Sometimes passengers bring on more carry-on bags than they’re allowed to. Here’s one in the gate area of a Delta flight headed to Detroit, where a woman is bringing with her large dog and four carry-on items onboard.
Not only is it against the rules, overhead bin space can be scarce enough as it is. Boarding with four bags is taking up space that belongs to another passenger, and probably means someone getting on the plane later than you is going to have their bag confiscated and checked to their final destination.
Something that passengers find even more maddening was shared with me by reader Paul H, who offers this photo of a Delta flight attendant bringing more bags on than the two passengers are permitted. They were part of a group of 5 that weren’t working the New York JFK to Atlanta flight, but may have been deadheading to their next assignment.
Five [flight attendants] boarded ahead of ‘needs special assistance’, and this one was actually dragging what I regarded as a fifth bag. …I pity the folks in later boarding groups, as the bins back there are going to be legitimately full.
This is not a good look when passengers are denied access to bin space for the carry-on they’re allowed to bring with them, because bins are full. Like pilots getting upgrades ahead of passengers, it perpetuates the idea that the airline is run for the benefit of employees, rather than as a commercial enterprise.
However, let’s be clear:
- 14 CFR § 121.589 limits passenger carry‑ons – not crew carry-ons.
- Each airline has an FAA-approved carry-on program that separately covers crew.
- Crew may be able to stow duty bags in certified compartments – although planes have been squeezed of those for space in order to cram in more seats, excess crew items may flow into passenger bin areas.
No U.S. carrier allows 5 items per flight attendant. United Airlines, for instance, allows deadheading flight attendants to pre‑board with “2 carry‑on bags and one personal item.”
American Airlines provides in its flight attendant contract the same thing – and guarantees valet bag check and aircraft door return of any crew bag if bins are full. (This applies to both deadheading and commuting flight attendants.)
Flight attendants have grueling multi-day trips, and they can’t wait for their bags at baggage claim between flights or they’d risk delaying other flights (and passengers!). On the other hand, if nothing happens to change their trip sequence they could check their bag to that night’s destination! The airline might lose their bags… just like with a passenger.
I’m starting to suspect that in the not-too-distant future, carry-ons will largely go away (which would make most airlines happy, but none want to go first). You’ll either pay for checked bags or pay to have them shipped via a third-party carrier.
lol, why ya gotta single out just one brand for those overpacking phenomenon that’s industry-wide?
P.S. if you like unintentional physical comedy, you should hitch a ride on an airport employee parking shuttle… the people watching of folks wrangling these druish princess luggage trains on and off the bus is hilarious!
A friend of mine works for American for over 20 years & has the Dulles to JFK to Heathrow to Berlin to London to Dulles to JFK route weekly with 2 overnight 1 day stops in London both ways plus overnight Dulles & lives in Queens so deadheads between JFK & Dulles. I am often impressed with how little she carries. Usually one large purse plus flight bag. She says she uses the same coat, has 2 pairs of slacks, 3 work blouses, one casual top plus undies & toiletries so how much room does she need? Perhaps after 20 plus years you learn to only bring what you really need.
Why not assign bin space in the same way we assign seats?
I can’t imagine what SW is like nowadays.
There needs to be some sort of control with carry on’s. It has gotten WAY out of hand. Maybe reduce the size of what you can carry on and fit in the overhead bin.
More importantly, why not pay for bin space in the same way we pay for seats?
JimC2,
Take only what you need to survive! 😉
I looked at the photo and what the flight attendant has can pack in fairly tight. I suppose she could have used a lightweight bag to put several of her bags in so the count number could be decreased to satisfy those stuck on numbers. The size of all of the bags together is much more important for figuring out how many can get their carry-on luggage in the overhead bins.
@RobertKraus
sorry to disappoint but if your “AA friend” works IAD-JFK, LHR-BER, or LHR-IAD, she doesn’t work for AA. Maybe BA if she’s just commuting to JFK then working LHR-BER-LHR-IAD but I sort of doubt that too since moving from international to intra-europe immediately would be strange for BA.
Don’t lend her any more money if you’ve been believing this. 😉
@JimC2 — Eh, Gary attacks and compliments them all at times; though, this one is not gonna sit well with our pal @Tim Dunn. Keep climbing! 100 more years!
@MaxPower — Was about to say… it’s almost as if everything you read on the internet isn’t always accurate… though, @RobertKraus said one thing right: “only bring what you really need..” I try my best to only do carry-on these days.
@MaxPower sounds like the @RobertKraus friend works for 70s-80s-era Pan Am somehow.
@1990
Again. You could have an amazing life if you didn’t spend it replying to every comment. 😉
No need to be Tim Dunn in waiting. It’s Saturday night. Find a life and fun.
that’s laughable, Max.
I can’t count the number of times that you have replied to what I have to say long into the night. Seems like I am the one that has enough of a life tonight that I don’t need to correct someone that the routing they suggested can’t possibly be flown by AA.
Y’all carry on. baseball is more interesting tonight.
Yet here you are monitoring breathlessly for mentions of your name, tim.
Hypocrisy is all you know. Thanks for proving my point.
Get a life
I was flying from DFW to CLT and there were at least 8-10 “crew” in regular clothes that got to board before everyone. They all had more than the allowed baggage allowance (even under the contract). Once on board they were treated like royalty. Took up 5-6 overhead compartments, given drink service even when no one else was (we were told service was suspended for turbulence). They were ordering alcohol repeatedly while paying customers were denied water.
Landed in CLT and the pilot requested everyone who didn’t have connections to remain seated so people with connections could make their flights. Of course the two flight attendants next to me said they had to deboard first to make their “next flight”. Weird, because I saw the same attendants waited for the employee bus at the curb. Guess the next connection was home.
Sent an email to American and received no response.