Who all is going to need new carry ons?😠

[EACarlson]

I'm one of those people who rush to the check-in counter when they call for people to gate-check bags. Why on earth would you want to bring a bag you are not going to open, onto a full plane, and then have to fight with the other passengers for overhead bin space, when you can check it for free? If it doesn't fit under the seat I prefer to have it under the plane. The whole boarding process went to hell when they started charging to check bags.

Because the reason for most of my trips is business. If I am going to be without my bag for any amount of time, I lose my ability to make money during that time. I have things in the carryon that I need to do the job I'm being hired to do. I can make due with less of it, but I can't make due with none.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm one of those people who rush to the check-in counter when they call for people to gate-check bags. Why on earth would you want to bring a bag you are not going to open, onto a full plane, and then have to fight with the other passengers for overhead bin space, when you can check it for free? If it doesn't fit under the seat I prefer to have it under the plane. The whole boarding process went to hell when they started charging to check bags.

Has nothing to do with money. I carry on for a couple of reasons...
1) Don't have to worry about the airline misplacing/misdirecting my bag. It sucks getting to your destination and your bag didn't make it. Maybe you don't have everything in a carry on, but you should be able to get a couple of days at least while the airline finds your bag and gets it to you.
2) Don't have to go to baggage claim at my destination and wait for the bag to show up.

When travelling HOME with the family, we'll check the carry on. First, if our bag doesn't show up, we have clothes at home to change into. Second, we are more than likely already checking SOME bag(s), so have to stop by baggage claim anyway.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Since most flights we're on don't seem the enforce the current requirements in our experience, I don't think this is anything to worry about for the immediate future.

You've been lucky. I've watched American Airlines diverting up to one in five people over to check the bag with their unforgiving "Place It Here" box. I downsized for every airline but Southwest. Southwest is still 24x16x10 but American is 22x14x9. I even have one for Spirit, I think which is different than either of those two. USA airlines are Not all a standard size

 

[Lumpy1106]

Because the reason for most of my trips is business. If I am going to be without my bag for any amount of time, I lose my ability to make money during that time. I have things in the carryon that I need to do the job I'm being hired to do. I can make due with less of it, but I can't make due with none.

Yup, and those things should fit in the bag you are carrying your computer in...that would fit under the seat. Been there, done that, we are not disagreeing here.

I am old enough to remember the time before they started charging for bags. There was plenty of overhead space, the boarding and de-boarding process went WAY faster. We all got accustomed to carrying all manner of everything onto the plane so we didn't have to pay for it. And, here we are, debating about mere inches of a bag size, or the airline will charge you for that bag too. It's ridiculous.

 

[justafigment27]

I'm one of those people who rush to the check-in counter when they call for people to gate-check bags. Why on earth would you want to bring a bag you are not going to open, onto a full plane, and then have to fight with the other passengers for overhead bin space, when you can check it for free? If it doesn't fit under the seat I prefer to have it under the plane. The whole boarding process went to hell when they started charging to check bags.

After getting caught up with the SWA fiasco of December 2023 and not having my checked baggage back in my possession for 10+ days, I prefer carry on only.

I just flew AA with a connection in Chicago. The plane was smaller, so they were offering gate check with a red ticket and I readily volunteered. I didn’t mind because I knew my bag would be returned to me on the jetway before I made my connection. I didn’t count on having to wait on a freezing cold jetway for over 20 minutes … I literally watched all the flight crew leave the plane and the cleaning crew come and go while waiting for my bag… and then when I got it, it was covered in snow. I had a long connection time, so it wasn’t stressful. But, given a choice, I’d rather have hauled my own (dry) bag in and out of an overhead compartment and not stood in the cold for waiting around. So, on the return flight, I didn’t get the red ticket and took my own bag. Lesson learned …

 

[EACarlson]

Yup, and those things should fit in the bag you are carrying your computer in...that would fit under the seat. Been there, done that, we are not disagreeing here.

I am old enough to remember the time before they started charging for bags. There was plenty of overhead space, the boarding and de-boarding process went WAY faster. We all got accustomed to carrying all manner of everything onto the plane so we didn't have to pay for it. And, here we are, debating about mere inches of a bag size, or the airline will charge you for that bag too. It's ridiculous.

And when my required gear doesn't fit in a personal item sized bag along with the actual personal items I need, like the medication to keep me alive, what am I supposed to do them?

 

[Lewisc]

And when my required gear doesn't fit in a personal item sized bag along with the actual personal items I need, like the medication to keep me alive, what am I supposed to do them?

