Screw the stupid airlines! Carry-on bag Nazis

[Eurobabe]

I just saw a clip on TV about how the airlines (mainly the ones who are charging extra for baggage transport: US Air, American, etc.)are putting extra people on duty at security checkpoints so if you try to stuff your extras in carry on, they will send you back to the counter to pay to check that bag.

I am boycotting USAir and ANY airline that is going to charge me to take a bag on the plane.

Go fuck yourselves, I hope you go bankrupt, someone else will come along to fill the vacuum you leave behind.

[xchrom]

1. i HATE the carry-on madness as it is these days.

now they are going to make it worse.

i just paid over 800 to fly from sf to raleigh durham -- and it's going to be like a cattle car -- so much of the pleasure i used to find in flying is gone any more.

[babylonsister]

2. Don't blame the airlines; with the price of fuel, they have to cut

costs and charge wherever they can. Most are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Blame whoever is responsible for the outrageous price of fuel.

[backscatter712]

56. Blame the repeated airline bailouts.

If the less competitive airlines were allowed to go bust instead of getting corporate welfare, the remaining airlines could take up the slack and we'd see a much saner industry.

[itsrobert]

3. I hate people who HOG the carryon space because they refuse to check their bags

They often board with three bags: backpack, overnight bag, and a bag that's too large but they jam it in there anyways. Those are selfish bastards.

[TransitJohn]

12. Exactly, see my reply post#10 n/t

n/t

[KansDem]

79. I flew to Cleveland two weeks ago...

All I had with me as I boarded was an attache case (I checked my one suitcase through). But I couldn't put it in the overhead bins because they were all crammed with other "carry-ons" (I must have been one of the last to board since my seat was "6A." The first wave of passengers, those sitting in the back half of the plane, must have stashed their "carry-ons" in the overhead bins around where I was sitting). I had to put it under the seat in front of me which meant my legs were a little more cramped.

I wondered "where did all this 'carry-on' bags come from?" :crazy:

Now I know...

[endarkenment]

4. I dream of cheap fast inter city rail transit

I dream of an america that demands effective sustainable solutions rather than cheap and stupid fixes.

I like to dream.

[boobooday]

9. Bullet trains across America!

Yeah!

I like that dream too.

[Carnea]

16. Some of us don't have 30 hours to take a bullet train. nt

[endarkenment]

19. We should all slow down. What is the rush?

Besides, 30 hours would be coast to cost plus a bunch of stops. HSR is currently best suited for inter-city transit of 100-400 miles, and as speeds increase, to perhaps double those distances - in Europe they think any trip of 4-4.5 hours by HSR is competitive with air.

A widely deployed HSR system would drastically reduce airline congestion and a smart system would directly connect to/from large city airports, providing an great alternative to the current really shitty system.

[MountainLaurel]

20. 10 days of paid vacation a year?

A lot of people can't spend two days of travel each way every time they want to go home to visit their grandmother, especially if they are also using vacation time to take the dog to the vet, wait for the plumber to show up, go to the DMV, et al.

[kath]

70. That's another way in which the Murkan worker is screwed. Those pinko commie Yurpeens typically get

around 6 weeks vacation a year, or at a minimum 4 weeks.

And they have single payer healthcare. And pensions. And unions. And lengthy parental leave -WITH pay. And great public transportation both intracity and intercity. Frequent trains to just about anywhere you could want to go, which run on time.


But we're the greatest fokkin' country in the WORLD!! GO USA!!

[MountainLaurel]

72. Isn't that the truth n/t

[boobooday]

40. A bullet train wouldn't take 30 hours

That's why it's a "bullet train"

[Carnea]

80. New York, Los Angeles, California, 2462 miles

The Europe bullet train equivalent is London to Moscow (which is only 1559 miles ) Is three days. There is no train from London that goes as far as New York

So even spotting you a thousand miles it takes three days on the train.... It isn't practical.


