Airline Outrage: Why Passengers Keep Getting Forced To Gate Check Bags When Overhead Bins Are Empty

by Gary Leff

Aug 04 2024

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?

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Southwest Passengers Left Helpless As Flight Attendant Ignores Inflight Hair Nightmare

by Gary Leff

Aug 03 2024

Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Chicago Midway found themselves sitting behind a woman with her hair draped over their seat back. They didn’t want a confrontation, but they didn’t want the woman’s hair in their face, so they sought help from a flight attendant.

According to the passengers, the flight attendant replied, “What exactly would you like me to do?”

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Airlines Are Running Out Of Flight Numbers, And They Don’t Know What To Do About It

by Gary Leff

Aug 03 2024

Airlines use up to four digits for flight numbers. That means they can have up to 9,999 flights (since there’s no flight zero), and no one comes close. American Airlines operates around 6,700 daily flights including its American Eagle regional services. So they should have plenty of room to grow!

Except they don’t. American Airlines, Delta, and United are running out of flight numbers, and nobody knows what to do about it.

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