AIRLINES, TAKE NOTE! CARRY ON BAG SIZES MUST CHANGE

Having just returned from Houston, on United Airlines Flight #503 to Denver, I was dismayed at both United and the inconsiderate passengers who boarded with oversized ‘roller boards’ and carry-on bags. And many of the passengers had more than one! What happened to the days of overnight cases and SMALL soft-sided bags? So it was no surprise to hear the ticket attendant inform passengers that if they were boarding with the 3rd and 4th groups, there would be no room in the overhead bins and, if their bags didn’t fit under the seat in front of them, they would have to check them. Fortunately I was in the 2nd group and only had a laptop and small, soft and light-weight leather tote bag, which BTW Fits My Budget sells, see: (http://www.fitsmybudget.com/product.php?productid=16451&cat=346&page=1).

So I got in line and waited. And waited. The long line ahead of me moved slowly as people waiting while passengers struggled to stuff their large hard-sided rolling bags in small spaces. Many had to pass their seats to look for an available bin. Hmmm, I said to myself, these same people will be holding up those of us seated in the back once we landed, while they struggled once again to retrieve their bags.

A flight attendant announced that the flight would be leaving in 5 minutes and, I turned to her and said, “Yeah, right! Look at those BIG bags!” She nodded and exasperatingly requested that people quickly take their seats. Four minutes after designated departure time, we pushed away from the gate. Four minutes doesn’t seem very long, but our push-away was premature and we sat 100 yards from the gate for another 5 minutes. Well, I thought, they can report four minutes late to the FAA, but in reality, it was closer to 10 minutes.

While airlines currently have size limitations for carry-on bags, it is apparent that this size restriction needs to be revisited and, passengers must be held to quantity limitations, if airlines expect to get people in and out of planes in a timely manner

Needless to say, as I sit here writing this diatribe, I dread disembarking and the long delay that will await me when we land when the 110 or so passengers with carry-ons that should have been checked, struggle, AGAIN, as they retrieve bags from the overhead bins, and waddle their way toward the door. Isn’t it too bad that airlines aren’t timed on their disembarkation? I think things might change. But hey, I actually got a free bag of pretzels and Starbuck’s coffee on United, unlike my last trip via American Airlines, where they charged $5 for sandwiches and $3 for pretzels! I guess you can’t have it all!