Be Kind - Pay Attention to Carry-On Size!

I fly about once a month, and I have a tip that will make every flyer's life easier. Get a carry on bag that fits the size requirements posted on all airlines' websites. That's the one tip I can give to people. Ever since airlines started charging for checked bags, people are always bringing bags that are clearly nowhere near the size they should be onto planes. I had to gatecheck a backpack - a regular backpack!!!- because there wasn't enough room in the overhead bins, due to people with huge "carry on" bags that don't fit into the overhead compartments. It's not fair to the other people on the plane who have normal correctly-proportioned items to have to accommodate people who are breaking the rules.

The airlines are partially to blame for this. The gate attendants shouldn't allow people to bring bags that are over the size limits on board, those bags should be checked at the gate. I understand not wanting to pay the fee for bags, but if people don't want to check their bags then they should have to get bags that are the correct size. Delta's size rule is 22"x14"x9". Northwest, United, and US Airways are all the same. This is not a hard size to find a bag for, even on with wheels, since many people won't carry their bags now.

People are just rude sometimes, though. I don't know how many times I've heard flight attendants request that people not take up overhead space with their coats until everyone is on the plane, and people just ignore them. I was on a flight yesterday where an attendant had to remove peoples' coats and tell them again not to put them up until everyone was on board.

I hate not being able to put my backpack in the overhead that's near me, too. There are always big bags taking up the whole space, and it slows the whole boarding and disembarking processes when I have to find a space a few rows back or ahead of where I'm seated. There are also tiny bags being put into overhead space that would easily fit under a seat without depriving a traveler of legroom. I never put my purse on top, just near my feet, and it's never caused me any discomfort.

These aren't insurmountable problems. If people would just be considerate of their fellow travelers, it wouldn't be an issue at all.