# Airlines weigh fees for oversize, extra carry-ons



## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 6, 2012)

Airlines weigh fees for oversize, extra carry-ons



> While some domestic airlines are weighing the idea of discouraging passengers from lugging oversize carry-on bags onto planes by imposing a charge, at the gate, on bags that exceed the posted size limits, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has quietly started making passengers aware of a policy it says has been in place for several years.
> 
> "Items exceeding the free carry-on allowance will be charged $25 per piece and tagged for delivery to baggage claim at your destination," reads an entry posted on the airline's website under "Carry-On Baggage" policies.
> 
> ...


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## Passepartout (Jun 6, 2012)

> Passengers can pay at the boarding area with cash or credit cards for gate-checking a carry-on bag that exceeds the regulation size, which is 10 by 17 by 24 inches. [Unquote]
> 
> That's a VERY large 'carry on'. Most airlines denote a carry-on as 45 inches combined HxWxL. Some foreign carriers insist on 40" max. I doubt anyone is surprised by the airline gate-checking this size bag- just the charge to do it. Oh, and the fact that it goes to the baggage carousel, not to be picked up plane-side. Definitely a consideration if one has a tight connection and doesn't want another trip through security. (and who does)
> 
> Jim


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## x3 skier (Jun 6, 2012)

*Fantastic News*

Hoooooooooorrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I swear I have seen a Grand Piano being toted as a carry-on.

People have been trying to bypass the checked bag fees by dragging a steamer trunk to the gate and then gate checking it for free if they can't sneak it on board.

Cheers


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## davhu1 (Jun 6, 2012)

That's nothing new.  The policy has been there and should be enforced because one those larger items take room of two carry on that do not exceed 45".  Often a full flight do not have enough space for carry on.

What is new to me, we just got back from Asia this last weekend, EVA Airways weights the carry on.  It cannot exceed 15 lbs.  Good thing that international flights allow two check-in for free.  We all ended up check-in the carry on which are less than 45".


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## x3 skier (Jun 6, 2012)

davhu1 said:


> That's nothing new.



What is new is Alaska has the guts to actually enforce the policy. All airlines have the policy but it has not been enforced to date in my experience.

Cheers


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## Carolinian (Jun 6, 2012)

They seem to be taking after RyanAir.  They have a high fee to gate check oversized carryons, and they give their staff member who apprehends one a cut of their take to give them the incentive to play luggage nazi.  If there is the slightest doubt you have to insert your bag in the sizer.  Sometimes the boarding line is delayed while someone keeps trying to jam in a bag that clearly will not fit.  I remember the first time seeing this spectacle while waiting for an Air Baltic flight in Vilnius and a Ryan Air flight was boarding.  I'd bet that half of the carryons were sent back for checking, with quite a haul in extra fees for Ryan, and a nice bonus for their gate agents.

My standard carryon will fit the sizers of RyanAir, WizzAir, EasyJet, WindJet, as well as all the legacy carriers.  The kicker though is the ones that have very limited weight allowed.  I put heavy items in pockets on my person to keep the weight down.  I have seen some people with photographers vests with lots of pockets and those stuffed with items that would normally be in the carryon, but they wear it instead on their person.  I have not had to buy one of those yet.  I do like the weight limit on EasyJet, as a carryon is fine with them as long as one person can heft it unaided into the overhead.

The part that I find would annoy me greatly if I found myself in that situation  is when a carryon barely fails to fit a sizer due to a slight protrusion of wheels or handle.  I have seen this happen to a number of people.  There is little doubt that it would fit the overhead wheels in without taking any extra room, but the airline is anal enough to make them check it in.  I have also heard of people carrying tape measures because some airline sizers do not correctly fit the measurements in the airlines policies.

Personally I always try to pack light and carryon if I am on an intra-Europe trip, and only check luggage on a TATL trip.  I have had enough damaged or delayed checked luggage from the airlines' baggage mishandlers / luggage throwers that I try to avoid putting my luggage at their mercy if I can help it.  In this area, having things pilfered from checked luggage is also all too common.  To avoid them, keeping up with the limits on carryons is critical.


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## BevL (Jun 7, 2012)

BOth ways on our AS flights from Seattle to Palm Springs in April, an announcement was made that carry on would be gate checked through as regular baggage - pick up at the carousel, not as you deplane - for free.  They were full flights in smaller planes.

We took advantage both ways as we had a checked bag with us anyway.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jun 7, 2012)

BevL said:


> BOth ways on our AS flights from Seattle to Palm Springs in April, an announcement was made that carry on would be gate checked through as regular baggage - pick up at the carousel, not as you deplane - for free.  They were full flights in smaller planes.
> 
> We took advantage both ways as we had a checked bag with us anyway.



Alaska has been doing that pretty regularly for about one year now on flights that are full or nearly full - and nowadays that seems to be most of their flights that are not Horizon regional jets.  You also move to the head of the non-elite boarding group if you do the gate check. Alaska started doing that to speed up boarding, but it must also be costing Alaska some of the bag check revenue, as people are figuring out the game.  

Then there are the people coming down the jetway with bags that they know full well will not fit in the overheads.  Then they gate check the bag with the flight attendant when it doesn't fit, so they wind up with a free checked bag.  If Alaska starts enforcing the policy that's the group that they will probably go after.  Then if the bag doesn't fit in the sizer, you won't be able to get it down the jetway without paying.


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## mtwingcpa (Jun 7, 2012)

Carolinian said:


> I have also heard of people carrying tape measures because some airline sizers do not correctly fit the measurements in the airlines policies.



That happened to me several years ago. Alaska had set up a luggage checkpoint just before security. My standard not-over-packed 45" bag wouldn't fit in their sizer. So they made me check it. I wrote a letter of complaint. I was an MVP flyer at that time and was very much aware of their stated carry-on limits.

Several months later they responded. They checked all their sizers at SEATAC and had indeed found a handful that were undersized! So they gave me a bunch of "miles" and a free coffee mug (I'm using it right now!) for my inconvenience. I appreciated their follow-through...but I didn't appreciate the baggage delay at my destination that day.

And for a while after that, I did indeed carry a tape measure and a printed copy of their stated size limits.


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## MaryH (Jun 7, 2012)

Australia and NZ are fairly strict about carry on luggage size.  At least that was my experience about 6+ years ago.

I was there for work and was on a biz ticket and was also Star Alliance Gold at the time.  I was flyin AKL-HNL on NZ and HNL to YVR on AC a few days later.  Called AC on whom the ticket was on and they told me 1 piece for ELITE status and 1 extra piece for Biz class for 4 pieces total.  Since I had been in NZ for 6 months, it was great news.

I arrived at AKL airport with 3 checked pieces and 2 carry on (coupe bottles of wine in one carry one) was was told I was allow 1 piece of carry on at 7kg.  Then I asked if I can check the 2nd carry on but they told me I was allowed 3 pieces.  I was allow 3 pieces as NZ Biz, 3 pieces as Star alliance gold but with both still gave me only 3 pieces!  

I asked if I can put the wines in the checked baggage but was told 2 already went through and the 3rd that has not was at weigh limit.  I ended up having to repack a few things into my remaining carryon and dumped the large bottle of water and 1 bottle of wine and put 1 bottle of wine in my carry on.  They were almost ready to say something about that since it was at 7.6 KG and I gave them a look.  Probably due to the fact it was 1 hr before flight take off, they refrained and let me through.

I was not happy camper but made my flight.


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