Train times Moscow ► London (option 1):

*

Day 1: Travel from Moscow to Cologne by direct Russian sleeping-car, leaving Moscow daily at 21:09 and arriving in Cologne at 06:14 two nights later after passing through Belarus, Poland and Germany. The sleeping-car is modern and air-conditioned, with 1, 2 and 3-bed compartments with washbasin, see the photos below.
*

Day 3: On Mondays-Saturdays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:14, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35. On Sundays, a high-speed Thalys train leaves Cologne at 07:40, arriving Brussels Midi at 10:01.
*

Day 3: A Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi daily at 11:59 and arrives London St Pancras at 13:03.

[Tesha]

53. The TGV *ROUTINELY* travels at 200 MPH.

This means that a transcontinental trip would take
about 15 hours. Me, I'd think it just dandy if I
could leave Boston at (say) 6 PM and be in San
Francisco the next morning at 9 AM, after spending
the night stretched-out in a comfortably-sized seat
and no need to have my carry-on bags jammed in the
footwell because the overhead bins are full.

Air travel is a dying industry.

Tesha

[endarkenment]

54. I'd even settle for a stop or two. and 20 hours.

The european TGV style trains are incredibly comfortable and relaxing.

[Eurobabe]

68. but amtrak is on it's last legs too

WTF is going on in Washington?? Really. :eyes:

too many lobbists.

[Terry in Austin]

78. Then some of us will be staying home

A likely option in the near future:

A. spend 30 hrs on the train
B. spend $3000 on the airplane ticket

Note that this is the optimistic scenario, where the train option even exists.

[dipsydoodle]

5. You've been spoilt all these years

so now just deal with it.

Other airlines of the world have never allowed, to my knowledge , the antics which occur on internal USA flights with regards to what is laughing refered to as hand luggage -aka generally what you just couldn't be bothered to check in because it inconvenieced YOU and fuck the other passengers on board who it really did inconvenience.

[Eurobabe]

21. I live overseas.

I know all about the 23kg limits.

You can keep the snark. :hi:

[dipsydoodle]

44. I didn't mean you literally

:hi:

[Eurobabe]

58. k, snark removal accepted

:rofl:

[KharmaTrain]

6. Look For More Charges Not Less...

Airlines are playing a shell game...trying to keep up with soaring fuel costs and other expenses...or trying to hedge. Inversely, the costs and hassles of travel are starting to slow down those flying and there's a snowball effect starting to take shape...less passengers, rising costs = more charges, less service. The squeeze is gonna get tighter as those who continue to fly will bear the brunt of an industry that has deregulated itself into a major mess.

[Eurobabe]

26. deregulated.

thank you, finally some sanity. Another guy on here wants me to feel sorry for the airlines and what they have brought on themselves with their fucking greed.

[Squatch]

7. I, for one, actually think these fees are a good thing

You want to bring massive amounts of baggage, you can pay for it.

[Wiley50]

8. Yes, carry on, you Bag Nazis n/t

[TransitJohn]

10. If people would just follow the rules.

It's not that difficult to understand...one carryon in the overhead bin...one personal item (purse, laptop) under the seat in front of you. People try to board with three or four items, and stuff them all in the overhead bins. Another favorite of mine is the guy who shoves his carryon in the overhead bin at the front of the plane then goes to his seat back in 88F...:wtf:.

[Eurobabe]

22. I usually only carry my laptop and some small items

on board. The idea that I have to would have to pay for checked bags pisses me off to a faretheewell.

[Scout]

52. I blame the airline employees for letting the people bring all that shit on with them...

and not enforcing the rules once one is in the plane itself.

But I hate that too, no matter whose fault it is.

[Ravy]

82. I bought one of those "Bathroom Reader" books one time,

I don't know if you have seen them, but they are just full of 1 and 2 page stories, tips, sometimes puzzles...

Anyway, I got one one time that had tips for airline passengers, and one of the tips was, "if your seat is in the back of the plane, you don't have to carry your luggage all the way back and then to the front again... just stick it in the first bin you come to closest to the front of the plane.

Being someone who flys a lot, I threw the book in the trash, immediately.

[marshall]

11. I am flying next week and I am dreading it

On American, with a lap child. Thank goodness I will get to check a bag because I bought my ticket early enough, but I am anticipating a difficult time.

[Ishoutandscream2]

17. Me, too. Leaving for Florida with wife, three kids, and my mother

I've called American, printed out and read all the info, and I'm still paranoid as hell that I'm going to do something wrong. Flying used to be a fairly enjoyable experience for me, but all these "rules" are hard for me to follow. I just hope we do things the "right way" and have a pleasant trip from DFW on Sunday.

