Overhead bins and Overflow?

[yellowtink]

What do the airlines do if there are too many carry-on bags? I couldn't find a thread anywhere, any help is appreciated.

TIA

 

[safetymom]

If there is no more room in the overheads your luggage will be tagged and taken and you will need to go to baggage claim to retrieve it when you land.

 

[Carriemel]

You don't always have to go to baggage claim...a lot of the time, and mostly on smaller aircraft, the bag will be returned to you planeside...

 

[yellowtink]

Thanks.

 

[mbb]

Just like strollers...they'll take it from you at the door of the plane, and when the flight is ended, they bring it right back up with the strollers

So, remember to tag your carry-ons!

 

[safetymom]

You all must fly on different airlines than I do. Most times it isn't tagged to be brought up to the plane when the overheads are full. If you are flying a small plane I see no advantage to bringing it onboard. The aisles are narrow and the overheads are small. I would check it planeside.

 

[DVC Grammy]

On any flights where I've seen this, the extra carry-ons are "gate checked" from the plane, and will usually be available for claiming as you exit the door going onto the ramp.

 

[DebbieB]

My experience is on full size planes, any luggage that cannot fit in the overhead is sent to baggage claim (luggage, not strollers). On regional jets where the overheads are too small for most carryons, they do return it planeside.

 

[drew64]

They will only be returned at the gate if it is a small commuter or prop plane that ROUTINELY does gate check-in and retrieval of carry on bags. This is becuase the smaller overhead bins on these planes only hold small bags.

On jets- 737 size or larger, they will be taken, gate checked and sent to baggage claim upon arrival.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you have to check baggage unexpectedly, stop right there and take out valuables, keys, medicine, etc. that normally does not go in checked baggage.

If you have to gate check baggage on the first of connecting flights and it does not appear at the gangplank at the connection point, you should expect the airline to get it to your destination without further action on your part. If it does not get to your destination, consider it misdirected by the airline and not abandoned by you.

 

[mmouse50]

Do you have to pay any checked baggage fees?

 

[DebbieB]

Do you have to pay any checked baggage fees?

Not as long as the bag is within carryon size limit and there is no room.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you have to gate check baggage on the first of connecting flights and it does not appear at the gangplank at the connection point, you should expect the airline to get it to your destination without further action on your part. If it does not get to your destination, consider it misdirected by the airline and not abandoned by you.

Before I assume that, I'd want to see the sticker tag on the handle that identifies the bag. When I've gate checked (granted on small planes where the bag is returned at the gate), all I get is a quick pink tag with a number & a rip off tab. Nothing to identify what the final destination is.

 

[DebbieB]

Before I assume that, I'd want to see the sticker tag on the handle that identifies the bag. When I've gate checked (granted on small planes where the bag is returned at the gate), all I get is a quick pink tag with a number & a rip off tab. Nothing to identify what the final destination is.

That's on a regional where they return it planeside. On a full size plane, my experience is they writeup a detailed slip.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Before I assume that, I'd want to see the sticker tag on the handle that identifies the bag. When I've gate checked (granted on small planes where the bag is returned at the gate), all I get is a quick pink tag with a number & a rip off tab. Nothing to identify what the final destination is.

That's been my experience also. Not only is final destination important, but the gate issued luggage tages have lacked the barcode needed to sort luggage for delivery to the proper terminal and belt.

 

[evaready51]

My experience is on full size planes, any luggage that cannot fit in the overhead is sent to baggage claim (luggage, not strollers). On regional jets where the overheads are too small for most carryons, they do return it planeside.

DebbieB is correct

 

[Gary M]

Do you have to pay any checked baggage fees?

The last few times I've flown TransAir, I have upgraded to business class and have had row one seats. I noticed a few people bringing baggage which was too large for under the seat and overhead storage. The bags were gate checked and the passengers gamed the system by not having to pay for checked baggage. This was done by about 6 people on each flight.

 

[skelooch]

This would probably not be a problem if the airlines enforced the max size of bags being carried on. I have never seen a gate agent challenge the size of a bag. Some of the bags being carried on are bordering on ridiculous.

The other problem is the flight attendants allow passengers to place carry ons in the overheads close to the front of the plane when they are sitting in the rear of the plane. So the people sitting in the front have no place for their bags because they happen to be boarding last.

 

[DebbieB]

This would probably not be a problem if the airlines enforced the max size of bags being carried on. I have never seen a gate agent challenge the size of a bag. Some of the bags being carried on are bordering on ridiculous.

The other problem is the flight attendants allow passengers to place carry ons in the overheads close to the front of the plane when they are sitting in the rear of the plane. So the people sitting in the front have no place for their bags because they happen to be boarding last.

I totally agree on both counts.

 

[AlexDurrani]

The last few times I've flown TransAir, I have upgraded to business class and have had row one seats. I noticed a few people bringing baggage which was too large for under the seat and overhead storage. The bags were gate checked and the passengers gamed the system by not having to pay for checked baggage. This was done by about 6 people on each flight.

Sadly that is due to an airline that doesn't enforce the rules they set. Most airlines will eyeball a carry on and if the bag looks like it is too big for the bins they will use a sizing stand to measure it. I know Delta, AA, and sometimes UA do that. I've never seen this happen on Continental as much but they do have the bins for them. I am usually on board by the time the rest of the passengers come on board and am not really paying attention to the passengers gate check their stuff.

Southwest PAXs are notorious for bringing on extra bags and expect that they all will fit in the bins. I don't know how many times I have heard people argue with the cabin crew at the door because they claim that they have the "right" to bring on their suitcase size luggage (36" or greater) on the aircraft and expect it to fit. Of course they have to have packed it with "expensive" paper work or something stupid like that.

One of the main reasons why airlines with aircraft the size of school buses (737s and larger) can't individually pull out luggage and have them waiting at the Jet Bridge for the PAXs to claim them is because they usually put them in different areas of the aircraft to distribute the weight and it would cause way too much time waiting at the door of the aircraft to claim them. Strollers are a different matter since they are really light in most cases and can be placed in special areas that will not cause too much hassle in claiming them. That being said there was one of my previous trips to the World where on the flight home from MCO there were issues of severe delays on getting the strollers to the PAXs and babies crying and parents losing the calm with SWA agents about the delay.