RonDawg
Contributor
If it's true that certain pieces of luggage are prohibited as carry-ons because their wheels may contain explosives, then they can't be carried AT ALL regardless of whether it's checked or carry-on.
My guess though is that it may have to do with the size, and thus the weight, of the bag itself. European carriers especially are notorious for having stingy carry-on limits, with 7kg/15.5 lbs being the common upper limit. Having a bag with wheels probably tipped the crew off that the bag would exceed this limit.
It doesn't apply just within Europe either; many European carriers also enforce this when departing from other countries.
The "explosive wheels" issue may be an attempt to cover up for their stingy policies.
My guess though is that it may have to do with the size, and thus the weight, of the bag itself. European carriers especially are notorious for having stingy carry-on limits, with 7kg/15.5 lbs being the common upper limit. Having a bag with wheels probably tipped the crew off that the bag would exceed this limit.
It doesn't apply just within Europe either; many European carriers also enforce this when departing from other countries.
The "explosive wheels" issue may be an attempt to cover up for their stingy policies.