Pray the airline doesn't misdirect your checked bag with medical stuff....
Not. For the benefit of others reading this thread...airlines EVEN Frontier, will let you bring an extra bag on the plane, NO CHARGE, if it contains exclusively medical stuff like cpap machines

 

[disney-inspired]

And when my required gear doesn't fit in a personal item sized bag along with the actual personal items I need, like the medication to keep me alive, what am I supposed to do them?

Medical items are not counted toward personal items or carry on limits and are allowed with you on the plane. My friend has meds & a CPAP and she flies with it and hasn't had any issues. Always important to keep your meds on your person when traveling in the case of an emergency.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Lots of anecdotal reasons why to have the bag on the plane - here's a good anecdotal story (American);
I went snowboarding with friends and flew into Durango on a flight that was LAX-PHX-DRO. The flight was delayed as we sat on the tarmac at LAX, snowboard bag checked under the plane (obviously) with my roller bag. The plane lands in PHX, the crew asks everyone to stay seated so we could make connections. Yeah, good luck with that - up jumps the majority of the passengers to get their rollers out of the overhead bins. I fight my way out of the plane, run to my gate (if you 've flown to PHX you know the pain) and BARELY make the connection. The second I sat down I knew the bags did not make it. We land in DRO and nope - no bags. I talked to the agent at the counter and he insisted on bringing the bags personally to the AirBNB in town - about a 45 minute drive, and have them there by 8a. TOTALLY came through - Kudos to AA for making that right.

 

[redrosesix]

I'm one of those people who rush to the check-in counter when they call for people to gate-check bags. Why on earth would you want to bring a bag you are not going to open, onto a full plane, and then have to fight with the other passengers for overhead bin space, when you can check it for free? If it doesn't fit under the seat I prefer to have it under the plane. The whole boarding process went to hell when they started charging to check bags.

This. we have flown on smaller planes where gate checking was pretty much necessary. They give you time to get out your essentials and then you don't need to deal with them in the overheads and all.

we're flying on Porter this year and the size limits are difficult...17 x 13 x 6, which is even smaller than Ryanair which allows 9 inches. I did find a bag I could buy but opted just to use a backpack. No way I'm paying extra for a bigger carry on. It was an option but I'm opting to pack better instead.

 

[bbsearchlight]

And one of the biggest problems is with the luggage companies themselves where they write the incorrect size on the luggage. Whenever I buy luggage, I walk into the store with a tape measure and measure the suitcase first and I would say around 75% of the time the stated dimensions of the manufacturer are off by an inch or two.

 

[sam_gordon]

Lots of anecdotal reasons why to have the bag on the plane - here's a good anecdotal story (American);
I went snowboarding with friends and flew into Durango on a flight that was LAX-PHX-DRO. The flight was delayed as we sat on the tarmac at LAX, snowboard bag checked under the plane (obviously) with my roller bag. The plane lands in PHX, the crew asks everyone to stay seated so we could make connections. Yeah, good luck with that - up jumps the majority of the passengers to get their rollers out of the overhead bins. I fight my way out of the plane, run to my gate (if you 've flown to PHX you know the pain) and BARELY make the connection. The second I sat down I knew the bags did not make it. We land in DRO and nope - no bags. I talked to the agent at the counter and he insisted on bringing the bags personally to the AirBNB in town - about a 45 minute drive, and have them there by 8a. TOTALLY came through - Kudos to AA for making that right.

Wouldn't that be a reason TO have a carry on though? What if your connecting flight is the last of the night and the next flight doesn't get in until Noon? No way to have your bag by 8a.

Some more anecdotes...

We went to Europe a number of years ago. Because of a tight connection, NONE of our checked bags made our flight. For whatever reason, it took two days for our bags to get there. Delta gave us money to go to a store and buy some clothes (we had some in our carry on, but ran out).

I took a one day trip to Orlando for a job interview. AA flight out of MCO to Charlotte (for connection) was delayed. By the time we got to Charlotte, I had missed my connection. AA got me scheduled on the next flight the next morning and put me in a hotel. Fortunately I had put a change of underwear in my backpack. If this had been a "normal" trip, I would have had my carry on with a change of clothes.

Another time going to MCO, one of our checked bags didn't make it. "We'll have to you by 7p." The bag they brought to us at 6:30 wasn't ours.

If you want to check your bags and not deal with carry ons, more power to you. Just leaves more room in the overhead for mine. But there are reasons other than "money" to have a carry on.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Will continue with the same carryon I’ve used since the late ‘90s/early ‘20s. It’ll meet the new Euro standards. AA is one of my least favorite airlines; haven’t traveled with them for decades.

