Carry-on luggage size

jsgrand0

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 14, 2007
Messages
500
GRRR...frustrated. Our nice luggage set has 2 smaller suitcases and 2 slightly larger suitcases. The smaller ones are ONE INCH too long to be carry-on eligible!! My DH insists that they don't actually measure carry-ons...no way I'm taking that chance or it's $40 RT/per bag! Now I have to figure out what to use as carry-on. Looks like our option is duffle bags, as we're not going to buy new luggage! Oh, and btw, we leave on FRIDAY!! LOL I"m sure most of you would have been packed 2 weeks ago, but not us! Getting laundry done, cleaning house and packing over the next 2 days!
 
GRRR...frustrated. Our nice luggage set has 2 smaller suitcases and 2 slightly larger suitcases. The smaller ones are ONE INCH too long to be carry-on eligible!! My DH insists that they don't actually measure carry-ons...no way I'm taking that chance or it's $40 RT/per bag! Now I have to figure out what to use as carry-on. Looks like our option is duffle bags, as we're not going to buy new luggage! Oh, and btw, we leave on FRIDAY!! LOL I"m sure most of you would have been packed 2 weeks ago, but not us! Getting laundry done, cleaning house and packing over the next 2 days!

Your DH is totally correct, they do not measure carry ons. You shoud see what people carry on. Truly amazing.

If this makes you feel any better, I am a total last minute packer, as in the night before.
 
Your DH is totally correct, they do not measure carry ons. You shoud see what people carry on. Truly amazing.

If this makes you feel any better, I am a total last minute packer, as in the night before.

They may or may not measure them, but carryons must go wheels first into the overhead bin. A bag that is too long may not fit. You are right though, I've seen some people trying to carry on bags as big as my checked bag. Then again I've also seen those same people have to gate check those bags. What makes me mad is they try to bring them on knowing they won't fit and then the FAs gate check them for free, whereas I had to pay to check the same size bag.:mad:
 
They may or may not measure them, but carryons must go wheels first into the overhead bin. A bag that is too long may not fit. You are right though, I've seen some people trying to carry on bags as big as my checked bag. Then again I've also seen those same people have to gate check those bags. What makes me mad is they try to bring them on knowing they won't fit and then the FAs gate check them for free, whereas I had to pay to check the same size bag.:mad:

Yep, that's how I feel as well. I sit there, at the gate, obsessing over the size of my carryon bag, while watching others bringing on the kitchen sink!! My carryon bag is a rolling duffle from LLBean, and is exactly what the measurements are for a standard carryon. It fits in perfectly, wheels first.
But, like you, I've seen passengers bringing a large bag, one that no one in their right mind thinks is going to meet carryon standards, being allowed to gate check it for free!!! Drives me nutty!!!!

I have also seen people shoving and pushing their carryon bag into the overhead...trying to get it to squeeze in. And, of course, it isn't going in wheels first..it's being shoved in sideways, so that it takes up nearly 2/3 of the overhead, making it unusable for anything else. And do the FAs say anything??? Nope.
 

Your DH is totally correct, they do not measure carry ons. You shoud see what people carry on. Truly amazing.

This just isn't true. I have personally seen carry-on bags weighed, measured (by tape) and measured by having PAX put the bag in one of those luggage measuring bins. It can happen.

There is a reason for the luggage size limits. If your bag won't fit in the overhead bin wheels first (and yes, I have seen people put them in sideways when they don't fit), the door won't close and your bag will be removed and gate checked. Even one inch can make a difference.

It is true that if your one inch too large bag gets through security and you end up having to gate check it because you can't get it in the overheads (and you still may be able to squash it in), there will be no charge.
 
. And do the FAs say anything??? Nope.

Believe me, FAs are not happy about the carry on situation. We get injured costantly turning and rearanging bags trying to make them fit. Getting shouted out by passengers when we ask them to put one bag under their seat, shouted at because theres no room for their bag, shouted out when we tell a passenger their bag is too large. When you have gone thru this on every flight sometimes it becomes a battle you choose not to fight. We just do our best to try and accomodate everyones bags and while trying to upset the least number of people.