[SteelPenguin]

38. Flying with children is more and more difficult

We flew cross country on Southwest recently with our two kids. They didn't limit our bags, yet, but we had to wait to board now till half the people boarded first. Then I'm trying to lug 2 car seats, 4 carryon bags, while watching my 3 year old run ahead down the aisle, banging people on their heads.

All so business travelers don't bitch about getting the front seat.

Soon we'll be limited on what bags we can bring on board. I guess we'll choose the diaper bag, or fork over extra cash.

Just a pain in the butt. They should make things easier for people traveling with small children, not harder. All because the business travelers are a bunch of selfish pricks who refuse to check their bags, and abuse the system.

[TBF]

47. It is difficult. We took our 2 kids (baby & age 4) on 3 trips in the past

year. I learned more with each trip. Take the laptop & diaper bag on board (and the airline was very generous about the amount of formula I was carrying, etc...), the 4-year old brings her wheeled backback containing her portable DVD and leappad games. We learned to stuff everything else in 2 large duffles to check. I buy the last row of seats, and we make ourselves comfortable near the bathrooms. Works pretty well. In Florida I boxed up a bunch of our clothes and shipped them home via UPS to make our bags much lighter, and I also packed lighter with each trip because we usually buy a souvenir t-shirt or two anyway. Hertz and other car companies will rent you the car seats. It's definitely costing more to fly these days but I don't begrudge the business travelers. I used to travel alot when I was still working and those tickets were often very expensive.

The worst part of the trip is going through security. Once we get through that ordeal I feel much better.

[pitohui]

74. no, they should NOT make air travel easier for small children -- they should probably ban it

a small child, especially a toddler or a baby, has absolutely no business on a commercial aircraft unless there is an absolute emergency requiring the child to travel

i'm forever surprised at how many parents could not care less about their baby's comfort or pain if it interferes with their desire to travel

babies and small children don't know why they're in pain, they don't understand about changing cabin pressures, they just know that they're in pain and you won't stop in

babies and small toddlers have not fully developed immune systems, thus they are at much higher risks from diseases from exposure to crowds -- and thus they are also at higher risk from the radiation exposure from security equipment and flights at 30,000 feet or higher

but, at the end of the day, many parents don't care about their child's health, comfort, or happiness, it is more important to be able to brag to the other parents about the trip they took

the really sad thing is the anger caused when the child is older and has to hear about some trip she supposedly took, which happened when she was too young to remember, and yet she is somehow supposed to be grateful for this? a friend of mine was forever bitter about "son, we took you to the mountains at 18 months," in his late twenties, real world, he had of course never seen a mountain, a trip taken at 18 months didn't happen from the child's point of view

put aside ego and save the money for the child to take the trip when the child can actually enjoy it

[SteelPenguin]

81. Give me a break

What a bunch of tripe.

[LeftyMom]

71. Carrying a child on your lap is unacceptably dangerous.

I have no fucking idea why airlines still allow it. Be responsible, get a seat for your child, install their car seat, and use that.

[pitohui]

75. they allow it because of public demand -- many people love $ more than their own child

if they can save $200 by calling the toddler a lap child, they'll do it, the child's safety is not as important to your average parents as $200

it's hopeless to expect people to be "responsible" when, where the rubber hits the road, they don't give a damn about the kid any way

i'm not saying all parents are bums who hate children, but too often the kind of parent who takes a 2 year old on an air trip, yeah, it's about their ego and the kind of trips they imagine bragging about to their peers, nothing to do with the safety, health, or education of the child

$200 or their child having a safe, secure seat? for them it's a no brainer what they choose

[ProdigalJunkMail]

76. wtf? carrying a two year old on an air trip is about ego?

how about not having them in the car for twenty hours when a four hour flight will get you there? heaven forbid they should get to see grandma and grandpa that CANNOT travel for health reasons...yeah...ego...

sP

[LeftyMom]

77. It's also unfair to other travelers and the kid, because the kid will throw a fit.

No kid old enough to move about will want to be confined to a lap for hours. They'll sit nicely in their seat most of the time because they do it in the car most every day and it's not novel. Also, a well-padded seat is a lot more comfortable than somebody's lap.

