Airlines are starting to aggressively enforce their own carry-on rules. On a recent trip through Boston’s Logan and New York’s JFK airports, the baggage gestapo was out in force at the Delta Air Lines terminals monitoring passengers going through the security line.
It seems that this is the last point where the airlines have some control over what gets taken through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. Afterwards, the battle will shift to the jetway during the boarding process. Get ready for the advent of carry-on cops.
I think most travelers remember the days before the carry-on liquid ban, when overhead bins were packed full. Then frequent travelers had a wonderful hiatus with plenty of overhead space, as most leisure travelers checked their bags because of their need for favorite shampoos and creams. Now, the world of packed overhead space will come again.
My carry-on cop experience happened while toting a large plastic bag in which I was carrying my ski jacket for a ski trip to Valle Nevado and Termas de Chillan in Chile. Naturally, I had no interest in wearing my ski jacket in 90-degree heat, so I put it in a large plastic bag and draped it over my computer bag and rollaboard.
Sure enough, after checking in at the kiosk and getting into line, a carry-on cop asked, “Are you traveling alone?”
I responded, “Yes.”
“Well, it is forbidden to go through security with three bags,” she firmly told me.
“This is only my ski jacket,” I noted, “a jacket is not included in the carry-on rules.”
“That makes no difference,” she said, “A bag is a bag.”
“OK. I’ll carry the ski jacket through security over my arm,” I suggested.
“Fine, but I want the bag,” the agent said.
I protested and told her that I would simply put the plastic bag in my rollaboard side pocket and thought that would be the end of it.
She said that I would have to give up the “bag.” At which point I asked to see a supervisor, who immediately said, “You’re fine. Go ahead.”
When returning from JFK to Boston, I was again questioned about the plastic bag, however, when the agent at JFK saw it was only a coat, he allowed me to pass without any other questions.
I did hear another passenger further back in line, when turned away with a third bag, pointing out that I was carrying three bags.
To add to the complexity of this situation, I was flying on a Delta Connection flight that allows “gate checking” of luggage. I guess that system — especially at American, United and US Airways — will have to be revamped.
It is not going to be easy dealing with the carry-on baggage issue. The new airline rules are going to put passengers in conflict with agents and when overhead bins begin filling up, and passengers will be in conflict with other passengers.
Airlines don’t even have uniform carry-on size limitations. Wait until they bring out the tape measures and rulers. Now that money is involved, it will probably start to happen. We may even see airlines beginning to charge for carry-on luggage.
Other notes: I saw more passengers redistributing luggage between checked bags at the JFK Delta check-in counters than I remember seeing in the past. When flying LAN to Chile, agents averaged the weight of two checked bags when one bag was over the weight limit and the second was under the limit. That makes sense to me.
However, as I observed, Delta was requiring passengers who did not want to incur overweight charges to move luggage between their two bags. It seems like six of one, half-dozen of another. However, in the airline industry, common sense is not the strong suit.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
