Question: Space For Carry-On Airline Luggage

That's why airlines limit the dimension and weight of carryon luggage -- there's only so much room available inside.

Frank, Japanese airlines were trying to experiment with stand-up seats similar to the ones of roller coasters where you stand upright. That way they would get even more people in one cabin ;-)

Frank, Japanese airlines were trying to experiment with stand-up seats similar to the ones of roller coasters where you stand upright. That way they would get even more people in one cabin ;-)

This brings up an interesting point, with airlines now charging for checked luggage. If you have a carryon bag that is less than the maximum size and less than the maximum weight, and you can't fit it in because the overhead bins are full, particularly from oversized bags that people take on, and they make you check the bag, can they legally charge you for checking it? I know they say that the carryon is supposed to fit under the seat (I think that is actually the personal item), but there really isn't room room under there for the dimensions allowed, and, worse, airlines often have something attached to the floor under there that further reduces the space available.

The newer ones like the Boeing 777 or Airbus A380 have XL overhead compartments to accommodate this trend. But older planes (that means aircrafts developed before this trend), like the 747, 767 and others don't. But keep in mind you're supposed to store heavy carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you anyway!

Of course, it is called the space under the seat in front of you or where some people think their feet should go. It is going to get worse.

Lee, here's the solution: Only carry-on the items you MUST bring from back home, like maybe prescription drugs. Because everything else you can buy all over the world, like tooth paste, shirts, pants... In Europe we've got cloth chains like C&A, Hennes & Mauritz, NKD and others where t-shirts cost €2, pants cost €10 and the quality is sufficient to last for at least a couple of washes ;-) So when I'd travel to the States right after my arrival I'd go to Wal-Mart, Target or Marshall's and buy what I'd need for a 2 weeks stay - and it would be cheaper to buy it all new than to check in a piece of luggage that could have carried the items I still own...

What I have been doing for the last 4 years is picking a seat in the back of the plane. That way I am one of the first to board and I normally can get a space right above my seat for my carry on. I don't do what some other people do, and that is, they get on the plane, put their stuff in a bin many many rows infront of thier seat and then go back to their seat. Then the poor people who are sitting closer to the front don't have a spot for their bags.

Andreas, I have thought of only taking vacations to Cap d'Agde (that's a nudist resort on the French Riviera, for those non-European who don't know). That way I could go with just a toothbrush and the clothes on my back, but, really, I do a pretty good job of keeping the size and weight down. My Campmor bag is a little smaller than regulation size, and, when packed to the 8kg Lufthansa limit, is not completely filled and easily conforms to any shape. My problem is with selfish people who are allowed to carry on obviously oversized bags, particularly roll aboards with rigid frames, that are too big to fit in the overhead racks across the cabin, and thus take up the space of two regulation carryons, and will force those of us, who have been conscientious about our bag size, out.

Getting on to a Swiss Air flight I was made to check small 17in carry on it was crazy, because when I got on the plane there was 2 women with 25in cases as carry ons. I was thinking what the heck, that is not fare.

I always thought there were restrictions to the size of a carryon. One time I didn't get check before the alloted time to check in my luggage, so they told me I would have to carry it on - and it was like a 26" suitcase. The airline told me I would have to take it onboard, even though I wasn't planning too.

Recently I flew a smaller plane and carried on my 21" suitcase and it didn't fit in the bins in the overhead. Luckily there were empty seats and it fit under another empty seat.

Most of the long haul planes have pretty good space for carry-ons.

Here are some general rules I use for all my trips.

Get in an earlier boarding group. Different airlines run them differently, Southwest is based on when you check in, United is based on where you are seated (window seats board before middle or aisle).

When you get to the airport, get in line right away when they start boarding so you are among the first in your boarding group.

Find your seat and an overhead bin quickly. I don't want to fight the crowd to get my bag on the way out so I don't put my bag behind my row. I put it into the closest overhead bin I can find in front of or above my row, that allows me to grab it quickly on the way out.

On long flights - anything I might need on the plane such as water, snacks, earphones, book, newspaper or magazine, go into a small daypack. The daypack is in my carry on, easily accessed from the top. When the carry-on goes into the overhead bin, the daypack comes out and goes under the seat in front of me. When I arrive I put it back into my carry-on as soon as I can step out of the flow of people getting off the plane. I like to have only one thing to keep track of.

I also put my carry-on snugly against other bags in the bin with the top handle out so it leaves as much space as possible for people behind me.

Recently I flew and sat in the back economy section. Rather than stand up right away to get my bag and get pushed and shoved by the people who had to put their bags behind their row, I stayed in my seat and waited until everyone was out of my section. Then I just got up and got my bag and walked out. It was a lot easier and a lot less stressful. At least this way, if you have to put your bag a few rows behind you on the plane, you can just wait to try to get it down and not have to trample your fellow passengers.

If there is no room for your carry-on the airline will put your carry-on in the cargo hold free of charge. This is because you are, by their verbage, allowed one carry-on of xyz dimensions. I can see the sizes shrinking in the future to force economy travelers to check a bag. Let's face it, the airlines are in crisis and it's not going to get better soon.