Carry ons

[PlayTheOdds]

Today I paid close attention to passengers on my return flight from home, I was not at all impressed with the flying public. Why does airlines even bother with carryon baggage? Nothing larger than a briefcase should be carried onto an aircraft. I was amazed at the shear number of people that bring full sized bags on to the aircraft and try to shove them into the bins. I saw a few with two. These are grown people that stand there holding everything up putting their bag in one way, with it still hanging out, then slamming the door down trying to make it latch. I'm just sitting there cringing waiting for the inserts on the hinges to pull out or the door just break all together. Then they take it out flip it over and start slamming again. Then they ram everything to one side and stick it in sideways. Here comes the next guy with one that won't even go into the bin but here he is pushing, twisting and prying trying to make it fit. You can see the upper edge of the bin bowing up about to crack in half. Then the dude gets upset because he has to check it. Lets not forget about the guy that goes around asking other passengers if he can put some of his crap under the seat in front of them so he won't have to check anything. To me that is just beyond rude. Then there is the lady carrying something in what looked like poster board about five foot long and three to four foot wide trying to slide this thing between the seats and the wall with people in them. Needless to say it was awkward as hell.

You can load and unload an aircraft in three times the time if you did away with the overhead bins. I find these bins to be nothing more than time consuming and an overloaded safety hazard.

Maybe the FAA should regulate the size of carryons and make it an industry standard. Like I said the size should be no larger than a briefcase.

 

[robbedagain]

the FAA and the airline does reguire a small size but a little larger than the briefcase.

 

[dc3fanatic]

Have you EVER shopped for a roller bag? Did anyone ever point out to you advertising that states something like 'meets the standards of carry-on'?

Look around, standards already exist. Passengers don't always follow, and airlines don't always enforce.

And if you were part of the checked baggage fiasco in PHL for US Airways a while back, you would carry everything on anyway.

 

[jimntx]

My world and welcome to it!

Actually, it is the TSA that specifies one carry-on bag and one small personal item. Then those goofballs allow people to carry a kitchen sink box sealed with masking tape through security as their "small" personal item.

The poor gate agents try to enforce the rules and get chewed by the "I'm an Executive Platinum and I want your name and employee number" crowd. I heard from an AA gate agent at LAX recently that they were fined by the FAA or the TSA for not making the gate announcement regarding acceptable carry-ons and not enforcing the rules.

I have tried to point out to the company more than once that when the passenger reaches row 27 on a narrow-body a/c, it is too late to tell them they are in violation of the carry-on rules.

One of my particular pet peeves--especially with women passengers--is the passenger who has a full-size rollaboard and tote bag and a laptop computer bag precariously balanced in the top of the tote bag on top of their purse (which comes out of the tote as soon as they get onto the jetbridge). That tote bag overstuffed with the computer bag and purse does NOT constitute "one small personal item."

 

[AstroLounge]

Play the Odds, you are VERY observant and UNDERSTAND the problem....unfortunately Managemnt at ALL the airlines chooses to "Bend the regulations" to suit their needs (not enforcing simple size & space availability) because THEY do not want to appear Confrontational. So, they would rather put the burden on the frontline employee to "Deal with it". Gate Agents are overworked/understaffed at all airlines and F/A's have been battling this ISSUE ever since the overhead storage space went from a rack to an onboard Cargohold. Why the FAA doesn't have a FEDERAL Policy (with No loopholes) is beyond reason. :down:

 

[Kev3188]

Does anybody's "home" airport still have those sizer plates installed on the X-ray machines at the security gates?


By the way, my personal record for carry-ons coming back through the door to be checked is 17.

 

[FWAAA]

Nothing larger than a briefcase should be carried onto an aircraft.

Maybe the FAA should regulate the size of carryons and make it an industry standard. Like I said the size should be no larger than a briefcase.

🙄

Is there any subject on which SuperScab is not an Expert?

No thanks, Cods. I'd prefer the government focus its limited efforts on the real safety hazards in today's commercial aviation environment, like maintenance procedures and compliance with same, especially at airlines experiencing strikes/lockouts of mechanics.

My carryon bags are a private matter between me and my airline of choice.

PAWOB numbers are a sign that airlines can't currently handle all of today's checked bags as it is, and now SuperScab wants to nearly prohibit pax self-help in the matter of their belongings. No, thanks.

 

[Red Tail Bear]

Perhaps if the airlines had better baggage handling then customers wouldn't have the urge to try to jam everything in the overhead.

What would be your idea of "better" baggage handling?

