CRJ-700 overhead bins -- the RS carryon doesn't fit

Regional airlines such as Horizon fly smaller aircraft to serve smaller markets. The overhead bins are smaller than larger aircraft. Horizon and other regional airlines address this issue with hybrid carry-on arrangements. Horizon and Skywest will gate check the larger carry-ons on boarding, and off load the carry-ons at the ramp shortly after arrival. E.g. https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/carry-on-luggage/regional-aircraft.aspx

Horizon and SkyWest planeside baggage service

Because of smaller overhead storage and under seat space on aircraft
operated by Horizon Air or SkyWest (Bombardier Q400 or CRJ aircraft),
larger carry-on items will be placed on a planeside cart before
boarding.

The maximum dimensions allowed for planeside baggage service is 10" H
x 17" W x 24" L (25 x 43 x 61 cm), including wheels and handles.

These items will be specially tagged and returned to the cart for
retrieval at a designated area on the ramp or jet bridge as you get
off of your flight. Just find the red and white stop sign and your
bags will be there within 5 minutes of deplaning.

I have been on some regional jets (I think it was American Eagle) where they would take your right-sized carryon and check it through to your final destination. Mostly because the tiny bins were all filled by the people who paid to get on first. For international flights I try to book flights with all segments on larger aircraft. Some Embraer models are the culprit and they are the most common regional jet.

Another reason why I avoid wheeled bags. It seems to be the deciding factor on whether a bag will fit.

Many if not all of the Bombardier planes are smaller than the average plane and in turn have reduced overhead space. This is nothing new for those planes and is not part of the proposed smaller carry on sizing. Some have overhead bins on only one side leaving about a third of the passengers with no overhead space at all. I have flown on those planes where the flight attendants simply take your carry on for gate check before you even get on the plane since there is no space except for small briefcases overhead.

Any full sized plane, that is ones that have 3 - 3 setting or any of the double aisle larger planes used for long haul flights still have the same space overhead as well. Many of the new 737's actually have more overhead space due to redesigned bins. But training the passengers to place their bags is them to utilized that space is difficult. Of course with the additional overhead space comes more seats crowded closer together so the net impact is zero additional space per passenger.

All the planes out of my local very small airport are CRJs and have been for years. I ~think~ the one that I usually fly is a CRJ200 as in looking at the seats, the 50-seater is about right. Mine does not have different seat classes. It's just easier to be ready to gate-check than to try and put anything in the overhead bins. I agree with Mark that this is not a change in space on these planes.

We just flew this plane-American Eagle-and my RS Rolling Backpack (at medium stuff level) fit fairly easily in the overhead bin. We were able to stow my wife's RS Rolling-Carry On (at MAX stuff level) under a seat in front of us. There was no way it was going in that bin.

Flew on an ERJ from Dallas to Killeen, Tx. a while back and they gate checked anything with wheels. My 2009 version Patagonia MLC and another passenger's backpack were the only bags that made it on board. My MLC was only 7" in depth and fit fine but I don't think a 9" thick bag would have fit in the overhead bin without a lot of mashing.

Frank T.

I fly a number of CRJ flights (although American is switching over some of the US Air CRJs to larger planes) and as others have said--they offer free gate check so take advantage of it. To me it doesn't seem to take much longer to get my bag at the end of the flight than if I'd carried it on.

Actually with the gate check on some Delta/SkyWest or Alaska/Horizon flights the bags are brought off and placed on a cart at the edge of the tarmac right before you enter the terminal instead of going to a baggage carousel. These planes are too small for a jetway so you are exiting down the stairs or a ramp to the ground.

When I gate-check my bag on the smaller AA planes, it's always returned at the jetway. We might have to wait 5 minutes or so for them to be unloaded.

Horizon (Alaska) "AlaCart" planeside carry-on baggage service is not the usual gate check. Your AlaCart carry-on is deposited planeside on boarding, loaded into the cargo hold for the flight, and returned planeside on arrival. The specially tagged carry-on bags are the first off and rolled out on the tarmac within minutes of doors opening.

As someone noted, the bags are available planeside on the tarmac where jetways are not used. I believe it is PDX where jetways are used. In that case, its a bit congested deplaning in that passengers need to waite on one side of the jetway while the carry-on Ala Cart bags are brought up deposited on the otherside of the jetway. A bit congested, but with a small aircraft it works.

We use the Horizon AlaCart service except for our computer bags and fragile items. Ironically on one winter flight, my ski box and large gear duffle bag must have used up too much space in the cargo hold. The ground personnel had to bring in several of the AlaCart bags for storage in the overheads and under seats. Ironically, one of the AlaCart bags was my wife's Rick Steves Rolling Carry-on (the European airline legal one). I was lucky that Horizon didn't off load my skis.

I have flown on Horizon regionals with the opposite problem of too much luggage. I was on a late night lightly loaded flight where everyone had to sit in the back to accommodate the weight-balance requirements.

As Edgar mentioned, the Horizon/Alaska AlaCart system works well, especially where boarding is done on the tarmac, which seems to be most often at SEA or PDX. The cart is only a few feet from the aircraft door, and the bags are usually waiting by the time I get off the plane. Air Canada and others use much the same system. I don't encounter the system where bags are place in the jetway too often.

Interesting discussion -- it makes me want to review the recent tips about securing and weatherproofing that came up over the last few weeks, since I usually don't bother much with either when I'm using the RS convertible carryon.

I learned a lesson a while back about not being more nervous than necessary about bag security when an ALSA bus driver in Spain asked me as the bus was boarding if I wanted to put my backpack in the hold rather than having it under my feet for next couple of hours. Will it be safe? I asked. Look, he said. You can watch me put it in and close the hatch, and you can watch me open the hatch and take it out when we get there. And so it went.

Since then I try not to fret, but of course other people have less encouraging stories to tell...

Oh Edgar....yep! Have had that mostly in the winter. Once a couple of people got de-planed and then hold luggage was brought up and belted in to their seats.

On a recent trip to Chicago I had to gate check my carry-on because it wouldn't fit the overhead bins, I flew American eagle. Because it was a weekend trip I took a very small bag, even smaller than the 22x14x9. I was sure it would fit under the seat but still they made me gate check it. The not so fun part was, I had to pick it up at the carousel when I arrived to ORD. I mean, I don't mind gate checking if I still get it at the ramp so I can go on with my day, instead of waiting at the carousel. Good thing my bag wasn't lost.

Geraldine, that is what I described in an earlier post, in that some airlines (my case was American Eagle too) would involuntarily gate check your carryon bag to your final destination, and not have it for you when you exit the plane. I asked the gate agent what would happen if I had been connecting to an international flight, Frankfurt for example. She told me that my carryon would indeed have been checked through to FRA, and I would pick it up there in baggage claim. The passenger would have no choice of getting it on the ramp. It may have something to do with the facilities at ORD.

I now look at the equipment on flight segments, and try to book a larger jet when connecting for international.

As described above, the Alaska/Horizon system works well and has for a number of years. No problem from my perspective.

Stan, I think I will do that next time I fly internationally, I'll check the options of aircraft, or pay to get boarding first. Thanks for the idea :)