These are my personal views only :)
 
Believe me, FAs are not happy about the carry on situation. We get injured costantly turning and rearanging bags trying to make them fit. Getting shouted out by passengers when we ask them to put one bag under their seat, shouted at because theres no room for their bag, shouted out when we tell a passenger their bag is too large. When you have gone thru this on every flight sometimes it becomes a battle you choose not to fight. We just do our best to try and accomodate everyones bags and while trying to upset the least number of people.



These are my personal views only :)
Might be time for the FAs to sit down and have a 'chat' with the gate attendents. I would assume it's their job to implement company policy regarding bag sizes.
I can well understand FAs aggravation with this all....it would annoy me beyond belief to have to deal with that day in and day out. It annoys the heck out of me whenever I fly. I don't like paying for checked bags either, and I hate waiting for those bags to come out on the carousel...but I try to abide by the carryon rules, so it really bugs me when I see people stretching the rules so they can avoid those fees and that wait at baggage claim.
 
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GRRR...frustrated. Our nice luggage set has 2 smaller suitcases and 2 slightly larger suitcases. The smaller ones are ONE INCH too long to be carry-on eligible!! My DH insists that they don't actually measure carry-ons...no way I'm taking that chance or it's $40 RT/per bag! Now I have to figure out what to use as carry-on. Looks like our option is duffle bags, as we're not going to buy new luggage! Oh, and btw, we leave on FRIDAY!! LOL I"m sure most of you would have been packed 2 weeks ago, but not us! Getting laundry done, cleaning house and packing over the next 2 days!

It may depend on your airline as to how strict they will be. We've never had any problems flying domestically with any of our carry-ons and most of them are 21" x whatever but when you measure them with the handles & wheels they're more like 23". Are you saying yours is larger than that? Is it too late to return the whole & set & buy different ones?

We just went to Europe plus did one of the DCL Med cruises in August and we flew on Air France and had several flights. Talk about luggage restrictions!! :scared: International size carry-on limits are much, much smaller than our domestic carry-ons. 17" rather than 21" AND they had a 26 Lb weight limit on your total allowed carry-on items (overhead bin AND "personal article" combined). :eek: I bought a digital luggage scale and all new lightweight carry-ons to comply (for around $50-60 each between TJ Maxx & Target) because Air France now charges $75 per checked bag after your first bag - so I figured in the end it would save money over having to check them if we were stopped. At no point during the trip did we have to get our bags measured or weighed but I think it's because we LOOKED LIKE we complied. And for the most part we DID - my purse & carry-on together may have weighed 27 or 28 Lbs a time or two but I saw only a couple of people with suspiciously oversized bags. Most people seemed to be complying with these international rules so we blended in. I don't think we could've slid thru if we'd have brought our regular carry-ons. We definitely would've called attention to ourselves. I think you'll likely be fine if your bags don't stand out as being way over sized.

(FWIW I really like duffles too - they're pretty efficient if you have some smaller ones and they're squishable.)
 
This just isn't true. I have personally seen carry-on bags weighed, measured (by tape) and measured by having PAX put the bag in one of those luggage measuring bins. It can happen.

There is a reason for the luggage size limits. If your bag won't fit in the overhead bin wheels first (and yes, I have seen people put them in sideways when they don't fit), the door won't close and your bag will be removed and gate checked. Even one inch can make a difference.

It is true that if your one inch too large bag gets through security and you end up having to gate check it because you can't get it in the overheads (and you still may be able to squash it in), there will be no charge.

While i am sure you have seen them measured etc, the fact remains that carry ons are rarely checked and as another poster mentioned, it is a very large problem.

I am aware of the reason for luggage size limits, as I am sure most people are, I am not a pack mule, so, I check my bags and have one carry on that fits under my seat and fits quite well in the size thingie they have for people to check.

Perhaps I should have said they rarely check rather than they don't check. However, I will not edit my comment of what people do carry on aircraft, it boggles the mind and is totally inconsiderate of others.
 














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