One of My Pet Travel Peeves are Airline Passengers who have too much carry-on luggage. You know the ones. They have a bigger bag than the one that you just stood in line and checked in. According to all airlines rules and regulations, airline passengers have set baggage allowances, and one would think that most passengers know the difference between carry-on and checked baggage.
I was under the erroneous impression that airlines enforced their rules because that is what a rule is supposed to be. The Oxford Dictionary says a rule is “a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct or procedure within a particular area of activity”. In fairness, airlines call this “Conditions of Carriage”. Much as part of the Conditions of Carriage, is that you cannot carry weapons, you are also supposed to abide by the luggage restrictions.
The Overhead Bin
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Too often we see airline passengers arrive at the boarding gate with their oversized bags and walking straight through. They get on the plane and take an entire overhead bin when we can’t find a space.
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The Overhead Bin Jerk
This is the confident passenger who grabs the nearest to the exit overhead bin, and then ambles down to their designated seat, which often has vacant space right above where they are sitting. This allows them to do a grab and run when the plane lands.
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The Helpless Backpacker
The cute young backpacker who can barely drag her bag but bats her eyelid and begs any male nearby to hoist it for her into the overhead storage compartment. I can see that her entire journey will be getting people to assist to carry their overstuffed backpack. If you can’t lift, don’t expect others to do it for you.
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The Business Person, generally a Male
Remember that these are my observations. I have noticed many male businessmen whose time is apparently too valuable to wait at the luggage carousel. My spell checker just informed me that this ‘Politically Incorrect’ to just name businessmen, but since I took a shot at female backpackers, it seemed to be a balanced argument. Anyhoo, many businessmen overpack everything that they can into their carry-on …and take an unfair amoung of overhead bin space.
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The Re-Arranger
So we have got some bin action, and then another passenger rearranges our stuff so that they can get their oversized carry-on into our area. The do not blink as they shove our stuff wherever so that it won’t interfere with their precious cargo.
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The Reason People Rush the Gates at Airports
Many people detest the people who rush to stand in the queue at the airline gate, and I get this, but I would have to say that maybe people are lining up because they want to have a chance of some of the overhead bin action.
The Random Enforcement of the Conditions of Carriage
Airlines make it very clear what the weight and the dimensions of the carry-on are, and what you are allowed to take on board. But then they do not enforce it. Or randomly apply it. I saw a Chinese lady pulled over for a bag that was only ever so slightly over the size restrictions and made to check it. Behind her was said backpacker with a 120litre bag who sailed through the boarding gate, and of course, she begged everyone to put it into the overhead compartment. She effectively took the entire space.
Passenger Shaming
Passenger Shaming has a Facebook page, an Instagram page, a Twitter and even on Pinterest, though with nominal pins and followers. Passengers are publically shamed for many transgressions with nudie feet being right up there. But .. should they be shamed for flaunting a flawed system by taking on too much carry-on luggage?
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Whose fault is it?
The Airline Passengers Who Have Too much Carry-On Luggage have too much Carry-On Luggage because the airlines do not enforce the Conditions of Carriage. They weigh our checked baggage and charge us if we are 1kg over, but they do not enforce the carry-on rules. I have sat with people taking all manner of foods to Pacific Islands, next to people with different musical instruments, and even read of a traveller who takes her father’s ashes with her wherever she goes, sprinkling a little everywhere. There does not seem to be much consistency by any of the airlines that we have flown with, and that has been a lot.
The Airlines must take a stance on this. It is annoying to the people who do the right thing. Me for one.
I know one thing for sure. If I tried to get away with a lot more than what I should with carry-on luggage, I would be busted immediately. That is just the way it would be.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Do you have an issue with Airline Passengers Who Have Too much Carry-On Luggage? #travek” quote=”Do you have an issue with Airline Passengers Who Have Too much Carry-On Luggage? ” theme=”style2″]Or is it just me pet travel peeve?
We recently flew to Adelaide to take part in the Follow the Sun Relay. In the lead up to Christmas there was much being said in the media about how airlines were going to crack down on carry on baggage. We went to great lengths to make sure our carry on was the correct size and weight and guess what? It never got weighed once on any of the 3 flights we were on!
It really is the airlines fault that allows people to exceed the limit. If they can’t be bothered checking then it people will try and get away with not complying.
One additional point that was omitted from the “Overhead Bin Jerk” is that passengers actually sitting in the first row (or exit row) of a cabin really need those overhead bins, as there’s nowhere to stow their baggage under a seat.
damn good point
Just remove their bag and put yours there.
I don’t like confrontation, but yes, you are correct
Normally my carry-on backpack is up to 14 kilos only because I learned to go on mini or sometimes I do not bring shampoo etc. and just buy it on my destination to avoid over packing. Also, to give space to my important things on my backpack.