 

[kylenne]

So it turns out a lot of this “new carryon standard” stuff is just misinformation from AI generated clickbait channels on YouTube. One of the travel channels I watch sometimes did a video debunking it.

Re: checking vs carryon. I do both. I get free checked bags on Delta and JetBlue. Never had an issue with checked luggage but I keep air tags in all my bags and clothes in the carryon for that reason. I don’t fight for bin space getting on with zone 1 and sitting in the front. But there’s too many cons to me for doing just one or the other. Carry on only I can only do for very short weekend trips, anything more than 3 days and liquids become an issue (shampoo bars do not work for my hair type). And I take meds so only checking a bag does not work.

 

[Akck]

So it turns out a lot of this “new carryon standard” stuff is just misinformation from AI generated clickbait channels on YouTube. One of the travel channels I watch sometimes did a video debunking it.

Re: checking vs carryon. I do both. I get free checked bags on Delta and JetBlue. Never had an issue with checked luggage but I keep air tags in all my bags and clothes in the carryon for that reason. I don’t fight for bin space getting on with zone 1 and sitting in the front. But there’s too many cons to me for doing just one or the other. Carry on only I can only do for very short weekend trips, anything more than 3 days and liquids become an issue (shampoo bars do not work for my hair type). And I take meds so only checking a bag does not work.

Wish you posted this before I ordered new carryon luggage. Just kidding, we already had 1 carryon “ready” bag. I did just purchase a new carryon suitcase for my wife because she’s tired of packing so much weight/bulk in her backpack. All our other small suitcases are 1+” too big in a couple of dimensions, although I see others with even bigger carryons.

 

[EACarlson]

I just flew four segments on Delta, no one paid any attention to the size of carryon bags. My bag is a 1/2 inch to big and I had one of the smaller ones on my flight from MSP-MCO. Saw a guy whose bag might have fit if it weren't expanded, but it was expanded and stuffed. I thought the FAs were going to make him check it since they really had to force that thing into the overhead.
I have no problems checking bags when it makes sense for me. I checked a bag and what is normally my carry-on on the way home, nothing I need for a few days once I get home.

Pray the airline doesn't misdirect your checked bag with medical stuff....
Not. For the benefit of others reading this thread...airlines EVEN Frontier, will let you bring an extra bag on the plane, NO CHARGE, if it contains exclusively medical stuff like cpap machines

Medical items are not counted toward personal items or carry on limits and are allowed with you on the plane. My friend has meds & a CPAP and she flies with it and hasn't had any issues. Always important to keep your meds on your person when traveling in the case of an emergency.

Both of you miss the point. I doubt I could get the gear I require to do my job into a personal sized item to begin with. But even if I could, it would take up the entire bag, leaving me no space for the actual personal items I need. If I can't work, I'm spending a whole lot of money on a plane ticket for no reason.

 

[miksicnarf]

I'm one of those people who rush to the check-in counter when they call for people to gate-check bags.

I beat you to it--I always ask to check my carryon before they even make the announcement. I stuff my carryon (I only use it plus a max-size underseat bag) and it ends up pretty heavy. I'm not strong enough to gracefully get it in and out of the overhead and I feel pretty sure I'd put some people in the concussion protocol.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Trying to understand this TSA quirk;
I travelled with DD to a lacrosse tournament in Utah. I don't know if you've ever seen a lacrosse stick, but they are light. You could leave a decent bruise, but that's it. TSA is very clear; lacrosse sticks must be checked, and cannot be carried onto the plane.

Meanwhile, same flight, anyone with a light saber they just bought at SWGE was allowed to bring those on board. Huh? Just because it's expensive doesn't mean you can't hit someone with it, and those are definitely heavier, and could do more damage than a lacrosse stick.

 

[tamitru32]

Just traveled and am still trying to figure this thing out. I think for me it comes down to requirements. Would you have the time and opportunity to rebuy some stuff if luggage is lost? Granted nobody wants to have to go shopping when you should be starting your vacation/business. Hadn't flown in years and was surprised the number of big roller bags going into overhead bins. I found a perfect underseat roller bag, only thing tho is you can't stretch out your legs at all with it under the seat. Wanted it tho as day 2 of trip required special outfit (rarity for me), no time or opportunity to replace it. Discovering too now that waiting for luggage is a drag and have learned to downsize what I take. So next trip thinking about roller bag and maybe get in on the gate check for it. Sounds like a good strategy as I probably can't lift it up into overhead bins.

 

[Lewisc]

TSA in FLL had pax put all bags, including BIN bags, in a tray. My carryon bag, international legal, easily fit. I don't know what would happen if your bag didn't fit.