Yikes! Carry on Police!

[CheddarChick]

Good....Or....Bad?
As much as I hate the fact people carry on too much stuff, I wonder when it will all end......

The Middle Seat - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121363099388877743.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

[reefdiva]

I flew home from CA yesterday, the first day of the imposed first bag fee, and tempers were flaring among passengers unable to find overhead bin space. Not pretty and certain to become worse.

[fairybasslet]

When I was on the plane for my flight from Panama City to Newark, NJ this guy got on the plane cursing saying "F-ing Americans." Not sure where he was from but he sounded German or Dutch. Having been out of touch in the Galapagos but catching a headline about Bush wanting to bomb Iran, I asked him "What have the Americans done now?" He said that they always carry on big bags and take up all the overhead bin space. Funny, because all the people sitting around us were speaking Spanish so I assumed they were from Panama.

[fppf]

Yeah well bring back a template is going to be an issue caused by the airlines them selfs.

If you read the size restrictions for each carrier they spec them in linear inches. That means that someone can have a long skinny bag and someone else can have a square fat bag and both fit within there rules. So having one template wont work, by there own rules.

And if they change the size rules I'm really going to be pissed, luggage is pricey.

I wish the would stop jerking everyone around with the dam luggage, soda, carryons, and just raise the ticket price. It is what it is, they think we are to stupid to add up all there extra charges. In reality there just pissing everyone off.

[El Orans]

Exactly why I'm getting a drysuit to dive all year locally.

[deeper thoughts]

After hearing these stories, living in the Keys keeps getting better and better all the time

[Flightlead]

I flew home from CA yesterday, the first day of the imposed first bag fee, and tempers were flaring among passengers unable to find overhead bin space. Not pretty and certain to become worse.

that's pretty normal anyway. I am a million miler and have learned how to travel by air. most air travelers do not know, or care, how to travel and ignore the advice given them to make their travel easier. when you combine that with a general disregard for your fellow man its a mess.

I pack reasonably, always check my luggage, and stick my laptop in the overhead. The space beneath the seat in front of me is for my feet. period. in over 20 years of regular air travel I have never had a bag lost (even on 3rd world airlines) and only had it delayed 3 or 4 times. the hassle of dragging bags around, finding overhead space, etc outweighs the minimal risk of a lost bag.

why do people pack everything except he kitchen sink and then expect to be able to put it all in the overhead? doesn't make sense to me.

[fairybasslet]

Flying from Houston to Guayaquil I was kind of ticked off because I couldn't find room in the overhead for my backpack. All the of the bins were filled up with regular sized suitcases and the flight attendants were scurrying trying to make everything fit. I commented about it to the person I was sitting next to, saying "Why can't these people check their bags?" It turns out that the plane was filled with volunteers from different churches bring medicines and other supplies to the poverty stricken in Ecuador and each one used a box of supplies as their checked luggage and carried on their clothes. I felt like a real jerk.

[fppf]

Flightlead
My carryon contains 1 extra set of cloths, incase they do lose my bag, and all camera gear.

When the airline monkeys learn to stop SLAMMING my bags from place to place; and the airlines will take responsablility for broken camera gear, I may think about checking more gear.

Until then, yes my wife and I each carryon 1 full size roller bag that is within the airlines own size requierments, and one backpack that fits properly under the seat.

[fairybasslet]

You definitely don't want to check your camera gear when flying from Guayaquil to San Cristobal. There are no conveyor belts and they unload the suitcases by throwing them from the plane. My bag with my dive gear got messed up. I think my inflater got messed up in the process. Not enough to ruin my diving but when I inflated my bc at the end of the trip for it to dry, it wouldn't hold air. Glad I carried on my camera and housing.

[Jasonmh]

...
I wish the would stop jerking everyone around with the dam luggage, soda, carryons, and just raise the ticket price. It is what it is, they think we are to stupid to add up all there extra charges. In reality there just pissing everyone off.

Definitely agree with you there. Had on the news the other day that some airlines are now charging for water.

[AbyssalPlains]

This is becoming a real big fat ugly issue, especially for people like me, who
a) don't have spouses to share luggage with
and b) try to combine traveling with diving and uw photography

I just returned from a trip to North Carolina, and on the way there the plane was so crowded that they didn't let me carry on my camera and uw photo gear. Before I realized what was going on, a guy had sent it down the chute to the checked baggage. When I protested, all I got was a sheepish look and a comment, "We have to go." This was with US Airways, by the way. Needless to say, I won't fly with those guys anymore. For future trips, I will seriously consider shipping my gear ahead of time. With the new baggage fees, mailing a pelican case for $50 bucks is money better spent in my opinion.

[fppf]

Just FYI, I can't "share space with my spouse"
My wife has just as much gear as I do, we pack out own stuff in our own bags.

When I fly on a CRJ I assyemble my housing without orings and then carry on my rig, then make them check the empty bag. I still only have "one bag and one personal item". They gave me a hassel one time, when I told them to put in writting that they will cover any damage to my roughly $5,000 in camera gear they shut up.

