Two flights in a row an American Airlines passenger found that overhead bins were virtually empty yet people were being required to gate check their carry-on bags. They weren’t allowed to bring their bags onto the plane, even though there was plenty of space.
This is one of the most frequent complaints about airlines I see in social media, day after day, alongside damaged checked bags. Those two complaints are related! Who wants to waste time at baggage claim when they land, only to find their bags lost or damaged?
Yet airlines don’t take advantage of the space they have in the cabin to accommodate their customers. Here’s why that happens.
AA 5030, YYZ-CLT. Everyone was required to gate check bags and nothing but empty overhead bin space. Thanks @AmericanAir @garyleff pic.twitter.com/bQ9zxraApS
— Matthew Zook (@mattzook) July 30, 2024
Flight 5483, CLT-LEX, made to check my carry on again, nothing but empty overhead bins. My feedback would be to let people carry on their carry one, @garyleff pic.twitter.com/AY1vHdh5qi
— Matthew Zook (@mattzook) July 31, 2024
You’re allowed to carry bags onto the plane – but only if there’s enough space on board. That’s the main reason it’s better to board planes early, rather than being last onto the plane. Priority boarding is a benefit to ensure you get access to overhead space. Otherwise you wouldn’t want to spend more time on board the aircraft than you have to.
Since airlines other than Southwest charge for checked bags, people bring as much of their belongings onboard as possible. Overhead bins get stuffed full, and passengers wind forced to gate check their carry on bags, even though airlines are installing bigger overhead bins – bins that are supposed to have enough space for everyone. And it didn’t used to be this way!
- Twenty five years ago U.S. airline passengers could generally bring two full sized carry on bags onto planes, and there wasn’t an issue with too-full overhead space.
- That’s because planes weren’t as full, and airlines didn’t charge for most checked bags, so passengers didn’t use all the space they were allotted.
Restrictions on carry on bags began with federalized security checkpoints following 9/11. The government didn’t want as many carry-ons having to be screened, so we got carry on limits as a way to limit how much gets brought through checkpoints and speed up lines.
The rush to carry bags onto planes by more passengers didn’t begin in earnest until 2008 when airlines began charging for the first checked bag. That pushed a lot more bags into the cabin. Southwest Airlines has far less of a problem of full overhead bins compared to United, Delta and American even without larger overhead bins, since they don’t charge for up to two 50 pound checked bags.
Airlines moved to larger bins both because not having to gate check bags is a better customer experience, and also because having to gate check bags slows down the boarding process.
- When customers find out at the last minute that bins are full, they’re often bringing bags off the plane after they’ve been boarded.
- This can mean delaying a flight five or ten minutes. And do that with every flight, you’re looking at delays that stack (and missed connections) and flights that are no longer desirable to customers to book (since they push flights outside of the most desired time windows).
- It makes fleet use less efficient, or put another way an airline needs more planes to execute the same schedule.
Unfortunately larger bins aren’t a panacea. Even where bins are in theory large enough to accommodate a full sized carry on bag per passenger,
- That requires turning carry on bags on their side, and too many passengers don’t do this (more generally, efficient use of the space isn’t done perfectly every flight)
- Customers put up more than one item, either their personal item doesn’t go under the seat or in winter people bring jackets etc.
Airlines are still on the lookout for flights that will need gate checking even with larger bins. And gate agents often start requiring it when there’s still plenty of space. They may not communicate with the cabin at all during this process.
And gate agents want to start checking bags before they’re told bins are actually full (there will be passengers already on the jet bridge with their bags if they wait until those on the plane already ahve used all the space). They’re under a lot of pressure to get flights out exactly on time and not a minute late.
- A gate agent doesn’t get rewarded for ensuring passengers can bring their items on the flight.
- But they may get yelled at by a supervisor if too many bags make it on, and gate checking bags delays a flight by a few minutes!
The incentives gate agents face are to require too many bags to be gate checked even when larger bins means there’s enough bin space for everyone.
This is why passengers carry more bags on planes than ever, airlines install bigger bins, and it’s still not enough space to prevent customers from having to gate check their bags.
As an x flight attendant you are forgetting something. In major impact overhead bins comedown. Neck injuries etc abound. Also studies show the first thing to catch fire is your luggage. Also as recently shown passengers insist on dragging their suitcases with them when evacuating a plane/ dangerous for themselves and others
Simple solution to the excess baggage fees and carryon headaches.
Don’t fly !
Any trip of a few hundred miles, I enjoy the drive, and I can take whatever I want, and however as much I want, without it being confiscated by TSA, or lost / destroyed by contract ramp loaders that don’t give a rip about your belongings.
Overhead bins in anything but smaller regional jets are made for roller carryons. If other passengers,wouldn’t be so entitled and hog space, there would be room for everyone to bring their allowance on board. But in today’s rude , all about me society, we all know that’s not happening!
Solution, make the maximum size and weight of carryon less and decrease or eliminate the checked luggage fee. Too many passengers bringing on the largest carryon which leaves little to no room for everyone else. The point of carryon is to carry small items or things that can’t be checked for various reasons.
I carryon and only ever have carried on a backpack which contains my laptop, some snacks, and one change of underwear, one shirt & toiletries in case of a missed flight/lost baggage.
If they don’t charge for checked bags, they would be no problem with the overhead bin.
I suspect the airlines of doing this to discourage “skiplagging”
In cabin bags slows down the boarding deboarding process. And they are not wanting to strain their backs is someone needs help to lift their bag up to the bin.
Above wing weren’t those both psa flights? You should know Psa is a no carry airline. Passengers gate check their bags, receiving a red or yellow tag, with a number on them, then get their suitcase in the jet bridge when they arrive to their destination. It’s not a matter of having bin space available on that airlines particular aircrafts, the only bags allowed on those are crew bags.
