5 ms·

Great and sensible article. Read this because it "pops the bubble" of some of the popular memes floating around, providing details on what it means to have low

Great and sensible article. Read this because it "pops the bubble" of some of the popular memes floating around, providing details on what it means to have low hours in a type, or whether Korean pilots have "perceived seniority" issues in the cockpit. I note that checked bags cannot block passengers from escaping an aircraft. Perhaps someone will someday quantify the additional risk airlines forced on passengers when they started charging for every bag.

Cthulhu_ 13y ago
> I note that checked bags cannot block passengers from escaping an aircraft. Perhaps not, but people standing in the aisle reaching to get them, dropped bags people trip over and block the aisle, etc do.
- nknighthb 13y ago
  Checked baggage is not accessible from within the cabin.
- madeofpalk 13y ago
  Checked bags, as in baggage stowed in the luggage compartment and not what you carry on.
joezydeco 13y ago
Patrick Smith wrote the "Ask the Pilot" column for Salon.com for 10 years, ending last year. His writing was always very insightful and very entertaining at the same time. One of my favorites: http://www.askthepilot.com/essaysandstories/the-exploding-toilet/ http://www.askthepilot.com/essaysandstories/the-exploding-to... It seems he came back to slate.com as a one-time thing, but you can read his archived work at Salon and at www.askthepilot.com. He seems to have a book as well now.
- fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
  That's everyone's favorite "Ask the Pilot".
- aterris 13y ago
  He also has a new book on Amazon that is basically the book version of his Ask The Pilot column. I actually just read it the other day and was pretty interesting (and a quick read)
- CaptainZapp 13y ago
  He now blogs semi-frequently on boston.com: http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/askthepilot/ http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/askthepilot/
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
jetti 13y ago
"I note that checked bags cannot block passengers from escaping an aircraft. Perhaps someone will someday quantify the additional risk airlines forced on passengers when they started charging for every bag." I don't think this is as big a problem as one makes it out to be and here is why. There are certain things I need when I travel that I can't afford to go without in the case my checked bags don't make it to my destination at the same time as me. Things such as prescription medicine, contacts and my retainer (though not nearly as important as the previous two but still important none the less) are things I always carry on because they are things I can't easily replace if my bags are lost. Then I bring the entertainment, usually a laptop and/or a tablet and books/magazines. All of that stuff would need to be in at least one carry on. Most, if not all, of the airlines I have flown have a limit to how many bags you can carry on. So it isn't like charging for check bags is going to have people start bringing 10 carry ons, it would have them bring the max if they wanted which as far as I know is 2 for most airlines.
- pbreit 13y ago
  But it still definitely incents passengers to carry on more, larger and fuller bags.
pilom 13y ago
I think everyone else is misunderstanding your point. You're saying someone should quantify the additional dangers and costs to society associated with an increase in carry-on luggage which happened at the same time airlines started charging for checked bags. So now that checked bags cost money, people bring more and larger carry-on luggage. This additional carry-on luggage: 1. increases boarding times. 2. increases injuries from passengers and flight attendants lifing heavy bags into overhead compartments. 3. increases the amount of crowding on a cabin from under seat carry-ons thus increasing evacuation times.
miahi 13y ago
You cannot have all the bags checked, as the checked luggage is treated like dirt. I usually travel with $6000 photo equipment, I would not check it even if they pay me.
- ghshephard 13y ago
  Custom cut the foam inside http://www.pelican.com/ http://www.pelican.com/ cases to your bodies/lenses and your photo gear will be fine in anything short of a plane crash. And, in that scenario, odds are it will come through a lot better than anything you pack in overhead.
  - delackner 13y ago
    For your own peace of mind, please never put expensive gear in checked luggage. It is very likely to get stolen.
    - ghshephard 13y ago
      It's not practical (or even possible) to carry on all of your gear all of the time. Our field engineering team(s) have been travelling for 5+ years with > $100K worth of checked electrical gear to Brazil, London, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. A couple times gear was delayed, and so the FE team had to wait a day or so for it to arrive, but nothing has ever been stolen. Nice thing about a Pelican Case - no straps to get tangled up in any baggage sorting gear, and large enough that it doesn't usually get stuck in the corner somewhere. From a probability perspective, much more likely to get mugged coming out of the airport, or getting hijacked using your equipment in the field - this has happened to our Field Engineers multiple times, but no losses in the airplanes (yet).
      - delackner 13y ago
        Anecdote != data. You put $100k of equipment in checked luggage, then you probably have some very specific insurance that covers you. If you don't, you are lucky. Most people most of the time do not have anything stolen. If a baggage handler steals a $3000 camera out of someone's luggage, the airline will totally deny liability. Here's an article interviewing a former TSA handler who was arrested with more than 80 stolen cameras and other assorted electronics in his home at the time of arrest. http://rt.com/usa/tsa-stealing-from-travelers-358/ http://rt.com/usa/tsa-stealing-from-travelers-358/

