Airline Carry-on Bags

[Shotgun 1]

Now that most airlines are charging for checked bags, I'm just curious if anyone has had more issues with the carry-on luggage?

Since that time, I've only flown with checked bags, so I either paid the fee or flew on Southwest. But for this next flight (U.S. Airways), I'm thinking of only taking a carry-on, and it's pretty much the exact dimensions that are the maximum for a carry-on, and I'm wondering if they're going to give me a harder time about it than they used to (when they didn't stand to get $40-$50 from me by forcing me to check it).

Anyhow, just wondering what others' experience has been....

[beowulf 1]

I have been flying a lot this year. I nearly always just do carry on. This last trip I happened to get a seat in the 5th row so I didn't board the plane till late and had trouble finding room in the overhead compartments for my bag. The planes can't accomodate everyone having a carry on bag so it's better to get one of the seats in the back or pay extra for first class so you get seated earlier. Other then that I haven't had any issues with carry on luggage.

[PhreeZone 20]

Most carriers are allowing you to gate check it for free if they think its going to be too limited in overhead space for the flight. Gate Checking works for everything but valuables, I prefer to keep those with me.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[BDashe 0]

I fly ALL the time for work- people are bringing monster bags through security and hogging up sh*t tons of overhead space since the charges went in place, so don't worry about the size of your bag. as long as you get through security, gate check is free.

if you don't mind getting your bag checked, volunteer to check it at the gate and make life easier for the few of us that really care about getting overhead space/not checking anything.

Blues,

Brett

Edit: as an FYI, airlines board in different patterns, so back seats don't always guarantee overhead space.

http://www.seatguru.com/articles/boarding_procedures.php

So there I was...

Making friends and playing nice since 1983

[indyz 1]

I've carried-on my rig in a small roller bag probably a dozen times in the past couple of years with zero issues. The only difference I've seen is that in maybe 25% of flights some people are forced to gate check.

[Bolas 5]

Hopefully this doesn't catch on.

http://www.spiritair.com/Policiesbags.aspx#CarryOnBag

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[mutumbo 0]

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Hopefully this doesn't catch on.

http://www.spiritair.com/Policiesbags.aspx#CarryOnBag

thats so asinine hat you dont have to pay extra for golf clubs but you do for a damn SCUBA tank?!?

Well ill NEVER be flying spirit. I can promise you that. How dumb :(

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[Shotgun 1]

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Hopefully this doesn't catch on.

http://www.spiritair.com/Policiesbags.aspx#CarryOnBag

Yeah, I usually just fly Southwest because all of these fees are annoying - makes it difficult when shopping for the best price. But I sort of waited til the last minute to book this flight, so Southwest's prices were way too high. So even if I pay the $40 to check a bag, the flight will still be quite a bit less than Southwest.

I'm just trying to decide if it's worth the fee since I can probably get by with only a carry-on. But I'll be upset if I get there and am forced to pay the fee to check my carry-on bag when I could have brought a bigger suitcase. Anyhow, from the responses so far, it doesn't sound like that would be the case. Thanks...

[skydiver30960 0]

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people are bringing monster bags through security and hogging up sh*t tons of overhead space since the charges went in place, so don't worry about the size of your bag. as long as you get through security, gate check is free.

Another nice thing about gate checking: at least you know your bag won't get lost getting ONTO the plane. If you have only one leg (one flight that is, not one physical leg, you know) you can pretty much be assured your stuff is going to arrive at your destination.

The only time my wife and I fly anymore is SCUBA trips. We HAVE to check some of our gear. We keep the really important stuff in carryons, but still have to put our fins and BCDs in our checked bags. It hasn't happened yet, but a weeklong SCUBA trip can really get hosed quickly by a lost bag.

You said you can get by with just a carryon, can you get the carryon under the seat? That's the gold, baby: that space is yours and nobody can take it from you.

Elvisio "spent the entire flight with my knees in my throat, but had my stuff" Rodriguez

[mutumbo 0]

You have to take off the tank regulator wuen you fly it don you so you can se into it right?

I know i have to do thawhen i travel with my nitrogen tanks for pantball tourneys. Its a pain in the ass. :(

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[mnealtx 0]

I've been flying transcontinental, carry-on only for the last 3 years or so. I've had 'extra processing' once (hand-checked my bags).

The time saved by not having to wait on luggage is MORE than worth it - I'm usually through all the customs stuff and in the concourse heading for my next flight before the hold baggage starts coming into the baggage claim.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[skydiver30960 0]

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You have to take off the tank regulator wuen you fly it don you so you can se into it right?
(

If we wanted to fly with tanks then yeah, I think you do have to take the valve off. But the overwhelming majority (as in every place I've ever heard of) that is a SCUBA destination has dive operations or at least shops that provide tanks for you. That, and usually your lead weight. Good thing too: it'd cost a mint to fly with all that heavy crap.

Elvisio "need to get some more salt water soon" Rodriguez

[skyrider 0]

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You have to take off the tank regulator wuen you fly it don you so you can se into it right?

I know i have to do thawhen i travel with my nitrogen tanks for pantball tourneys. Its a pain in the ass. :(

Dude, you will never get laid by any of the women that just read that!

