Loosey-Goosey Luggage Enforcment

There needs to be some middle ground as I don’t think anybody would want strict enforcement. Think of backpacks, while they may not be as tall or long as that little box, their width might make it so it doesn’t fit. With strict enforcement, it would have to be checked. Or, like the one time British Airways made my wife squeeze her regular sized purse into her backpack so she’d only have 1 carry-on, when a little later we saw one of those people with 3 carry-ons on the same flight. I believe it falls on the airlines to decide what is reasonable. What is reasonable on a flight that is half full may not be reasonable for a full flight.

Well this sounds like they are just giving their reps an excuse to do what they are already doing - letting anything go until the bins are full. When actually, the only performance measure that the company will be tracking is of on-time departure. If they want to prevent oversize bags, they need to do it before people are in the boarding line, not during.

Oh, and lets see them enforce that on their own crew. Traveling last week, I counted four crew members with 3+ bags, filling 4 bins in the passenger space.

I can best comment on how I've "voted" with my travel dollars... often choosing to fly United because I know that my bags will be given reasonable scrutiny, but I don't have to panic about a half pound or a half inch.

I know that my bags will be given reasonable scrutiny, but I don't have to panic about a half pound or a half inch.

Does this translate to "I'm going to cheat (because I'm special) and I'll only fly an airline that will let me get away with it"?

I carry on a bag that is substantially smaller and weighs much less than regulation, and I'm not going to fly an airline where my bag might have to be checked, and I risk it being lost or delayed because they let someone else take on a bag that is too big and takes up MY space.

I already avoid United, so this policy won't change much, but it does reinforce my reluctance to fly them.

Does this translate to "I'm going to cheat (because I'm special) and I'll only fly an airline that will let me get away with it"?

Umm, no, it doesn't.

I know my bags fit in the United sizers - because I've put them in on prior flights to check. And United's carry-on baggage policy, doesn't have a weight component, so I don't have to weigh my bag …. or stuff heavy items in my pockets to comply. And no, that doesn't mean I stuff rocks in my bag either - because I don't want to carry and lift them.

I know my bags fit in the United sizers

Then there should be no concern of ½ an inch. Unless of course you are already just barely within the limits and you add a few things. When I travel, my bag is nowhere near the limit, so I have no concern. I don't count on some gate worker cutting me a break. What I do worry about is that, because he cut so many people in front of me a break, the overhead bins will be full of "only slightly over" bags by the time I get on board that I will have to check my well-within-limits bag. If an airline enforced their rules and made it public that the rules will be enforced, I would probably fly them.

I have a few suggestions. First is that the airline stop gate checking oversize bag for free. Free gate checking just encourages passengers to try to carry-on over-sized bags. At the worst they will gate check your bag, and you will have to pick it up at the carousel, but you'll always save the check fee. Start charging more to gate check over-sized carry-on bags than to check them at the counter. Place sizers at the check-in counter. If your bag fits at the counter, it will fit at the gate (unless, of course, you added things before you got to the gate). Then if their bag doesn't fit at the gate, the airline gate checks it for $10 more than the counter check fee.

Or even better, make them go back to the ticket counter, where they really should have checked the bag in the first place (no gate check) and, of course, probably miss their flight. To bad, you should have checked it at the counter or made sure at the counter that is fit the sizer.

Ok, not as drastic, since the bins are big enough to fit a 22 x 14 x 9 carryon, wheels to the back and 14 inch width vertical in the bin, you only need 9 inches of width in the bin. Since the seat pitch is at least 31 inches and there are three seats from the isle to the window, put vertical dividers, dividing the bin into 9 or 10 inch wide sections, with a seat number assigned to each bin section. So each seat gets an assigned 22 x 14 x 9 inch space for their stuff. If their bag fits in the space, no problem. If it doesn't, you gate check it for a fee more than regular counter check. If you bag doesn't take the entire space, you can put in your jacket, laptop, whatever. If you don't use the space, you can auction it off to the highest bidder.

Not sure why this needed to be stated. United already has sizer bins at nearly every gate at every airport I have flown out of in the US -- use them.

