We know that airlines overbook their seats, then count on no-shows and rebookings to make the system work. This helps ensure that each flight will be as full as possible, but it also leads to situations where passengers must be paid to take a different flight. What if the airlines are doing the same thing with overhead bins and “allowing” more carry-on luggage than a plane can even hold? What if they’re overbooking those compartments in the hopes or expectation that some passengers won’t bother with a Rollaboard and will simply check their bags instead?
If that’s the case, then the aisle pandemonium can’t be chalked up to passengers’ misbehavior or to honest confusion at the gate. No, it would mean that all this hassle is a natural outcome of the airlines’ cabin-stowage arbitrage. It would indicate inconvenience by design.
I thought this was obvious.
Why would the bubble burst? What are we gonna do, walk from Dallas to Chicago?
“I just felt like run-ning…”
Of course they want to make it inconvenient so you pay to check your bag instead. Call their bluff, stay within the carry on size restrictions and have them gate check it for free when they run out of room.
I love it when they check my carryon. I have a backpack that comfortably fits everything I’d need for a 14 hour flight, carryon usually is just clothes.
I dont mind the extra 10 min wait for my bag at the exit. Also- last on first off so it comes off pretty quickly
Airlines are getting more and more scummy. Every flight I’ve booked in the last few years has increased in price by at least 10% from the page listing the price to the actual price when going to purchase a ticket, without any ads ons like bags. I’ve confronted some of the airlines about it, and they act like nothings wrong. Too bad the CRTC/Competition Bureau is so spineless they won’t even deal with your complaint, they just send it to the company.
Oh shit I swear I’ve had that happen too, for flights I was following rates closely. I open a different browser and search again, wtf the increased price is whats being advertised now??
So weird.
We need a leftist government in power to break up the large airlines and other institutions that are throttling competition. Too big to fail should mean too big to exist.
Lord knows we won’t get it with Biden, but our alternative is worse. (Which IMO is by design).
Can someone share the text of the article please?
Travelers squish aside to make way for her, pressing against one another inappropriately in the process.
Are people grinding on each other as they pile into airplanes?
Is there any other way to board an airplane?
The reason people hate checking luggage is a) because of the risk of airlines losing luggage, and b) wanting to get out of the plane quickly and get going without having to wait at the baggage carousel.
At the end of the article, one of the designers gives a clue for solving the first problem. Roll your luggage on the plane, but then drop it into the hold below so you’re sure it’s on the plane, but out of the way. They could put them all in a single container pod that can be removed from the plane and an empty one put back in.
The second problem can be solved by having the full luggage pod taken out of the plane and dropped back right at the arrival terminal right by the plane. It doesn’t have to go all the way back to baggage claim, and the plane can be quickly emptied and cleaned, ready for the next flight.
I think the main reason most people don’t like checking luggage is that you have to pay a lot of money for it. So everyone tries to bring in the largest carry-on and personal items they can, often larger than is allowed, but the airlines don’t always check the size of them. When the airlines charge you an extra $100 or more for a round trip due to your luggage, for most people it’s worth taking the chance.
More than once I’ve seen people force oversized items into the carry-on size tester and be unable to get them out.
It’s a combination, but mostly the risk of loss and inconvenience outweighs the cost for most passengers.
I mean I remember before they started charging for checked luggage and after, and after they started charging the occurrence of “the overhead is full” on my flights went from rarely to every single flight.
I’ve switched to a carry-on that can fit under the seat in front of me to avoid ever having to check my bag.
If they switched which item was paid (i.e. first piece of checked luggage is free, carry-ons needed to be paid for), bet that the overhead bins would be a lot emptier.
Not all flights are nonstop.
What about multi-leg flights?
That’s when I’m most protective of my luggage, but I generally pack extremely light and can squish my soft pack in places most can’t.
Copy the original articles url, go to archive.is and paste the url.
Airplanes definitely aren’t built for every passenger to have an overhead bin carry-on. I saw it a lot this last year with Southwest - if you’re C boarding group on a full flight, you’re not getting a bin for your bag. They have 2 free checked bags, but even if you proactively checked 2 and are forced to check another at the gate, it’s still free. I don’t fly other airlines enough to know if they are mean about the impromptu checked bags, but I wouldn’t put it past them considering many charge for even one bag.
Most airlines charge for checking bags.
Checking bags at the gate though? Yes I’m aware most do charge when you get your tickets, my main question was for in situations like the OP’s article
Most airlines will check your carry-on at the gate for free. And a lot of the time, spend the pre-boarding time begging for someone to take them up on that offer.
I’m currently learning to sail yachts so I never have to fly again. That’s how bad airlines are. I’d rather risk thw open ocean then deal with their bullshit.