14 kilos would mean that you MUST be paying excess baggage charges all of the time. I don’t know any airline that allows that much. You are taking up my room.
hmmmm…When I went to China and Malaysia last year backpacking, I never paid for my backpack, it was almost 14kilos. Maybe because I have only a backpack with me and small pouch for my documents. The only things that makes it heavy was my laptop.
Then pay the excess baggage, because no airline lets you have 14kg as a carry on. Sorry, but true.
Haha YES YES YES! Can’t people just stick to the rules….stop being so selfish peeps.
Airports bring the worst out in people, it’s kinda impressive really haha.
If the airports don’t enforce carry one rules, of course people will try and get away with it. If I tried, I would get busted, for sure.
I generally don’t have an issue with people who have too much carry on luggage but I do mind someone rearranging my stuff so that they can fit in their oversize bag,
You are more accepting than I am. I hate people bringing on more than what they should, and hate them rearranging our stuff.
I never really thought much about the overhead bin jerk but now that you’ve mentioned it, explains a lot why there are bags on the front row while nobody’s sitting there yet. Lol.
Now it will bug you forever. Sorry about that.
How have I never known of the Passenger Shaming Facebook site? I’ve just returned from clicking over there and looking at a whole bunch of grossness. Must now remember to totally sanitize everything around my seat. Anyways, my dad once brought an esky full of live yabbies onboard as his carry-on luggage. He put it in the overhead bin far away from his seat so that if they escaped, he could just exit and pretend they weren’t his. Luckily, that did not happen.
I had heard of the Passenger Shaming Facebook before, but only had a big read when I referenced it. So gross. I am not going to make any comment on your Dad 🙂
I can only agree, I think that I have only seen two airlines enforcing those rules and those are Ryanair and Wizz Air. I assume that the other airlines are prioritizing the departure time instead of tring to get a lot of people to check in their luggage.
I think you are right, but why have a plane full of passengers who are angry before they even start the journey.
when we were flying to Senegal, we were delayed a good 45 minutes because there were about 40 roller bags (no kidding) that people wanted to carry on that would not fit in the overhead. I saw an American Girl doll make it in to the overhead. I’m guessing the plane had a lot of folks going home to see family and bringing all kinds of gifts. Most of those roller bag owners probably had giant checked bags, too.
But on 2 recent flights they did look at our carry-ons and give us “approved” stickers to put on them. so maybe some airlines are trying to do better.
I would just like airlines to all be consistent. Yes, people like to take gifts home. CHECK it in, or pay the excess. It is a safety issue also. I would not like to be hit on the head with some of these big bags, should turbulence open the overhead bin.
Travel lightly and buy stuff when you get to your destination. It forces you to interact with the locals and get to know the country/area your visiting.
Totally agree; if you pack lightly, and buy what you need when you get there, you don’t need all the carry-on, and you get to meet locals.
I met all the above and in the end I just put my carry on under my seat because I cannot afford to be mad every time I fly and let them take this joy from me!
No one should have to feel angry when they start a flight, but if the airlines enforced the carry on rule then people would not have to accommodate other selfish people.
I’ve been on a couple of flights lately where there is almost no room to stow my cabin baggage. Now I understand why …a combination of the overhead bin jerk, and the businessman!
Overhead bin jerk is a great expression. One I will now use.
Yes, yes, yes, yes …. yes. I could not agree more. As a frequent tourist I am just over the ‘we only take carry-on luggage’ crowd. Check it in – it just isn’t that hard. I am so sick of announcements on US airlines that the flight is full and therefore anyone with too much carry-on needs to check it in – hey, they should be doing this anyway. I confess I am one of those people who tries to get on board as early as possible, because I want my small amount of carry-on luggage somewhere within reach, not half an aeroplane away because somebody else hogged the overhead bin above my seat. Do I sound annoyed about this – you bet I am. It is one of the things that really irritates me. Honestly, though I do think that the airlines are a big part of the problem. Not only do they enforce the rules about carry-on sparsely and randomly, but they charge too much for checking in luggage. Drop the luggage charges and let us all have a less stressful flight.
We also queue up early to get our space above our heads. It is when someone rearranges our carry-on luggage that I start to get really angry.The airlines have to stick by what they say.
Paula, I agree with each of your baggers…pain in the patootie! Anyone who opens my bin and starts to rearrange gets the “stink eye”. The nerve!
I know; but they don’t give a rats. It is ‘cool’ to travel with one bag, and to impose on everyone else’s space apparently. Not on my watch baby 🙂
Interesting timing for me as I am considering taking only carry on on my next 45 day adventure. I was wondering if you were talking about the future me, but then I got to the size. My backpack is only 38 litres, and I can lift it myself (never mind that I am long past the days of being confused for cute and young).
Check you 38litre backpack in. Wait at the baggage carousel. It takes only a while longer, and that is not complaint by any stretch of the imagination. You are cute, but I would not be impressed to see you flaunt the system.