$25 for a Carry-On Bag? it Might Not Be a Bad Idea

Have you heard that the cost of flying is about to go up? Well, at least it is only going to go up for certain people. The people that will be paying more to fly in the coming months on United Airlines are those that can't live without a second carry-on bag when they fly on a domestic flight. Many passengers might be upset about this change by United Airlines with the extra charge for the additional carry-on bag, but in the end the charge might be a good thing for passengers.

Anyone that has flown on an airplane in recent months that was completely full knows the level of frustration both airlines and passengers are experiencing. I have flown on different airlines including United Airlines, Delta, SouthWest, and US Air. All experience the same issue with passengers bringing on more carry-on bags. They airlines simply don't have enough storage space to store these without either risking passenger and employee safety or inconvenience.

With the increase in the number of passengers carrying computer bags, the use of a second carry-on has become more common. On my past few flights I would estimate that 70 percent of those on the flight had two carry-on bags with them. The airlines do have overhead storage for any bags that do not fit beneath the seats in front of you, but they did not build these with the knowledge of the amount of carry-on bags they would need to hold.

United Airlines is taking a step that will help protect their passengers and employees. This will both protect the comfort and safety of both groups of people. On recent flights I have seen airline attendants have to become very physical with the overhead compartment doors to get them to close due to the number of bags stored in them. Of course on longer flights at some point someone will open one of those overhead compartments and quite often risk having bags fall out on surrounding passengers.

This change by United Airlines should not shock anybody. Something had to be done about the increase in the number of carry-on bags aboard airlines. Will the rumored $25 charge for a second carry-on bag deter all airline passengers? Probably not, but it is likely to limit the number of carry-on bags on the airline and allow them to be stored safely and return comfort to the passengers on their airplane.