Carry on question?

sku01pt · Post by **sku01pt** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:27 pm

What's the largest carry on you took? I'm trying to pack all my stuff in one of those Rollie things.and I know some airlines fudge a little on there rules......so I'm just wondering, what did you get away with? Sense I will be there for thanks giving I can assume I can't carry on a whole meal in my back pack

Thanks

mit43 · Post by **mit43** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:09 pm

It all depends on how picky the Airline personnel are that day. It would be very tough if you tried to carry on a bag that was deemed over-sized and you had to check it anyways. We used to always do carry-on only, but now we just go ahead and check a bag so we have plenty of room and don't have to worry about carrying all our luggage. The luggage comes to the carousel pretty quick most of the time.

Lindy · Post by **Lindy** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:50 pm

I would try to stay as close to the size restriction as possible so that you bag isn't turned away at the gate. Don't be afraid of the offer of gate checking your bag usually at the gate area shortly before boarding. It eliminates having to find a spot in the overhead compartments and your bag is waiting for you on the jetway when you deplane - plus it's free. It seems like most of the flights I've been on in the last few years offer this because of the huge number of people doing carry-on these days.

jimg20 · Post by **jimg20** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:58 pm

I have noticed that when they check bags at the gate they are saying the bag will go to the bag claim at the final destination.

dreamshark · Post by **dreamshark** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:28 pm

jimg20 wrote:I have noticed that when they check bags at the gate they are saying the bag will go to the bag claim at the final destination.

Depends on the airplane. We have a typical 21" roll-aboard that fits comfortably in the overhead compartments of a big jet like a 737. However, those bags don't fit in the smaller planes that are sometimes used to fly SJU->STT. On both occasions where we had to change in SJU we had to check our roll-aboard at the plane. They just tossed it into the cargo bay and we picked it up right at the plane when we got off.

On the other hand, I've occasionally had to check a bag at the plane on a big jet flight just because the overhead compartment was jam-packed by the time I boarded. In those cases my bag ended up on the regular baggage carousel. In either case, it's hardly a tragedy. The bag still gets there, and you don't have to pay for checking it.

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:58 am

I am not a fan of anyone fudging the rules when it comes to carry on because it only affects everyone else on the plane. We do carry on only usually and that consists of a soft sided LL Bean bag (no rollers, more like a very large backpack) and a beach bag for me and a backpack cooler for my husband.
We can fit both of our LL Bean bags in the same space as most roller bags and they other 2 go under the seat in front of us.

If you get on the plane in one of the last groups, it is very likely that there will be no room for your bag in the overhead because of people carrying on oversized bags or too many bags.

On a recent flight I took to FL, we checked our bags since it was free on Southwest and we were in the first boarding group. I watched as people carried on large bags that flight attendents told them they had to check and many got very angry. Even after folks bags were taken to be checked, there was still no room for folks that were in the last group and had a right-sized bag.

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:01 am

Just my observation but it seems like the airlines are getting MUCH stricter about carry-ons. During our last trip, many people were forced to check their carry-ons. Friends of ours flew down a couple of days behind us and she had to check one of their bags and was not happy about.

kklay · Post by **kklay** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:37 am

I've also noticed the airlines getting more strict about the size of your carry-on. For that reason I purchased a new one and made sure it was within the size limitations listed on the airlines website. I was still asked to "try and fit it" in the "suitcase size checker" (don't know the official name!), and I had no problem, but there were a couple of other travelers with larger cases and they weren't picked to verify the size of their suitcase! Guess I just had a certain look about me!

Anyway - unless I am going on a short trip, I find it less of a hassle to check a bag and then I'm not lugging alot of stuff thru airports - just getting too old to be a "pack mule!"

toes in the sand · Post by **toes in the sand** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:39 pm

PA Girl wrote:Just my observation but it seems like the airlines are getting MUCH stricter about carry-ons. During our last trip, many people were forced to check their carry-ons.

!LIKE!

I tire easily of folks who drag an obviously too large suitcase down the ailse of the plane and then fight to get the darn thing into the overhead in the first available spot while everyone behind them wait to board the plane. Then when the flight attendant completes the final walk through they are not able to close the overhead without re-arranging the section and asking people who have the proper size bags to store them under the seat in front of them. Then of course there is the inevitable waiting for the same people try to get their oversize bag down from the overhead. Of course the same folks will have a laptop case and a giant purse or backpack as well.
I appreciate when the gate agent or flight attendants check for proper the carry-on size.

sailorgirl · Post by **sailorgirl** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:47 pm

This month when flying American out of LGA the size of the bag was checked even before I got on the TSA line. They were turning folks back to the counter to check baggage. My hubby's bag nearly did not make it b/c the front was bulging slightly from his quart size bag. He threw it in his back pack and passed the test.

Coconuts · Post by **Coconuts** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:57 pm

For years, the standard for the carriers that I flew was 9" x 14" x 22", but I saw a carry-on checker for Jet Blue recently that was definitely larger than this. The specific dimensions should be on your carrier's web site.

All the best,

Kevin

gibber161 · Post by **gibber161** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:36 pm

When we flew Amercian out of Boston Logan, there was a TSA agent going up and down the line and pulling people out and checking their carry-on luggage to see if it would fit into that metal rack that they use. So be aware, they are checking.

jmq · Post by **jmq** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:48 am

New Rule: If your carry-on is SO heavy that you can't safely lift it up into and out of the overhead bin by yourself, then you should not be allowed to bring it onboard.

mit43 · Post by **mit43** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:03 am

Like kklay, we also had to purchase new smaller carry-on bags. The new ones are hard sides. The ones we used for years were soft side with zippered compartments on the front. The problem was if we used the compartments, the bag expanded too big for the new stricter agents.

A note on gate checking. On the US Air express flights they return the bags at the walkway as you exit. If they make you check a bag all the way to your destination after you are already on board, it is usually free. They have actually made announcements on some flights asking for volunteers to do so. If we are on our way home we always choose to let them take the bags so we won't have to carry them.

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