Carry-on Luggage & the new TSA scanners

Is the new scanner the one that let in 3 people at a time to place bags on scanner? You retrieve bin from under carrousel and are required to place all items including roller bag inside bin? It speeds up the process as not a single line anymore.

If so, I haven’t had any issues with it. In July I traveled with my regular Travelpro Maxlite 5 spinner which is a bit taller/wider than European airline restrictions and no issue. I got the compact version recently which is about an inch shorter and just went thru TSA without issues.

As long as it fits in the bin, I think fine. I mostly fly Delta within the US (they never measure my bag) but TSA is not going to check against each airline restriction.

” In addition to providing enhanced screening, the new CT scanners have smaller entry tunnels that measure 24.5 inches wide by 16.5 inches high. While the standard domestic carry-on size for most U.S. airlines remains 22 inches long by 14 inches wide by 9 inches tall, travelers should make sure their luggage not only meets their airline's size requirements but can also fit through the TSA scanner.”

Source: https://www.michiganflyer.com/news-and-updates/pack-smart-travel-easy-new-tsa-screening-size-requirements

Depends on the tray size and orientation.

If 24" is the largest dimension of tge tray, a lot of folks are going to be unhappy.

The article I read said that TSA said they would manually check bags that dont fit. Nothing about forced checking.

As an additional data point, I experienced these at Dublin a few weeks ago. I noticed the tighter dimensions of the x-ray machine, and they were using the 3-person loading tray configuration. I was surprised my plane had plenty of overhead space. Maybe there’s a correlation? I was flying Delta.

I’m not understanding the issue. Carryon size must be 22 inches or less I think no matter what airline. If my math is right 22 inches is less than 24 inches.

I'm with Laurie Ann. Shouldn't 24+ already be an issue?

The core issue is physical, not political. TSA’s new CT units scan bags through a tunnel opening of roughly 24.5 inches wide by 16.5 inches tall (62-2 by 41.9 cm) on many of the older X-ray machines they’re replacing. The difference of well under an inch, about 0.4 to 0.7 inches (1.0 to 1.8 cm) per side, sounds trivial, but at a checkpoint, it isn’t.
https://simpleflying.com/why-tsa-nationwide-ct-scanner-rollout-forcing-rolling-carry-ons-checked-baggage/

I cannot see how the new scanners would be a problem for 99.9% of travelers.

Since when does the TSA have the legal right to dictate the size of carry-on luggage?

Some airlines, like Southwest allow carry-ons that are 24" x 16" x 10.' They sometimes looked the other way if the bag was slightly bigger.

Those people will have problems with the new scanners.

However, for most with bags 22 x 14 x 9.....they will fit with no problem.

Another sensationalistic social media story to get viewers.

Depends on the tray size and orientation.

Leave it to an architect to get to the heart of the matter.

I think the key is "orientation" - the photos I see in online searches for the new scanners show bags in trays going through the scanner "head first" - so the width of the bag is more of a determining factor, not the length. So we would also need to know the size of the tray - both exterior and internal dimensions- to determine what us acceptable, and why. The maximum length of a bag may be determined by the size of the tray. And then height [depth of the bag] apparently is also a factor.

I reached out to TSA through "Ask TSA" and got the response below:

"The entrance tunnel to the CT machines is 24.5 inches wide and 16.5 inches high. This meets all of the airlines' carry-on bag allowances. All bags and personal items must fit in the provided bins (loose items can't be placed on the belt). Please keep in mind that bags that meet the airlines' size requirements could become larger than the tunnel height limitation if over packed, or when other items are placed in a bin underneath the bag.

With the threat to aviation constantly evolving, TSA is focused on developing the next generation of state-of-the-art security technology. As we continue to raise the baseline for aviation security, we are committed to getting the best technology to enhance security and improve the passenger experience. As technology is updated throughout our Nations airports, you may see slight variations in checkpoint procedures from airport to airport.
To learn more, pls visit: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/emerging-technology "

The less carry on bags on a flight, the better.

Translation of TSA information: "Someone, somewhere, made a purchasing decision for TSA based on what manufacturers were already making/willing to make to sell to the most customers they can. Company manufacturing decisions and TSA purchasing decisions have little relationship to individual airline policies. One size will fit all. Thank you for your support."