Cthulhu_ 13y ago

> I note that checked bags cannot block passengers from escaping an aircraft. Perhaps not, but people standing in the aisle reaching to get them, dropped bags people trip over and block the aisle, etc do.

nknighthb 13y ago
Checked baggage is not accessible from within the cabin.
madeofpalk 13y ago
Checked bags, as in baggage stowed in the luggage compartment and not what you carry on.

joezydeco 13y ago

Patrick Smith wrote the "Ask the Pilot" column for Salon.com for 10 years, ending last year. His writing was always very insightful and very entertaining at the same time. One of my favorites: http://www.askthepilot.com/essaysandstories/the-exploding-toilet/ http://www.askthepilot.com/essaysandstories/the-exploding-to... It seems he came back to slate.com as a one-time thing, but you can read his archived work at Salon and at www.askthepilot.com. He seems to have a book as well now.

fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
That's everyone's favorite "Ask the Pilot".
aterris 13y ago
He also has a new book on Amazon that is basically the book version of his Ask The Pilot column. I actually just read it the other day and was pretty interesting (and a quick read)
CaptainZapp 13y ago
He now blogs semi-frequently on boston.com: http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/askthepilot/ http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/askthepilot/

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

jetti 13y ago

"I note that checked bags cannot block passengers from escaping an aircraft. Perhaps someone will someday quantify the additional risk airlines forced on passengers when they started charging for every bag." I don't think this is as big a problem as one makes it out to be and here is why. There are certain things I need when I travel that I can't afford to go without in the case my checked bags don't make it to my destination at the same time as me. Things such as prescription medicine, contacts and my retainer (though not nearly as important as the previous two but still important none the less) are things I always carry on because they are things I can't easily replace if my bags are lost. Then I bring the entertainment, usually a laptop and/or a tablet and books/magazines. All of that stuff would need to be in at least one carry on. Most, if not all, of the airlines I have flown have a limit to how many bags you can carry on. So it isn't like charging for check bags is going to have people start bringing 10 carry ons, it would have them bring the max if they wanted which as far as I know is 2 for most airlines.

pbreit 13y ago
But it still definitely incents passengers to carry on more, larger and fuller bags.

pilom 13y ago

I think everyone else is misunderstanding your point. You're saying someone should quantify the additional dangers and costs to society associated with an increase in carry-on luggage which happened at the same time airlines started charging for checked bags. So now that checked bags cost money, people bring more and larger carry-on luggage. This additional carry-on luggage: 1. increases boarding times. 2. increases injuries from passengers and flight attendants lifing heavy bags into overhead compartments. 3. increases the amount of crowding on a cabin from under seat carry-ons thus increasing evacuation times.

miahi 13y ago

You cannot have all the bags checked, as the checked luggage is treated like dirt. I usually travel with $6000 photo equipment, I would not check it even if they pay me.

ghshephard 13y ago
Custom cut the foam inside http://www.pelican.com/ http://www.pelican.com/ cases to your bodies/lenses and your photo gear will be fine in anything short of a plane crash. And, in that scenario, odds are it will come through a lot better than anything you pack in overhead.
- delackner 13y ago
  For your own peace of mind, please never put expensive gear in checked luggage. It is very likely to get stolen.
  - ghshephard 13y ago
    It's not practical (or even possible) to carry on all of your gear all of the time. Our field engineering team(s) have been travelling for 5+ years with > $100K worth of checked electrical gear to Brazil, London, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. A couple times gear was delayed, and so the FE team had to wait a day or so for it to arrive, but nothing has ever been stolen. Nice thing about a Pelican Case - no straps to get tangled up in any baggage sorting gear, and large enough that it doesn't usually get stuck in the corner somewhere. From a probability perspective, much more likely to get mugged coming out of the airport, or getting hijacked using your equipment in the field - this has happened to our Field Engineers multiple times, but no losses in the airplanes (yet).
    - delackner 13y ago
      Anecdote != data. You put $100k of equipment in checked luggage, then you probably have some very specific insurance that covers you. If you don't, you are lucky. Most people most of the time do not have anything stolen. If a baggage handler steals a $3000 camera out of someone's luggage, the airline will totally deny liability. Here's an article interviewing a former TSA handler who was arrested with more than 80 stolen cameras and other assorted electronics in his home at the time of arrest. http://rt.com/usa/tsa-stealing-from-travelers-358/ http://rt.com/usa/tsa-stealing-from-travelers-358/