But of course that would be too easy. The people who feel they are special and should never have to check any of the 15 bags they drag with them would get upset and fly other airlines. It does make for faster boarding if they just let everyone drag their entire worldly possessions with them onto the plane, at least until the overheads fill up. And with United, there is no fee to check bags at the gate and everyone knows tat. So they will continue to drag their bags with them and get them checked for free if the game agent will not let them cary on.

The flight attendants occupying all of the overhead space with their carry on luggage is out of hand. The last flight I was on with United was on an Airbus 320. ALL of the overhead space in the 1st class section was already filled by the FA luggage before a single passenger got on. Bad enough that half of the overheads there are filled with emergency equipment (but horn, first aid kits, in flight oxygen and so on). It is not the fault of the passengers that United chose to eliminate every possible FA luggage storage compartment so they could add a couple rows of seats. Why can't they put their bags in the rear overheads? It's not like they are the first off the plane anyway.

I am on the side of enforcement. If there is a rule (maximum number of items or maximum size) they should enforce it. Otherwise nobody knows what is and isn't allowed.
That is why I like the policy of the economy airlines, size boxes and strictly one item only, NOT one item + a handbag or laptop, one item means 1 item.

However there is an exception. Items you buy in the airport shops (duty free etc.) do not count. If you got through check-in with your one item, you can also take a shopping bag with a bottle of whisky onto the plane. I suspect this is under pressure from the airports, who want to maximise sales. Various safety bodies have sought to ban glass bottles from flights, obvious risks if they fall from the bins and smash, but the airlines and airports have blocked this as it would cost them profits.
This is totally wrong. Whatever the total is (1 item or 2), the count should be the actual number of items you bring on the plane, including any airside purchases. If I want to bring 2 items and forego their "shopping opportunities" I should be allowed to do this.
[End rant]

First is that the airline stop gate checking oversize bag for free. Free gate checking just encourages passengers to try to carry-on over-sized bags.

Absolutely!

Whilst I'm not fond of rucksacks I find that they are more conducive to squeezing in a tight space in an overhead bin than a rigid carry on case due to their composition.

The only time I take a carry on is if I'm going somewhere in Europe on my own, or with friends, for a long weekend and I'll take a leather holdall. This contains all the clothes and toiletries I require. My tablet, phone and headphones will go in the seat pocket in front of me and therefore the space I take up is minimal. A trip of longer duration or with my family will always require checked luggage.

Oh, and lets see them enforce that on their own crew. Traveling last week, I counted four crew members with 3+ bags, filling 4 bins in the passenger space.

I've heard/seen people complain about this before, and I confess that I just don't get it.

Are you talking about crew working the flight or deadheading, or just employees doing personal travel. If the former, then I think you don't have a case to complain--working crews have enough problems already, without having to give up the space for an extra change of clothes or larger lunch box in case of delay. Deadheading employees usually fly space available and are the last to board, so I doubt that's who is raising your ire. And, of course, employees using their privileges for personal travel should (and I think nearly always do) follow the same rules as paying customers.

@k-anderson. I respectfully disagree. In this last instance, they were the cabin crew. I don't think one oversize roller, one carryon size roller, a underseat-sized bag, and a laptop briefcase, taking up a whole bin per person (laid sideways of course since the rollers would not fit wheels-in) is reasonable. I saw where they put them, because they had closed the compartments, and desperate passengers kept opening them looking for space (I was at back of plane). In another situation it was a pilot dead-heading (who boarded ahead of main cabin) who bypassed all the first class bins to fill, again, a whole bin in economy, before claiming his seat up front (I saw him there during the flight). Fair or not, its not good customer PR to see that.

@Stan, I respectfully disagree.
The issue is cabin crew (and cockpit crew) cannot put their bags in the hold. They do not go through passenger check-in, they go via crew areas, clock in, get briefed and sometimes get on board before the aircraft gets to the terminal, for example wherever it was parked.
And on arrival, they do not get off with the passengers. They may be flying on to a second destination or taking the aircraft to a hanger. They would then need to get back to the terminal, long after all the other passengers and after the "uncollected" bags had been sent to wherever unclaimed bags go.
They need their bags with them.