[Remster 30]

Guys: dont confuse "gate checking" with planeside bagage handling (or planeside valet, or whatever the airline calls it that day).

If you ask for "gate checking", the bag WILL go in the hold, and you will have to retrieve it at the carousel. Yes, most of the time, the airline will do it for free if it's a big plane and they still have worries about too many carry ons. If you do an actual gate check, your luggage still have to be transfered by the ground crews if you have transfer.

Planeside, for those who dont know, is when they give you a little pink or green tab, the luggage gets taken at the door of the plane, and you get it back as you exit the plane. Most common on smaller planes (RJ's and the likes).

Remster

[shropshire 0]

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if you don't mind getting your bag checked, volunteer to check it at the gate and make life easier for the few of us that really care about getting overhead space/not checking anything.

Why do you really care about getting Overhead space?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[skydiver30960 0]

...your last post was about planeside vs. gate checking...

Yep, I'm with you. I love me some planeside. It's the best of both worlds: I KNOW my stuff is going to make it, I have it right up until I board and have it back as soon as I get off, but I don't have to deal with stowing it or shoving it under my seat!

Unfortunately, unless you're on a puddle jumper, it's usually gate checking that goes on. But for my "it'll get there" statement, I figure it'd be pretty hard for a thrower to lose my bag from the front of the plane to the back of the plane, so if I only have one leg to my trip then I'm comfortable my stuff is going to make it. I'm sure it's happened (gate checked bags getting lost), and it would spin me into a previously undiscovered flavor of pissed off if it did, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Elvisio "next trip is in September, need to work on smuggling liquor onto a cruise boat" Rodriguez

[kallend 2,107]

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Now that most airlines are charging for checked bags, I'm just curious if anyone has had more issues with the carry-on luggage?

Since that time, I've only flown with checked bags, so I either paid the fee or flew on Southwest. But for this next flight (U.S. Airways), I'm thinking of only taking a carry-on, and it's pretty much the exact dimensions that are the maximum for a carry-on, and I'm wondering if they're going to give me a harder time about it than they used to (when they didn't stand to get $40-$50 from me by forcing me to check it).

Anyhow, just wondering what others' experience has been....

Flew US Airways from Hawaii to Phoenix earlier this month. Flight from Hell! Insufficient overhead space for all the carry-ons among other issues.

Every time I fly US Air I vow not to do it again. Was fooled this time, I had booked on Untied only to find that it was an "operated by..." flight.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,107]

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Another nice thing about gate checking: at least you know your bag won't get lost getting ONTO the plane.

NEGATIVE. Untied has lost my gate checked bag (in San Diego). Came in on a later flight.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[JohnMitchell 16]

And of course, I don't want my rig going down in the hold, out of my sight. When going to boogies, we carry those on in a discreet bag and pack all the other stuff, clothes, weight vests, etc. in a single bag for checking. Two people can share a checked bag, saving a few $$.

[rehmwa 2]

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people are bringing monster bags through security and hogging up sh*t tons of overhead space

this is a real problem now - it's out of hand - and some people are just idiots in how they load the overhead too.


Edit: A soft side bag is nice as you can get it overhead in some pretty odd openings that you just don't get with a hard side. A skydiving gear bag is a great travel bag.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[BDashe 0]

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Why do you really care about getting Overhead space?

Not to sound pompous but when I am traveling it is typically 1-2 weeks at a time living out of one bag, hitting up to a dozen different cities at a time. I change planes and flights A LOT. I can't afford to have my bag lost when checking it due to changing cities 1-3 times per day. I typically have mtgs scheduled as soon as I'm off the plane, so saving the time from waiting on a bag is important. I carry a computer bag as well which is what i prefer to have under the seat in front of me.

My carry on is soft sided so i can squish it in there. I do lots of ironing on the road...

So there I was...

Making friends and playing nice since 1983

[shropshire 0]

thanks

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[mutumbo 0]

Quote

Quote

You have to take off the tank regulator wuen you fly it don you so you can se into it right?

I know i have to do thawhen i travel with my nitrogen tanks for pantball tourneys. Its a pain in the ass. :(

Dude, you will never get laid by any of the women that just read that!

HAHA you havent seen a major event played yet, have you? haha. i dont play that backwoods redneck crap, im talking about the big leagues, haha.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[kasch 0]

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My carry on is soft sided so i can squish it in there. I do lots of ironing on the road...

That made me lol.

If you check out some small backpacks for hiking and stuff a lot of them will have compression straps. they are a god sent. i have a 65liter pack I use when I go romping around in jungles and 3rd world countries but I can fit it in as a carry on because i can shrink the thing down so much.

i got mine from http://www.rei.com/

Sex with sith is like sex with a stripper. A lot of flashing lights and waving of glowing sabers, but in the end you end up with something dark and wrinkely.

DPH# "-13"
TSK# "-13"

[kallend 2,107]

Quote

Quote

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You have to take off the tank regulator wuen you fly it don you so you can se into it right?

I know i have to do thawhen i travel with my nitrogen tanks for pantball tourneys. Its a pain in the ass. :(

Dude, you will never get laid by any of the women that just read that!

HAHA you havent seen a major event played yet, have you? haha. i dont play that backwoods redneck crap, im talking about the big leagues, haha.

Wow, I bet you have Mad Skilz.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.