And in case of serious turbulence, a car seat will keep them safe and secure, while lap babies go flying.

[rsmith6621]

13. 48percenter.....stop the bitching/rambling/RANT

They are charging per bag so they can avoid charging everyone more for the fare......if you don't like the policy either...

1......don't fly

2......pack lighter

3....or learn more about how the airlines run.


I work in the industry so don't tell me anything....I have taken pay cuts so people can fly CHEAP.

[high density]

15. Umm, excuse us?

For decades the airfare included the transport of a bag. Now the airlines want to raise their fares again (which is perfectly acceptable given the crazy oil market), but the problem is that they don't want the increase to be actually reflected in the advertised fares. This is a bad precedent. What next, extra fees for people with all of their limbs? Charge people $1000 for the second bag, I don't care. But the first bag is a requirement for anybody who is taking more than a day trip. I think this policy will not last for long because everybody will just jamfuck the overhead bins with luggage that should've been checked, or they will fly other airlines. If the weight of the luggage is costing too much in fuel or lost freight opportunities, then increase the base fares, don't tack on hidden fees.

[babylonsister]

30. Did you read the OP? The airlines are now going to limit

overhead luggage to stop people from bringing the kitchen sink onboard. They have to do something. If we want to fly, we have to pay for the 'pleasure'.

[high density]

35. At the big airports, maybe

I don't see that happening at my airport. They can't afford to man the counter let alone put baggage nazis in the security lines. If they have to do something they can raise the fares. These hidden fees are outrageous. That's like gas stations advertising gas for $4.25 and then charging an extra $.50/gal "transportation fee" when the total comes due.

[rsmith6621]

39. Bags Take Fuel To Transport

....If you have a problem with it call you congressperson and ask them to regulate the petroleum companies....I as a flight operations specialist don't like this nickle and dime the passengers anymore than anyone else...but we have to cover our cost any way we can and still maintain capacity.


BTW I am the one who determines how much fuel goes on board for the trip......I'm spending 1.2 million dollars of my companys $$ a week up from 240k last year same week.

[babylonsister]

61. You must have meant your post for someone else.

I'm not arguing with you; my DH works for an airline, too. See the 2nd comment in this thread. This is not the time to blame the airlines.

[Eurobabe]

24. I can bitch all I want.

Fuck the airlines, they SUCK.

I only fly Lufthansa anyhow. The US airlines get what they deserve, poorly managed and poorly run.

[anigbrowl]

42. 48monther more like

You want comfort and high-end service, you pay more per ticket. Airlines are poorly run but they can't just conjure money out of nowhere; I can't believe you're throwing a tantrum over them asking passengers to pay for the weight of their baggage. It's still really cheap overall. If it wasn't for the dumbass TSA you could just bring your own lunch and save on the cost of the in-flight un-refreshments.

[Eurobabe]

59. hey douche, what's with the name change?

it's 48percenter to you. Fuckwad.

[rsmith6621]

45. Thanks for Buying USA

you are a true American....

[Eurobabe]

60. that's right I am

and my vote is going to Obama from overseas. What's your problem? I happen to live in Europe, and Lufthansa flies from my city to my hometown. I probably buy more American than you do. :eyes:

Wow, this thread really touched a nerve. :rofl:

[ourbluenation]

27. My sis has almost 20 years in. The morale the last several years is in the tank.

and after that many years it's not so easy to walk away and start over.

[AlCzervik]

14. i usually check my luggage and i will admit i am a bad packer so in July

i'm going to Houston and i've already decided i'm taking a carry on only and not a big one, i'll do laundry while i'm there.

[babylonsister]

31. Here's a good tip:

roll your clothes; you can get clothing items to take up a lot less space that way, and bring more. Plus, rolling cuts down on wrinkles if you roll carefully.

[AlCzervik]

32. you're right, my daughter packs that way, she takes a whole outfit and rolls it together

and it makes her life easier when we travel, she even includes underwear and a bra in the rolled up outfit.

