Americans and Hand Luggage

[fozzyo]

I mean really! What's it all about?

I got some snaps at JFK of some of the people going through security and on our plane. Do you really need those five bags? Do you really need to take a suitcase that is bigger then the one I use for a two week holiday as hand luggage?

And how can airlines allow it?

[Scrooge]

Beats me, even when fying in first I manage to get by with two....of course you don't want to try and lift the "big" bag.

The main reason is, people got fed up with the long waits for luggage, both check in and on arrival, the US airlines promoted frequency of flights over size of aircraft so you have a mass of flights, limited baggage claim area and a population that wants to be clear of the area asap.

All together this means taking as much into the cabin as you can get away with is the ideal thing for lots of people.

Also avoiding JFK doesn't hurt in the slightest [:I]

When I travel to Denver, I usually connect in DC and get a United flight. Over 50% of the time with United, my bags never make the flight, despite a good 60 to 90 minute wait for the plane to depart.

As it is inconvenient to be without the luggage If I could I'd take it on board.

You only have to see the luggage lying around at Denver to know the problem could be much worse !

Mark

[mcmbenjamin]

I hate to wait so I carry everything onboard. It takes time to check a bag and more time to reclaim the bag. I either carry everything or FedEx my crap to the hotel/hostel I will be at.

[RichardMannion]

Screw that! I will check in as much as possible, I don't want to be a straw donkey and have to carry loads of crap.

If it doesn't show up when I arrive, I simply make use of the insurance policay I have with AmEx to buy new stuff.

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by RichardMannion
Screw that! I will check in as much as possible, I don't want to be a straw donkey and have to carry loads of crap.

If it doesn't show up when I arrive, I simply make use of the insurance policay I have with AmEx to buy new stuff.

Well do believe in having backup in place but then again it takes time to shop for the new goods, call AmEx, etc. In your plan you would have also taken the time to check a bag and waited for the bag (and probably made an inquire as to its whereabouts). I would be at the bar at the hotel drinking a Diet Coke.

I am simple and just want my stuff, where I am.

Ask many answers are not surface level; may I suggest one root that could answer the questions. American tend not to be given as generous leave packages as in other countries. Two weeks in normal. If an employee has more time off than the normal two weeks there is a back-lash effect from fellow co-workers if more than a week at a time is taken. Therefore I would feel that it is fair to say that Americans rather maximize their vacation/holiday time.

In regards to a business traveler. Well they (more than likely) do not want to be gone from the trick they are currently with or the family too long. Therefore after a night or two away, they rather not wait for their baggage. Also consider that non-exempt employees do not get paid for travel time in the USA unless the flight begins during normal scheduled hours (ISTBC by Mr. C on that ). Exempts do not get paid for travel time as they get a set salary.

The best example I've seen of this was from Honolulu to Kona (less than a 25 minute flight) The amount of carry-on everyone was trying to stuff into the lockers was unbelievable and hilarious as when you got there you simply get off the plane and walk to the terminal which is under a thatch roof and all the ground crew do is take it out the hold and put in on the conveyor!!

Originally posted by ade99
The best example I've seen of this was from Honolulu to Kona (less than a 25 minute flight) The amount of carry-on everyone was trying to stuff into the lockers was unbelievable and hilarious as when you got there you simply get off the plane and walk to the terminal which is under a thatch roof and all the ground crew do is take it out the hold and put in on the conveyor!!

Hawaii is a special case re Americans, luggage, and carry-on items. Unless you've lived in the islands, you probably wouldn't know that the kamaiinas treat the inter-island flights like mainlanders do buses, with their assorted shopping going along.

Due to some of the produce requirements (ex-Hawaii flights), if a bag is mis-loaded or offloaded incorrectly, the contents of the day's shopping could go in the bin. The cost of food is high enough in Hawaii without having one's groceries go into the trash for a baggage error!

Certain inter-island flights are operated by a carrier well-known for inability to read tags, routing labels, or warning labels and should be really called 'Checking bags? Lost bags 'r' us'... No local checks a bag on those flights. Trust me.

If you remembered seeing home improvement items carried on, that's because there's much more choice in Honolulu than anywhere else, and some items have a waiting list. If someone's just waited six weeks for a special order to arrive, I can guarantee they're going to keep both eyes on it. If produce or meats, the same.

If you were on one of the early-morning flights, I can also guarantee you weren't seeing tourists. Travel agents don't book them on the before-0630 flights. I used to tell tourists to avoid those early flights due to the overheads being full to the brim, as well as the cargo bins. The larger tourist bags might not fit on the flight if checked in late. Local baggage will always be loaded on early flights before tourist baggage - even if they deny that, I've seen it happen.

The planes are so heavy it's miraculous they rotate, but I can assure you they also land like lead sleds and need full rollouts, not for the faint-hearted or nervous-Nellie flyers...[:0]