My big problem is with United, where they don’t include a carry-on with a basic fare. That means the carry-on is a paid upgrade to the mid tier level, and yet they still force gate checks and they will not refund the extra charge. My solution last time? Put the tag on for gate check but carry it on anyway. As this article pointed out, there was actually plenty of space.
I rely on my small wheeled carry-on luggage to tote my personal bag, which contains necessities. I was left with a bruise on my arm when I was required to carry it because my small carry-on was bag checked at the boarding desk and sent to my final destination. So, instead of being able to tote it on my carry-on luggage , I had to carry it to my connecting flight resulting with a bruise on my arm.
When I am told that I am allowed two carry-ons, I expect to be able to take two carry-ons on the plane and not be penalized for being the last group called to board.
I’m kind of surprised we haven’t come up with a modular overhead system yet. Bags go in a locker at the gate, the entire locker wall comes through the wall and onto the plane. This requires assigned seats of course.
@Dena
To quote Rhett Butke, I dint give a damn that your sucky airline is too incompetent to build in enough time for people to store their overheads and still get the plane out.
Funny how other airlines seem.competent enough to figure it out.
Number one to get flights out on time. Remember gate agents are usually judged on their adherence to D0. Second to cut down on people skipping the last leg. If you’re forced to check a bag it’s going to that final destination whether you intended to do so or not.
American Airline feeder flights on Piedmont have a no rollaboard rule in place. That’s why this person couldn’t bring it on board. It’s simply their policy. A dumb one since mine fits but a policy still the same. Some flight attendant tried to tell me it was an FAA rule and I laughed and told her not to lie – it’s her cabin and she can insist but don’t tell me it’s FAA.
Airlines cause this not by adding fees, but through severely s,ow baggage handling, when it takes longer to get you checked bag then it did to fly from DTW-ORD is when passengers do all they can to carry on.
From personal experience Delta got me to check more often when they had and met the 20 minute promise. It would also help if their US ground staff actually put Priority bags out first. Somehow in Asia that can happen at every airport no matter how big or small.
Make the first (and perhaps second) checked bag free.
Charge for carryon baggage. First item $25. Second item $100.
No charge for a personal item that can go under your seat.
Carryon baggage problem solved.
Or you could charge much less say$10, for checked in luggage. You make a little money ( more than you deserve, for something that used to be free). The motivation for carry on luggage goes away.
Both flights mentioned are American Eagle flights operator by PSA Airlines, flying CRJs. The smaller overhead bins do fit standard carry on bags, but because they have to fit long ways, not very many. The solution is to “vallet” check all rolling bags plane side. Passengers’ rolling bags are received in the jet bridge immediately after the plane parks.
It’s a pretty good solution that’s fair to all and is much faster than picking up gate checked bags at baggage claim.
The flights mentioned are both PSA Airlines operated flights on their regional CRJ 700/900 aircraft. PSA Airlines is a “no carry-on baggage carrier”. This has nothing to do with over head bin space or bags fitting. It’s a blanket NO carry on bags policy. Take it up with the airline, but get the facts straight.
Several airlines have data based on the plane type, routing, and bin size that calculates the expected number of bags that have been brought on board. They system will then a countdown of how many bags can still fit based on their estimates. Sometimes the estimates are right on, sometimes they let too many bags on, and other times there is a lot of extra bin space. Almost impossible to get perfect given bag sizes and passengers inability to put bags in the bin in the most effective manner.
There is also the fact that in smaller planes, sometimes, there are weight and balance issues. This means more bags are needed in the pit because most airports don’t have enough ballast to put 500lb-1200lbs on EACH express flight. It’s easier to use gate check bags.
This problem has been solved, courtesy of Ryan Air:
1. EVERY small personal item goes under the seat in front.
2. Carry-ons are sold as part of “Priority”, including 1 bag & priority boarding. RyanAir knows how many carry-ons fit and will sell a maximum number of Priority, so every carry-on has a spot.
3. Priority customers go on board, store carry-on. After that, personal items, etc can go into the bin, if any space is left…
So simple & it works..
The US carriers can implement similar process: Count the elites & full economy tickets. Once no more space, only basic economy without carry-on is sold.
But they insist on selling more of the product (overhead bin space) than they actually have. In most industries, selling a product you don’t have or a service you can’t actually deliver, would be considered fraudulent…
It is worth noting that 5483, CLT-LEX {referenced screenshot from X} is operated with a regional jet. Overhead bins on regional jets are not the same as mainline aircraft. Comparing the overhead bins of regional jets and mainline aircraft is not apples-to-apples, so not a fair comparison. Your fully-stuffed rollerboard that normally “fits” into the overhead bins on a mainline aircraft likely will not “fit” into the overhead bins on a regional jet.
Only ever had this problem with American Airlines.
Idol carry on due to damage to bags and long wait time at baggage claim. Don’t make me put my bag under.
Simple solution: charge for carry ons but let passengers check bags free.
I am AA employee and the first two flights appear to CRJs. On those, the overhead bins are really small so we valet check all roller bags regardless of size. This is also due to how the airline got their certification from the FAA. I’m not sure what the deal is with that as it’s never been explained to me, but both of these reasons are why all roller bags are valet checked in most of the regional aircraft.
Funny that people are saying the problem would be solved if checked luggage was free. Checked luggage is free on Southwest and it is extremely rare to have gate-checked luggage… even on full flights.
Forced to gate check bag by Southwest in Denver AFTER already have flown in on SW connecting flight. Then same size bags allowed to be brought onboard by other passengers. Gate agent out of control.