before you.
We always carry on with the regulation size bag and a tote or messenger bag. We fly Skywest from Tucson a lot to get to someplace to fly to Europe. Their CRJ planes will not accommodate the standard carry on size bag in the overhead bins. We gate check that bag and it is waiting for us on the jetway as we exit the plane. We have never had a problem with stowing our carry ons in the bins of bigger planes for the rest of our journey. We travel for a month at a time and we haven't checked bags voluntarily in years.
deviolinist,
this is how i see it.
all of them apply.
as stated the flight you hop on from here to there will be of concern. also any puddle jumpers you use in between will have their own restrictions.
happy trails.
But, even then the "rules" seem to be arbitrary. Last Sunday on our final leg from Paris to home in Chicago on American, we were denied a third "personal item" before going through security. We were told we were allowed 2 items and 2 items only by the representative at the entry. We attempted to persuade him that we had been travelling 2 weeks with the third bag, and had never been challenged. We even pointed out NUMEROUS others passing through another line with as many as 4 bags. Some were over sized carry-ons and even some with large open shopping bags. It seems new found authority is a heady thing for pimply faced youths in their first "real" job.
@Lindanjim: What airline allows 3 carry-on items? I fly a lot and its always been a bag and a personal item. Even two bags sort of stretches that definition. Where does three come from?
Here is a good guide: http://www.travelsmith.com/wcsstore/images/TravelSmith/_email/Luggage_Guidelines.pdf
lindanjim: “It seems new found authority is a heady thing for pimply faced youths in their first "real" job.”
You’re besmirching a young worker at CDG for enforcing rules and doing his/her job? The rules aren’t arbitrary…enforcement can sometimes seem quite arbitrary, however. Still, why shouldn’t this worker do his job, and why should he/she bend or break the rules to accommodate you, especially when you are in the wrong? It really doesn’t matter what you got away with your whole trip and what others are getting away with in the next lane over. The rules are the rules, and it's your responsibility to understand them ahead of time. Plus, when you're over the limit like you say you were, you're taking up the overhead bin space of other paying passengers. How is that fair or okay? James is right…it’s almost always a bag and a personal item, and that’s all. I fly United all the time, and that’s their rule (per the question of the OP).
I know the average age around here is on the high side, but don’t allow that statistic to negatively color your views of young people. After all, weren’t you once a pimply faced youth in his/her first real job?