We fly several times a year domestic and international. In the past 10 years I have only had one occasion where the carry on sizer was stringently used and that was on an Icelandair flight from Boston to Reykjavik. All the other times all passengers have lugged, carried, or wheeled their carryons right past the sizer.

When I dig deeper into links in the article, the internal memo from United also says they will remove the baggage sizers from the boarding area but not from the check-in counter or security. It also reminds employees that basic economy passengers can only board with a carry-on that fits beneath their seat. But I still wonder what, if anything gets enforced.

basic economy passengers can only board with a carry-on that fits beneath their seat.

So in economy, you have a super-low size requirement, it must go under the seat? Do they have a size-check box for this size as well as standard size?
And what goes into the overhead bins in economy, if all bags must be under seat

Chris, the overhead bins in super economy are used for carry-ons of people in the more expensive economy seats, since there is not enough overhead space for all passengers to have a carry-on.

It probably isn’t always the case but sometimes the crew has a lot of luggage because they’re going to be attending a training, giving a training or temporarily working out of a different location for while.

I have a few suggestions. First is that the airline stop gate checking oversize bag for free. Free gate checking just encourages passengers to try to carry-on over-sized bags.

The thing is that not all airplane bins are created equal and a bag that fits perfectly well on one flight that travel day may be a total no go on another. I live in the land of airport outstations. United actually uses Embraer 145s to my local airport. So you're coming from, say, LAX. Your first flight is on a 737 with standard-sized bins and all fits well. And then generic you changes planes in Houston and the bag that seemed tiny in a bin on that 737 is not allowed on the next flight because a) the bin space on the 145 is a lot more limited- I think you can fit two magazine in the bin on the one seat side of a 145- and b) the flight is operated by ExpressJet dba United Express and that airline's operating plan as filed with the FAA bans all wheeled bags in overhead bins outright, leading to the need to gate check bags that are otherwise allowed on any United mainline flight.

It would get ugly right quick when multiple passengers get hit with bag fees because of bin size issues in the middle of a trip.

No problem. The airline can gate check at no charge if the plane is too small for a "regulation" carry-on bag.

A few years ago, we flew from Oakland, Calif. to Phoenix on a regional jet (not sure if it was a 145, but that doesn't matter). It was announced at the gate that all wheeled luggage had to be checked at the gate no charge before boarding and would be returned at the gate in Phoenix.

Don't try to create a hypothetical case to argue against the airlines charging an added fee to gate check an over-sized bag that could have/should have been checked at the counter.

Maybe some of you folks haven't experienced it, but there are many times when the gate check being offered is not "pick up on the ramp at first stop" - gate check is "checked through to your final destination". Thats a bit more ominous and consequential, if your final destination is somewhere overseas.

United isn't loosey goosey. They allow just about anything for people in boarding groups 1 or 2 (those with flying "privileges" under United's system), including multiple extra bags and items. They then force the "masses" to gate check, even when they are obeying United's carry-on rules.

I've watched it happen too many times to believe it's not policy.

They never force me to gate check because my bag fits under the seat in front of me. I just lose leg room - but that's what I pay for. I'd rather pay less and plan to keep my bag with me than pay more and still be forced to part with my bag because I'm not VIP enough for United.

I read your previous thread with interest but didn't reply, but will here.

I'm for rule enforcement. Every time we fly we get worked up about the size and weight of our carryons. For nothing -- nobody checks.

In 2018 we saw a woman carrying on (well, pulling on) a full size hard suitcase. In addition she had 3 giant totes -- each bigger than my one carryon. Her friend had almost the same. Unfortunately I didn't see how they stowed them but the gate staff didn't bat an eye.

I'd just like to know that if I follow the rules, my bag will fit -- because everyone has.

Why can't they just enforce the rules on everyone-except those who are paying big bucks for business class?

I have learned to just mind my own business. I get too much anxiety looking around , seeing all the big bags, multiple bags, baby stuff worrying if my overhead bin will be empty, will we have to have our bags out of our sight, unreachable on a 10 hour flight. With that being said we can usually fit our bags in our overhead, even if that means encroaching on some unknown bag that is in our overhead bin (oh well), if not my husband will find an overhead he can keep his eye on during the flight. Everything works out.