[babylonsister]

33. Also, you're coming to the

hottest place on earth (or close) in the summer. Sleeveless is the way to go; maybe bring a cover-up for aircon places that could freeze you out.

[AlCzervik]

34. that's exactly why i think i'll be ok with a carry on, like 4 pairs of shorts and

shirts and of course extra underwear and bra's, can't have enough of those when you travel. I lived in Houston for 3 years and it didn't dawn on me that i booked my flight right in the middle of July, that's when i remembered how how and humid it gets. Oy! My hair is going to be a frizz ball the minute i land.

[AnneD]

48. If I could get away with being nekid in Houston in the summertime.....

I would just travel with a 3 oz tube of sunscreen and an umbrella.:spray:
It's hot, the roaches are 3-4 feet long and the mosquitoes bench press 350 lbs, and your frizz ball will look great. Have a great time with the rest of us crazys that call Houston home.

[Dukkha]

18. boo hoo

If your traveling to get away from it all, then stop trying to bring it all with you! Is it such a burden to show courtesy to others? Are you so impatient to wait a few minutes to pick up your luggage? Flying is a dreadful overcrowded experience and it's only made worse by selfish people insisting on breaking the rules and hauling a bunch of crap on board.

[Eurobabe]

23. Read post #22

Choke on your snark.

[high density]

37. Bringing stuff with you like clean clothes and a laptop?

Yeah that is strange stuff to want on a trip.

[anigbrowl]

43. yeah, but how much stuff do you need?

I always take a few changes of clothes, a laptop, and a fat book (or two). For most journeys, everything I need fits into one shoulder bag.

[ourbluenation]

25. boycotts are the enemy of Labor. n/t

[AlCzervik]

28. i won't stop traveling, it's the one thing i really look forward to.

and out of all the times i've flown i've only had about 3 bad flights and 2 of them had nothing to do with the actual airline. I've also had my luggage lost but it's always been returned because i'm ocd about tags in the bag and on the outside.

[Dreamer Tatum]

29. The fees are a terrible idea...they incent people to carry everything on

...which is going to slow the already painful loading process.

I saw it happen as recently as last night...people were bringing
more than one very large bag onboard, and when they try to cram
it up top they make a scene and a mess.

Flying sucks, period.

[Carnea]

36. Your ticket price should increase for every hundred pounds you and your luggage weighs.

If you don't want to pay more pack lighter but you and your luggage should be weighed and then your ticket should be metered accordingly.

[TBF]

49. I actually agree with that. Currently people are stuffing whatever they

can into carry-ons. Rather than nickeling and diming people to death, and rewarding the assholes who insist on taking their huge suitcase on board because it is 'just one bag', just weigh everybody with their luggage and come up with a base fee.

Next thing you know you'll have to put coins in to use the bathrooms (I saw those contraptions in London so I know they're out there). I'm surprised the airlines haven't installed them yet.

[Carnea]

50. I've seen those contraptions as well but it wasn't London it was the 1970's nt

[frickaline]

57. I know I wish they'd just make things simple and fair this way

I can't stand all the separate rules. Drives me crazy ... :crazy:

[Eurobabe]

62. Right, so I am 5'8" and weigh about 150 lbs.

I don't think I ask a whole lot. I pack light, a whole lot lighter than I used to.

Soon we will have 'Derrie-Air' business models. Google it, a fake ad in the Philly Inquirer from last week.

[TransitJohn]

73. That's exactly what they do

on all the helicopter flights I take to offshore installations. Sometimes it really adds up with the equipment I sometimes take. Glad I'm personally not paying those fares. Wish they had frequent flier programs, though.

[anigbrowl]

41. a) inappropriate nazi reference. b) dumb complaint

OK, it would be better if they just put seat prices up and blamed the cost of fuel, but then people with little or no baggage would be paying extra to subsidize those with heavy baggage. This is actually fairer. And yes, I do think it would be OK to charge passengers by weight. As a skinny person, I am tired of subsidizing bigger people. whose transportation uses twice as much energy as mine.

[Eurobabe]

63. No, and no.

Why is this a dumb complaint? The airlines are out of control.

[canucksawbones]

46. I'd be happy to see carry on enforcment

I take one carry on bag, it is designed to fit within the carry on basket for even the smallest allowed size of any airline. I check one bag, it also fits in most airlines carry on basket, but that's cause I don't need to pack extra weight.