 

[PlayTheOdds]

🙄
Is there any subject on which SuperScab is not an Expert?

I never claimed to be an expert in the handling of baggage or carry-ons. I am just stating what I have observed. If you are so worried about your personnel possessions you need to drive. This carry-on thing is getting out of hand. I hung around the aircrafts today while people were boarding and found it to be a most laughable situation. I think the airlines need to come together on this one and put an end to this nonsense. Maybe the airlines do need to work on their baggage handling practices. If Fed Ex can pull off what it does with its packages I don't see why airlines can't move a few bags by comparison.

You want to address safety? I have never been in an aircraft during an aborted takeoff or one that has slid sideways but I am sure there are some unusual stresses being applied through out the aircraft. I wouldn't put a lot of faith in those bin doors holding very much back. Why don't you have your better half drop a thirty pound bag on your head from about eight feet up and you'll get a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.

You and your carry-on baggage is becoming a huge nuisance for all of the flying public.

 

[aafsc]

What would be your idea of "better" baggage handling?

Red Tail Bear, you have to realize that PineyBob is a frequent flyer at USAirways and most likely flies out of or through PHL a lot. Given the fact that a great many of the long time USAirways ramp people have left due to multiple rounds of concessions resulting in much lower pay, increased benefit costs, draconian work rules, loss of pension and other retirement benefits; they were subsequently replaced with people, who for the most part, have the same "work ethic" as those at Alaska Air in SEA (Menzies). You get what you pay for and it definately shows up in their systemwide bag numbers. Other problems in PHL (as reported on the US forum), is that they have been having problems with their bagroom belt in addition to TSA holding the bags. Isn't deregulation just great?

 

[Kev3188]

.... I hung around the aircrafts today while people were boarding and found it to be a most laughable situation...

Shouldn't you have been working?

 

[robbedagain]

Boy PTO sure complains about how a lot of the folks sit around for hours, but yet he has no problem hanging around a plane and laughing while passengers are boarding!

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Do you guys know anything at all about working line? What do you guys not understand about the fact that this job is not work.

 

[FWAAA]

You want to address safety? I have never been in an aircraft during an aborted takeoff or one that has slid sideways but I am sure there are some unusual stresses being applied through out the aircraft. I wouldn't put a lot of faith in those bin doors holding very much back. Why don't you have your better half drop a thirty pound bag on your head from about eight feet up and you'll get a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.

You and your carry-on baggage is becoming a huge nuisance for all of the flying public.

I've experienced several aborted takeoffs and have never seen a bag jump out of an AA overhead bin during the rapid deceleration.

Drop a 30 pound bag on my head? No thanks. Window seats have their advantages - and that is the unlikelihood that an overhead bin will ever eject a bag onto the head of a window seat pax. Those in the aisle seats are at much greater risk.

My carryon bags are a huge nuisance to all of the flying public? Screw them. Their crying babies and toddlers who kick my seat are a nuisance to me. The fact that they can't seem to board, get out of the aisle and quickly store their stuff is a nuisance as well.

Like I said before - airlines can't competently handle their checked bags right now - and you want to increase the amount of stuff that's checked? No thanks.

 

[PhxMama]

I've experienced several aborted takeoffs and have never seen a bag jump out of an AA overhead bin during the rapid deceleration.

Drop a 30 pound bag on my head? No thanks. Window seats have their advantages - and that is the unlikelihood that an overhead bin will ever eject a bag onto the head of a window seat pax. Those in the aisle seats are at much greater risk.

My carryon bags are a huge nuisance to all of the flying public? Screw them. Their crying babies and toddlers who kick my seat are a nuisance to me. The fact that they can't seem to board, get out of the aisle and quickly store their stuff is a nuisance as well.

Like I said before - airlines can't competently handle their checked bags right now - and you want to increase the amount of stuff that's checked? No thanks.

As much as I disagree with 99.99 percent of what PTO says on this board, I will agree with the fact that overhead bin items can lead to injuries during a crash. I sat with a survivor of an AA crash and he stated that numerous pax had bags that had fallen not only on them but they fell into the aisle causing delayed deplaning when pax had to crawl over the fallen items. The carryons also covered the floor lights which also made deplaning more difficult. After that emotional conversation with him I often look at the overhead items in the bins a little nervously. Im not sure what the answer is and Ill agree with Bob that the airlines need to look into a Fedex type system. The first airline that demonstrates its concerns for the baggage issue and does something will have a feather in its cap and would receive not only some much deserved publicity but also grateful pax.