Fly United? Starting on May 5, 2008, they will charge $25 for a second checked bag for many passengers. Only one free checked bag will be allowed. Read the details here.
From the United website:
For travel worldwide on United, you may carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse, briefcase, or laptop computer.
A carry-on bag must fit under your seat or in the overhead bin.
Carry-on bag dimensions should not be more than 9" x 14" x 22" (length + width + height) or 45 linear inches (the length, height and width added together).
United may require that a carry-on item travel as checked baggage if the item cannot be safely stowed on a particular flight.
United exempts the following personal items from the one piece limit:
Child safety seats for ticketed children
Assistive devices (e.g. canes, crutches, etc.)
Outer garments (e.g. coats, hats, etc.)
If I am reading your post right, Dave, then I see people trying to abuse the carry-on policy. United leaves lots of room for misinterpretation. There is nothing that bothers me more than the person who brings backpacks, carryons, child seats, duffel bags, and a various assundry of bags and expects them all to conveniently fit in the overhead bins. The flight attendants (note the pc term) tend to get overwhelmed and often just try to help the poor sap who blocks the aisle for no less than 10 minutes while he or she stows his excess baggage.
That is exactly the point that I was trying to make, Dave. If United just amended their checked baggage policies, then passengers will find a way to skirt the rules and possible fees. I see ways that people could try to take an otherwise checked bag on board and let the attendants deal with it.
Oh, okay. You are right. They need to enforce the carry-on policy too or it will become a zoo. Heck, it already is a zoo! I agree with you, it annoys me to no end to see people board a plane loaded down with stuff while I always comply with the rules. They then hog all the overhead bins and I have to sit crammed in my seat with no leg room because my bag is under the seat.
Originally posted by Dave Beers:
Oh, okay. You are right. They need to enforce the carry-on policy too or it will become a zoo. Heck, it already is a zoo! I agree with you, it annoys me to no end to see people board a plane loaded down with stuff while I always comply with the rules. They then hog all the overhead bins and I have to sit crammed in my seat with no leg room because my bag is under the seat.
Soap Box Time
I don't think this should be limited to just United, every airline should start clamping down on the size and quantity of hand luggage. It's honestly getting out of hand. These people with bag packs the size of a small child should be banned, wheely cases of a certain size should be banned.
Cattle class is bad enough without these inconveniences.
Ok I'll step off the soap box and hand it over to someone else.
You guys are so right about the carry on situation. I just wonder how long before the other airlines will follow suit? If they don't will United go back to not charging? I don't fly United as they never have flights that work for me....I now have another reason not to use them.
My thoughts turned to carry-ons, also. There is so little overhead room to begin with, and this new policy will result in more people bringing a bag onboard.
And, now that many items MUST go into checked baggage, that means that a second bag is most definitely needed to hold items displaced by the shampoo, etc.
I'm flying United to Vancouver this summer, so I'll have to think up some creative packing strategies for packing both cool-weather outdoor gear and our formal attire. We may be OK as we booked months ago, but I don't want to be surprised at the check-in counter.
Linear Mode
