United's Carry On Getting Stricter

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Just heard a news article that this week United gate agents are becoming stricter with carry on luggage. Folks with luggage that is bigger than 22x9x14 are being sent back to the ticket counter to check that luggage through to their destination and pay $25 fee.

Just a heads up!

 

[Hug the Mouse]

Good! It is sometimes ridiculous what people bring on board with them.

 

[OKW Lover]

Glad to hear that they are cracking down on this. Hope the other airlines follow suit.

 

[JanaDee]

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...er-enforcement-policy-eff-1-march-2014-a.html

In the past few days, I have flown through IAD, IAH, PHX, and ORD, all on United, and they had the new sizers, for both carry on bags and personal items, prominently placed at every gate. UA is not checking everyone's bag size; they appear to only be checking bags which look oversized.

 

[redrosesix]

We had some trouble with this coming out of Orlando at the gate -- the flight was way overbooked and my DD was scared they were trying to boot us off the plane. So was I. The gate agent was not at all nice and we've already sent an email to UA.

But wasn't she mad when we showed her our carry-ons actually did fit in the sizers. She wasn't even going to give us the chance to try -- she said they were expanded too much and couldn't fit, even though she had just seen us take out a blanket, 2 sweaters and a laptop (but didn't have time to push them down after that).

However, they were offering to check those bags for free, plus give us the $150 credit to take a later flight -- which wouldn't have helped us at all since we would then miss our connection in Newark.

 

[paults]

wish SW would do better. Every flight we board and after we sit down I watch how many people try to put there bags in the over head. The bag is supposed to fit wheels to the back straight in. And when it doesn't fit ( it's to big) they turn it sideways therefore taking 2 spots No wonder there's no room left for those who board later

 

[siskaren]

wish SW would do better. Every flight we board and after we sit down I watch how many people try to put their bags in the over head. The bag is supposed to fit wheels to the back straight in. And when it doesn't fit (it's too big) they turn it sideways therefore taking 2 spots No wonder there's no room left for those who board later

That strikes me as weird that that would happen on Southwest when they check bags for free. I guess some people just don't want to wait for luggage.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That strikes me as weird that that would happen on Southwest when they check bags for free. I guess some people just don't want to wait for luggage.

People don't want to risk losing their luggage or getting it damaged, nor do they want to wait at baggage claim. I can check 3 seventy pound bags for free on UA, but never do and rarely check a bag. Last time I did, a few days ago, my bag was destroyed.

 

[rwdavis2]

Good news. The problem started when United began charging for checked bags. The trick is to carry it back to the gate and when they offer free checked bags by checking it at the gate you get free checked luggage.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I flew twice last year on United and both times they were checking that carry on luggage. Making sure it wasn't too big. I'm glad too. Way too many people bring things on the plane that should be checked.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Good news. The problem started when United began charging for checked bags. The trick is to carry it back to the gate and when they offer free checked bags by checking it at the gate you get free checked luggage.

No, go back and read UA's rules. They are charging $25 to gate check bags which are too large for carry-on.

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/Pages/BaggageCarry-On.aspx


To determine if a bag will fit onboard, bag sizers will be available in the airport lobby. Once at the gate, any item in excess of the carry-on baggage size or allowance requirements will be checked to your final destination and may be subject to applicable service charges.

UA has indicated that they will charge for this.

 

[rwdavis2]

No, go back and read UA's rules. They are charging $25 to gate check bags which are too large for carry-on.

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/Pages/BaggageCarry-On.aspx

That's new to me. I haven't flown United since last September. Does it apply to bags gate-checked voluntarily? They used to ask for volunteers. I did not see all the rules at your link.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That's new to me. I haven't flown United since last September. Does it apply to bags gate-checked voluntarily? They used to ask for volunteers. I did not see all the rules at your link.

No. When they ask for bags to be voluntarily checked, there is still no charge.

 

[mcraige]

I'm glad I never fly UA. Not because I object to this rule -- in fact, I say it's about time airlines started enforcing the rule -- but that I just measured my luggage and it is 23x10x15.

 

[DebbieB]

No, go back and read UA's rules. They are charging $25 to gate check bags which are too large for carry-on.

http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/Pages/BaggageCarry-On.aspx


To determine if a bag will fit onboard, bag sizers will be available in the airport lobby. Once at the gate, any item in excess of the carry-on baggage size or allowance requirements will be checked to your final destination and may be subject to applicable service charges.

UA has indicated that they will charge for this.

There was a report on GMA this morning. The reporter demonstrated the bag sizers. He said if you can get the bag past security and get checked at the gate, they will check it for free. Kind of defeats the purpose, they should charge. It's not fair to people who voluntarily check their bags at the counter because they don't fit. I can't imagine TSA enforcing the size rules, especially since they are different with every airline. There would have to be a United employee at the security line.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There was a report on GMA this morning. The reporter demonstrated the bag sizers. He said if you can get the bag past security and get checked at the gate, they will check it for free. Kind of defeats the purpose, they should charge. It's not fair to people who voluntarily check their bags at the counter because they don't fit. I can't imagine TSA enforcing the size rules, especially since they are different with every airline. There would have to be a United employee at the security line.

Since when did tv reporters know what they're talking about?

UA has said that that oversized bags are subject to the $25 checked bag fee if they have to be checked at the gate.

Don't rest easy if you fly other airlines; if this works out for UA, they will likely follow suit.

 

[DebbieB]

Since when did tv reporters know what they're talking about?

UA has said that that oversized bags are subject to the $25 checked bag fee if they have to be checked at the gate.

Don't rest easy if you fly other airlines; if this works out for UA, they will likely follow suit.

I hope they do. I saw a ridiculous situation on Delta once. A girl comes on with a big bag stuffed full. It would not only not fit wheels first, it would not fit top to bottom. A couple of guys were trying to help her stuff it in the overhead. Wouldn't work. She's in the middle of the aisle holding up boarding. So an FA comes over with a plastic bag. She did step aside and proceeded to pull jeans out of the bag and put them in the bag the FA provided. The guys still had a hard time getting it to fit but they did stuff it in. It should have never got on in the first place, then the FA should have made her gate check it when it didn't fit, not accomodate her with a plastic bag.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Good for an airline enforcing the carry on rules.

But United is horrible, I will never fly them again anyway. Got stuck in a NEWish plane, the A320 SLIM version, on a flight from LAX to Newark, NJ, non-stop, 2 weeks ago. Over 5 hours.

IF you see you are booking a seat on one of these planes, switch flights! Or switch airlines! The worst flight of my LIFE. The seat pockets are so small, you could not even fit a book in them, much less a water bottle. 1" armrests between the narrow seats, so you are skin to skin with your seat mates (who may be strangers). So uncomfortable, and I am used to coach.

I don't think it is ALL A320s, just the slim version I got stuck on….. (and the irony is, the plane looks so new when you first board, you are like, hey, NICE. Then you realize, I can't fit my water bottle in here…… then you sit, and you realize, this is NOT good.)

 

[seashoreCM]

(quoting from the grapevine) United's contract of Carriage states that carryon bags may have length plus width plus thickness up to 45 inches with no dimension exceeding 22 inches. This overtly means that the bag may in some cases protrude beyond the 9 x 14 x 22 sizing frame in one dimension and still be "legal".

The above may be academic because, for a full flight, the flight crew can pick and choose which bags to admit to the cabin using the sizing frame as a criterion if they choose. But the airline may not charge for gate checking a carryon item that meets the requirements stated in the CoC. Only the question of charging is worth summoning the ground Complaint Resolution Officer for in the event push comes to shove.