https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-will-start-aggressively-auditing-carry-on-bags/
The FAA comes in there because airlines submit their operations manuals, including in-cabin baggage policies, to the FAA, and if it's in the manual, the FAA expects the airline to follow their own rules.
Good for them.
I will be delighted when the gate attendants start rejecting the people coming through with their full size wheelie with 2 or 3 other decent sized bags (or else their several items all destined for the bin since only 1 can go under a seat) piled on top and sending them out of the line to gate check all the excess baggage. And for that matter, even though it might cause a delay, having the FAs make people pull their under-seat sized bags from the bin and place it under their seat.
Experience tells me that "enforcement" will only last for awhile. Their priority is getting that plane loaded and on its way on time. The airline and FAA paying for extra people to monitor the boarding will fade away with the FAA moving on to other issues.
Agree with Stan ---- This too shall pass. This isn't going to change until a uniform practice is used by all airlines. We have hit some foreign airports where all the luggage at check-in is checked and tagged if it passes as carry on. In the end you need a uniform practice so that the customer knows what to expect.
Their priority is getting that plane loaded and on its way on time.
If on-time departures are an airline priority, enforcement of carry-on baggage rules would help speed up boarding. Over-sized and excess cabin baggage slows boarding of full flights as passengers search for luggage storage space. And when storage space is exceeded, cabin crews need to gate check cabin baggage that cannot be accomodated slowing up closing the cargo hold doors.
And while American and a number of other US carriers do not have weight limits on carry-on baggge, some passengers struggle to hoist their baggage into the overhead comparments slowing down the boarding of passengers.
I would add that enforcing carry-on baggage limits would also speed up exiting aircarft on arrive reducing turn around time.
The bottom line is carry-on baggage limits and enforcing those limits would speed up boarding for on-time departures.
@edgar, yes it would help boarding and disembarking if carryon limits were uniformly enforced. My observation is that gate agents, doing the actual boarding, and cabin attendants trying to get passengers to sit down, are just not going to enforce corporate rules when their priority is to avoid confrontation, and get the plane moving, there and then. That's what they get rated on. Heck, they don't actually follow those rules themselves, do they?
I admit I have a problem with cynicism.
Enforcement needs to take place in the boarding area before passengers attempt to board starting with pre-board announcements about enforcement.
Gate agents during my recent nearly full (domestic) Delta flights were very proactive about large rollers offering free gate checking of bags to final destinations. Enough folks took advantate of the offer and the carry-ons that boarded were easily accomodated without flight attendents having to search for space.
Some international airlines have gate agents walking the boarding area to identify possible oversized carry-ons and having the passenger size check their bags the gate checking the offenders.
The gate is too late. Options are reduced. Should be at check-in. I think it was Prague on Delta, at check-in, ALL bags were checked. Carry-on weighed and sized. If it passed it was issue an orange tag for the carry on. At the gate if you didn't have an orange tag it didn't go on the plane. Very efficient and orderly.
Just flew AA last month, twice. Nobody looked at our carryons. We noticed that some of the under the seat space had a seat leg smack in the middle and you couldn't even put a purse under there. The other issue is that if you are tall you have to put you feet somewhere. Typically, that is under the seat space. My husband is 6'4" and I am 5'10". Got to have room for your feet somewhere. I know the flight attendants have raised an issue with the new cramped seating as they cannot meet FAA regulations for emergency deplaning. People struggle to get out of the rows in a timely manner.
In case you missed this SNL skit... https://youtu.be/DptGBVPnvKE?t=75
I wish they would eliminate "gate checking" for carryon bags over the limit, and make the people who come to the gate trying to sneak over-sized bags onto the plane go back to check-in and check them. Of course they would miss the flight; that would stop trying to sneak on over-sized bag real quickly.
Or at least do what one or more of the low-cost airlines does and charge more for gate checking than for check-in bag checking. Right now there is no penalty for attempting to sneak on over-sized bags. If you check the bag at check-in, they charge you a fee, but if you try to sneak it on the plane and have to gate check it, it's free.
We noticed that some of the under the seat space had a seat leg smack in the middle
Last time I flew, I had a "bulkhead" seat, so there was no under-the-seat space for my personal item. The FA took it and put it in the overhead bin.
if you are tall you have to put you feet somewhere.
That's why they have Economy Plus.
