Can Gate Agents Please Enforce Carry-On Bag Limits?
Even as overhead bins grow larger, it’s time for airlines (gate agents in particular) to start enforcing carry-on rules. You know it really is possible to do this and not make every flight late…
It’s Time To Start Enforcing Carry-On Bag Limits…
I was on recently on a Delta Air Lines flight where the gate agent made an announcement before boarding:
“Please consolidate your carry-ons as you are only permitted on carry-on bag and one personal item. Purses, grocery bags, garments bags, or fanny packs all count as personal items. You are only allowed two items onboard.”
But then the first woman to board had a large carry-on, a small one, a purse, and a shopping bag…
This was literally seconds after she made the announcement.
What’s the point of making such an announcement if you are not going to enforce it?
Person after person boarded with three or more items…and sure enough, overhead bin space ran out even on the A321neo that features larger overhead bins big enough for every single passenger to bring a larger carry-on bag onboard.
There was a last-minute shuffle to find space that almost delayed the flight.
Now I’ve heard that airlines do not sufficiently staff their gates to properly enforce carry-on limits. Yes indeed, I realize how hard it is for a gate agent to board passengers and check that each passenger is not bringing on more than one bag and one personal item.
But it seems to me that what drives such enforcement is fear of confrontation, not fear of delaying a fight.
And while I understand that (I can be non-confrontational too), what’s the delay in saying, “Step aside. You have too many items. Consolidate or dump one.” It’s very easy: you consolidate or you don’t board and if you miss the boarding cutoff, you are denied boarding.
Because it’s 2025…and folks know the rules. I find any incredulity over these long-term rules to be nothing but a case of “rules for thee but not for me.”
CONCLUSION
Even as larger overhead bins may allow for more permissive policies, I wish airlines would just enforce the rules…there are so many abusers out there and that slows down the boarding process when extra time is needed to find a spot onboard for their extra items.