5 ms·

Carry on policy has triggered an arms race for passengers and carry on size. I usually just bring a small backpack because it’s convenient and I don’t want to l

by rhplus 1y ago

Carry on policy has triggered an arms race for passengers and carry on size. I usually just bring a small backpack because it’s convenient and I don’t want to lug two bags through the airport. Recently, certain airlines have announced that small bags must go under seats so there’s room in overhead storage for roller bags. There goes my leg room and any incentive to pack smaller with just one small backpack. Now, I’m incentivized to bring the maximum size carry on so that I get overhead space and don’t have to shove smaller bags next to my feet.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
analog31 1y ago
Almost 45 years after my first flight, I still carry a backpack. The same one in fact, though its waterproofing is long gone. More often than not, I get to stash it in the overhead bin. There's often space for something like 3-1/2 rollers in a bin, so I can squeeze my bag in. The option of putting it under my seat is something I save for strict necessity, but it's still preferable to gate-checking.
- 0cf8612b2e1e 1y ago
  I need dire circumstances to travel with more than a backpack. Waiting for baggage claim drains my soul. Traveling with just a carry on means I can walk off the plane into a cab without further downtime.
  - socalgal2 1y ago
    I'm the opposite. I hate having to drag my lugguage around while I'm in the airport. I'm happy to wait for my baggage to be delivered. My life isn't so frantic that 10-15 minutes more is the end of the world. I also don't see it as "downtime". I can check mail, message friends, call friends, read news, listen to podcasts or audio books, or music, all from my phone while I wait.
    - drewg123 1y ago
      My most frequent flight lands at 11:50pm, and is often 30+ minutes late. The last thing I want is to spend my "down time" at 1am waiting 30+ minutes for my bag in an uncomfortable, loud, jarring space. I'd rather just take a backpack and already be in bed by the time my luggage would have shown up. My wife is just the opposite, and always checks a giant bag. I get so irritated waiting for her bags and so stressed getting to the airport on time for them to take it -- another advantage of carryon only is that you can show up to the airport just-in-time, and you have one less unpredictable line to wait in. Carryon only + clear means I can show up to the airport 10 minutes before doors close and walk on the plane & not have to worry about lines, carry on space, waiting for luggage, etc.
    - fvgvkujdfbllo 1y ago
      I’m team checked luggage. When plane lands, everyone is rushing out of airport, but I causally walk, perhaps grab some coffee or snacks before heading to baggage claim. It helps me relax and get energized for the driving.
    - kelnos 1y ago
      I don't enjoy carrying my baggage around either, but I very much don't enjoy one extra line to stand in to check my bag, and after a long flight I very much don't enjoy having to wait even longer to get to my destination. It's not a matter of "downtime". I want to be to my hotel or house or whatever as soon as possible. Due to airline status etc. I always have a free checked bag, but I never, ever use it.
    - bigstrat2003 1y ago
      Same, also a backpack simply does not have enough room for any trip longer than a couple of days. By the time you add underwear for every day, shirts for every day, multiple pairs of pants, some pajamas, toiletries... you're at a carry-on at least, and it's not hard to fill a checked bag.
      - throw-the-towel 1y ago
        I've had a backpack for a trip that lasted more than a year. Yes, you cannot do this in all climates, but it's not impossible.
  - jen729w 1y ago
    It's not the waiting at the end that kills me, it's the waiting at the start. When you need to check-in a bag, that's a whole situation. When you turn up at the airport with a backpack and a boarding pass in your Apple Wallet, now that is a nice way to start a trip.
- cool-RR 1y ago
  Can you share a photo of the backpack?
  - analog31 1y ago
    It's quite similar to this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/267204880751 https://www.ebay.com/itm/267204880751 Basically a non-descript nylon bag with minimal accoutrements. I curse its lack of features (extra pockets, etc) on every trip, then it goes on the shelf until the next trip. It was on sale at the local sporting goods store when I was in high school. I recently bought a cheap waterproof cover for it, because I noticed that most of the advertised "waterproof" packs come with a cover. I have a very lightweight, tiny day pack that I either roll up and stuff in the main pack, or carry on as my "personal item." That way, I can leave the big pack in my hotel room.
- tstrimple 1y ago
  I've had good luck waterproofing things with Nikwax. I've got a 20 year old Tom Bihn bag that I've applied it to as well as outdoor clothing and it's been great!
drewg123 1y ago
I often only take a backpack as well. And I feel just fine putting that in the overhead bin, since that's my only carry-on.
dfxm12 1y ago
Airlines should get more strict with regards to the overhead bin. Both with bag size and placement. Planes can probably fit a certain sized bag for everyone who brings one, but too many flyers seem to intentionally bring bigger bags or place them oddly so as not to share the space.
- cj 1y ago
  In other words, it's too time consuming for flight attendants to do it for customers. Why? Because it's too time consuming. All the more reason to remove disincentives from checking bags. Honeestly the biggest reason I avoid checking bags is reliability. After you experience having a suitcase completely lost by an airline, it's hard to trust the system again.
- Der_Einzige 1y ago
  Wow another issue that comes down to "Airplanes are packed with too many people" The FAA can force airlines to dedicate about 1.5X the amount of space per person that they do today, and all of these stupid problems disappear. Airlines could even get away with the skeleton crew of airline staff that they use today with the reduced amount of people who'd be paying more per seat. But, because we have to let far too many people fly, and because the FAA doesn't stop private companies from violating human rights with their airplane seat designs, we have to deal with this lunancy where anyone 6 feet and above has to assume a struggle position for in some cases 20+ hours (i.e. flights to Singapore) in a fully packed metal coffin.
  - hdgvhicv 1y ago
    Or maybe someone 6 foot tall should just pay the more expensive ticket with larger leg room. Why should someone 5 foot tall pay for your comfort. Same with seat width. The only issues there are when a minority of passengers are so large they take up your seat, they should be removed from the flight.
    - amanaplanacanal 1y ago
      In the anglo speaking world, that might turn out to be the majority of passengers.

by rhplus 1y ago

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

analog31 1y ago

Almost 45 years after my first flight, I still carry a backpack. The same one in fact, though its waterproofing is long gone. More often than not, I get to stash it in the overhead bin. There's often space for something like 3-1/2 rollers in a bin, so I can squeeze my bag in. The option of putting it under my seat is something I save for strict necessity, but it's still preferable to gate-checking.