[Cacia]

some airlines are now charging for water.


That is a bad idea...that could bite them.

[ekremer]

I was reading about the charge for water thing the other day...man if it goes through I suspect we will see lawsuits. Not only can you not bring your own bottled water, now they won't give it to you? yeah somebody won't let that fly. As for me. I have learned that without scuba gear I can pack for 1-2 weeks with just a roller that fits the airlines published max dimensions for carry-ons ( I say published b/c some of those if it doesn't fit in this box you can't fly contraptions are not properly sized ), but honestly something is going to give and customers are going to just stop flying and the airlines will all die.

[ArcticDiver]

Don't know exactly what is up with the airlines; but what they are doing sure raises suspicions that there is more to the pricing structure than just compensating for increased fuel costs.

Every industry with which I do business has either absorbed, for now, the increased costs, or has added a fuel charge, or has increased prices. But, not the airlines.

So, what are the obvious immediate results of reducing service? Less baggage means less staff which means less employees to care for and more profit. The diminshed service acts as a price increase that is poorly handled by CPI formulas and therefore keeps down CPI price increases on products and services they buy. The baggage issue is just another step in airline testing just what the limits of customer tolerance are. So far tolerance testing has shown that customers will scream but not stop paying. In fact they will be very submissive after a brief period of vocalization.

I'd say the airlines have read the market pretty well. They have reduced service, increased prices, enhanced profit margin and managed to get the passengers' unhappiness focused on each other rather than on the companies that created the problem.

[sea nmf]

I wish the would stop jerking everyone around with the dam luggage, soda, carryons, and just raise the ticket price. It is what it is, they think we are to stupid to add up all there extra charges. In reality there just pissing everyone off.

Here is how it will work. They institute these baggage and other fees now. Then, in about 6 - 9 months, say that they have to raise fares. Now, we are used to the other fees, they keep those AND raise fares.

Make no mistake, they will raise fares. But the other fees will stay, too.

[Cacia]

I heard they will charge for windows and aisle seats...

Suddenly the mileage rewards have gotten way tighter. I was told I could no longer upgrade with any amount of mileage because now you must buy a full fare ticket to upgrade. (who does that?)

Time to switch to cash back only cards.

Northwest and Continental announced cutting service (Oakland, Sarasota...more)

[Flightlead]

I heard they will charge for windows and aisle seats...

Suddenly the mileage rewards have gotten way tighter. I was told I could no longer upgrade with any amount of mileage because now you must buy a full fare ticket to upgrade. (who does that?)

Time to switch to cash back only cards.

Northwest and Continental announced cutting service (Oakland, Sarasota...more)

yeah no kidding. and miles aren't worth what they used to be either. I used to be able to sell my miles for 1.6c each. now I've got half a million and can't find a buyer.

[El Tiburon]

Flew on Sprit Airlines 3 weeks ago and had to pay for beverages and snacks, including water and coffee. Also, I believe every space in the overhead bins was taken. A lot of shuffling went on to accomodate all the carry on bags. I believe Spirit Air was one of the first ones to start charging for first checked bag. If you purchase on-line prior to flight cost is $10.00 for first bag. If you wait until you get to counter it is $20.00.

[victor]

It is arriving in Europe to.
I flew SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), my E-Ticket stated there would be a meal.
No chance I had to PAY for a cup of coffee, they had sad looking sandwiches, but I decided to give them a miss.
I was paying close to $1000 for less than a 2 hour flight, ripoff. Thats the last time I will be traveling with them. I can find a budget airline for about half that price.

[ScubaDiva]

I'm just going to start wearing my BCD and fins while flying. That should save some room. :dork2:

[Cacia]

lol, I wore my Eclipse backplate once because my bag was too heavy...it can be done.

[fppf]

Please take the crash position..... Oh my backplate...... AHHHHHHH!!!!

[scubasaint]

I was reading about the charge for water thing the other day...man if it goes through I suspect we will see lawsuits. Not only can you not bring your own bottled water, now they won't give it to you? yeah somebody won't let that fly. As for me. I have learned that without scuba gear I can pack for 1-2 weeks with just a roller that fits the airlines published max dimensions for carry-ons ( I say published b/c some of those if it doesn't fit in this box you can't fly contraptions are not properly sized ), but honestly something is going to give and customers are going to just stop flying and the airlines will all die.

You can bring water on the plane, but it has to be purchased after the security checkpoint. No bringing beverages through security though.

[Charlie99]

You can bring water on the plane, but it has to be purchased after the security checkpoint. No bringing beverages through security though.And in the spirit of the "cheap bastard diver" thread now active, one can also bring a couple of empty water bottles through security and fill them at a drinking fountain near the gate. :D

[ScubaDiva]

And in the spirit of the "cheap bastard diver" thread now active, one can also bring a couple of empty water bottles through security and fill them at a drinking fountain near the gate. :D
:rofl3::rofl3::rofl3::rofl3:

What IS the deal with cheap bastard divers anyway. Everyone wants to go to Indonesia for $2000. Whaaaaat?! :confused:

Sorry to venture off topic.