When I travel I can manage in my carry on, all my meds, a dSLR body 3 or 4 lenses, a laptop, a portable hard drive for photo storage and a change of clothes. In my carry on sized check luggage I can manage basic toiletries and the rest of my clothes and some reading material and a lightweight tripod.

When my wife travels with me she has the same set-up, allowing a second dSLR, another 2 or 3 lenses, a change of clothes, medications, and a few snacks that are gluten free. Her carry on sized checked bag will allow for her clothes, some more reading, and some more food for her gluten free diet.

All in all each of us rarely carries more than 15 kG between carry on a nd checked bag.

For those complaining about fuel surcharges and bag charges that full fare and business/first class passengers don't have to pay. Remember that they already pay between 2 and 10 times the cost per flight.

Overall, flight is still a fairly cheap if very inconvenient way to travel, and being from Canada, I generally have less choice (and flying out of Halifax means even less choice at that)than a lot of Americans. as for the cost of gasoline, we already have near $6 a gallon here. So driving is more costly here.

I certainly have no beef with the airlines charging by the bag, I pack light, some people take everything they can fit in the vehicle going to the airport. I alsdo like the idea of carry on limits, I make every trip without breaking them and I get annoyed as hell when the bins are full of someone else's oversized multiple bags, and extra bags of duty free stuff and I'm stuck trying to stuff my single legal sized bag under the seat in front of me (where my feet belong).

I travel as much as my budget allows and I have no problem with the current charges and rules that the airlines impose.

I would be happy if they priced tickets based on total passenger/baggage weight, and I'm not all that small.

GK

[Stinky The Clown]

51. Okay, everybody breathe slowly and think of the real criminal: Saint Ronald

DE

REG

U

LA

TION

Now they're fighting for their lives.

[Eurobabe]

65. Yeah and the American public is paying for it.

Out the ass.

[DefenseLawyer]

55. "Carry-on Guy" is the bane of my existence

Bumbling down the aisle with a two bags the size of coffins and his laptop, taking 20 minutes to stow it all away and another 20 to get his sorry ass out of the plane. Good god y'all. Put that guy in the cargo hold.

[SoCalDem]

64. Thankfully, all our funeral-worthy family members are gone now

We DRIVE..(even with high gas prices, it's still our choice)..

Having to fly somewhere for a funeral will soon be the only reason why many people even fly...

The airline industry has managed to kill itself in my lifetime..

I became a traveler in the early '70s..when flying was fun.. There were LOTS of airlines, and they were all about PLEASING us..

I flew on the inaugural 747 flight from Chicago to Seattle..there was a PIANO in the coach lounge..free drinks & music in the first class upstairs lounge...we took turns sitting in the co-pilot seat...looking at all the flashing lights..

They fed us STEAK..on china plates with SILVERWARE & steak knives..

Drinks were free, seats were wide & comfy..

Air Jamaica featured inflight fashion shows..

Our children got wings, cards, hats, and an almost mandatory trip up front to meet the captain..

Once on a red-eye from Kansas City to Chicago, we played BINGO onboard...prizes were tee shirts & bottles of wine..


RIP air travel... you had a good run..for a while at least

[Eurobabe]

66. Let's say, flying any AMERICAN airline is not fun anymore.

Neither is landing on American soil. The whole flying process in the US is totally fucked now.

Things run very smoothly where I live, I think the US is turning into a gigantic clusterfuck. It becomes apparent every year I am gone. :eyes:

Obama and his cabinet have a real mess on their hands. Transporation, infrastructure, jesus, what is next??

[ProdigalJunkMail]

67. carry on restrictions (and enforcing them)

are a GOOD THING!!! I am always reminded of the old saying, "Two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time" as I watch idiots try in vain to shove steamer trunk in the overhead.

sP

[mnhtnbb]

69. I can't remember the last time I checked a bag--been more than a decade.

I can pack everything I need for up to a week in my rolling carry-on and small personal item for tropical or cold weather, city or at the beach. It's all in learning how to pack.

It's also very handy when encountering canceled or delayed flights, or trying to fly stand-by on earlier connections when possible.