0cf8612b2e1e 1y ago
I need dire circumstances to travel with more than a backpack. Waiting for baggage claim drains my soul. Traveling with just a carry on means I can walk off the plane into a cab without further downtime.
- socalgal2 1y ago
  I'm the opposite. I hate having to drag my lugguage around while I'm in the airport. I'm happy to wait for my baggage to be delivered. My life isn't so frantic that 10-15 minutes more is the end of the world. I also don't see it as "downtime". I can check mail, message friends, call friends, read news, listen to podcasts or audio books, or music, all from my phone while I wait.
  - drewg123 1y ago
    My most frequent flight lands at 11:50pm, and is often 30+ minutes late. The last thing I want is to spend my "down time" at 1am waiting 30+ minutes for my bag in an uncomfortable, loud, jarring space. I'd rather just take a backpack and already be in bed by the time my luggage would have shown up. My wife is just the opposite, and always checks a giant bag. I get so irritated waiting for her bags and so stressed getting to the airport on time for them to take it -- another advantage of carryon only is that you can show up to the airport just-in-time, and you have one less unpredictable line to wait in. Carryon only + clear means I can show up to the airport 10 minutes before doors close and walk on the plane & not have to worry about lines, carry on space, waiting for luggage, etc.
  - fvgvkujdfbllo 1y ago
    I’m team checked luggage. When plane lands, everyone is rushing out of airport, but I causally walk, perhaps grab some coffee or snacks before heading to baggage claim. It helps me relax and get energized for the driving.
  - kelnos 1y ago
    I don't enjoy carrying my baggage around either, but I very much don't enjoy one extra line to stand in to check my bag, and after a long flight I very much don't enjoy having to wait even longer to get to my destination. It's not a matter of "downtime". I want to be to my hotel or house or whatever as soon as possible. Due to airline status etc. I always have a free checked bag, but I never, ever use it.
  - bigstrat2003 1y ago
    Same, also a backpack simply does not have enough room for any trip longer than a couple of days. By the time you add underwear for every day, shirts for every day, multiple pairs of pants, some pajamas, toiletries... you're at a carry-on at least, and it's not hard to fill a checked bag.
    - throw-the-towel 1y ago
      I've had a backpack for a trip that lasted more than a year. Yes, you cannot do this in all climates, but it's not impossible.
- jen729w 1y ago
  It's not the waiting at the end that kills me, it's the waiting at the start. When you need to check-in a bag, that's a whole situation. When you turn up at the airport with a backpack and a boarding pass in your Apple Wallet, now that is a nice way to start a trip.
cool-RR 1y ago
Can you share a photo of the backpack?
- analog31 1y ago
  It's quite similar to this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/267204880751 https://www.ebay.com/itm/267204880751 Basically a non-descript nylon bag with minimal accoutrements. I curse its lack of features (extra pockets, etc) on every trip, then it goes on the shelf until the next trip. It was on sale at the local sporting goods store when I was in high school. I recently bought a cheap waterproof cover for it, because I noticed that most of the advertised "waterproof" packs come with a cover. I have a very lightweight, tiny day pack that I either roll up and stuff in the main pack, or carry on as my "personal item." That way, I can leave the big pack in my hotel room.
tstrimple 1y ago
I've had good luck waterproofing things with Nikwax. I've got a 20 year old Tom Bihn bag that I've applied it to as well as outdoor clothing and it's been great!

drewg123 1y ago

I often only take a backpack as well. And I feel just fine putting that in the overhead bin, since that's my only carry-on.

dfxm12 1y ago

Airlines should get more strict with regards to the overhead bin. Both with bag size and placement. Planes can probably fit a certain sized bag for everyone who brings one, but too many flyers seem to intentionally bring bigger bags or place them oddly so as not to share the space.

cj 1y ago
In other words, it's too time consuming for flight attendants to do it for customers. Why? Because it's too time consuming. All the more reason to remove disincentives from checking bags. Honeestly the biggest reason I avoid checking bags is reliability. After you experience having a suitcase completely lost by an airline, it's hard to trust the system again.
Der_Einzige 1y ago
Wow another issue that comes down to "Airplanes are packed with too many people" The FAA can force airlines to dedicate about 1.5X the amount of space per person that they do today, and all of these stupid problems disappear. Airlines could even get away with the skeleton crew of airline staff that they use today with the reduced amount of people who'd be paying more per seat. But, because we have to let far too many people fly, and because the FAA doesn't stop private companies from violating human rights with their airplane seat designs, we have to deal with this lunancy where anyone 6 feet and above has to assume a struggle position for in some cases 20+ hours (i.e. flights to Singapore) in a fully packed metal coffin.
- hdgvhicv 1y ago
  Or maybe someone 6 foot tall should just pay the more expensive ticket with larger leg room. Why should someone 5 foot tall pay for your comfort. Same with seat width. The only issues there are when a minority of passengers are so large they take up your seat, they should be removed from the flight.
  - amanaplanacanal 1y ago
    In the anglo speaking world, that might turn out to be the majority of passengers.