News flash: you can’t carry guns — unloaded or loaded — onto airplanes. And yet last year, Americans packed more firearms in their carry-ons than ever before, the Transportation Safety Administration says, most of which were loaded. [More]
carry on bags
Airlines Once Again Introducing Baggage Surcharges For Holiday Travelers
By 11.4.15
Last year, Spirit Airlines showed passengers that it didn’t quite get the concept that holidays – especially those that fall in late December and early January – are meant to spread cheer and goodwill toward fellow humans, by increasing baggage fees for merry travelers. This year, the budget airline is once again utilizing those surcharges, and this time, it has company in Frontier Airlines. [More]
New Rule Bans E-Cigarettes From Checked Baggage
By 10.27.15
After more than 26 incidents in six years in which e-cigarettes have caused fires or explosions on planes, a new federal rule is set to go into effect banning the devices from being left in checked baggage. [More]
EasyJet Passenger Shot With Stun Gun During Carry-On Bag Dispute Involving His “Man Purse”
By 8.20.15
There are many arguments one might have about a “man purse,” but most don’t end with police intervention: a traveler defending his right to carry the bag on a recent EasyJet flight found himself on the painful end of a stun gun when he allegedly got abusive and refused to leave the plane. [More]
Your Overstuffed Carry-On Bag May Not Make The Cut On British Airways Planes
By 8.3.15
Facing the possibility of hefty checked-baggage fees, many travelers have resorted to testing the structural integrity of their carry-on bags — laptop bags packed with more clothes than electronics; purses bursting at the seams with shoes, food, books, and anything else that will fit. But one major airline is telling travelers to put some of their bags on a diet. [More]
Airline Group Backs Away From That Whole “Carry-On Bags Should Be Smaller” Thing
By 6.17.15
You might recall a recent suggestion from the International Air Transport Association that airlines should adopt a smaller carry-on bag standard, at which time the industry group showed off the “optimal” design to meet that purpose. But amid consumer outcry, the IATA says it’s taking a time out from the campaign to reconsider. [More]
Airline Industry Proposes Ideal Bag Size For Overhead Bins
By 6.9.15
Line up to board a plane, and you will see a wide array of carry-on bags in a variety of shapes, colors and, unfortunately for the airline staff, many different sizes. While some of those oversized bags immediately get the boot, the assortment of sizes can still make it tough to maximize overhead bin space. That struggle could be a thing of the past, if carriers sign on with the industry’s new specifications for the “perfect” carry-on. [More]
Airline Apologizes For Baggage Handlers Caught Dropping Luggage From Height Of 20 Feet
By 4.21.14
As airlines crack down on passengers’ attempts to shove too-large and overstuffed carry-on bags onto planes, a growing number of travelers are forced to gate-check their luggage, meaning it’s collected at the gate and put straight into the plane’s underbelly. But some baggage handlers don’t feel like carrying luggage down all those steps from the jetway to the ground and are just dropping passengers’ bags from heights of around 20 feet. [More]
United Airlines Will Now Send You Back To Check Your Oversized Carry-On At The Ticket Counter
By 3.4.14
We all see you trying to shove that ginormous rolling suitcase you call a “carry-on” into the overhead bin, and apparently United Airlines has noticed, too. The airline says that while it’s not changing its carry-on size policy, it’s issuing a gentle reminder that oversized bags will cost you extra, by way of a trip back to the ticket counter to check that sucker for $25. [More]
Frontier Now Offering Confusing Range Of Carry-On Fees If You Don’t Book Through Its Site
By 5.1.13
Frontier Airlines debuted a few changes to their policies today and guess what? They’re charging for more things, including carry-on bags and formerly complimentary in-air beverages. Here’s the deal, as we understand it: Travelers who book their reservations through the airline’s site won’t have to pay a dime for a carry-on bag, but those who use booking sites like Orbitz or Expedia will have to pay. As for exactly how much, that’s where it gets confusing. [More]
Stressed-Out Gate Agent Will Not Tolerate Tiny Purses On United Airlines Flights
By 8.8.12
Jarrod and his wife were returning from their vacation, flying United. Their flight was delayed, and they encountered a gate at 3 A.M. with a single employee working. They went to board their flight, and Mrs. Jarrod had a camera bag, a large shoulder bag, and a tiny travel pouch over her arm. Other airline personnel overlooked the tiny pouch, not even counting it as a “bag” for carry-on luggage purposes. Instead, the agent became just a little unhinged, not allowing Mrs. Jarrod on the flight until she nestled the little bag inside one of her other bags. [More]
Stuck In Mexico Without Any Bags Thanks To Gate-Checked Carryon
By 5.7.12
Edwin’s wife flew to Mexico last week, toting only her carry-on luggage. United Airlines personnel made her gate-check the suitcase, telling her that it was too big and that she would definitely get it back when she landed. She hasn’t seen her suitcase since, and suspects it might have been stolen. United, as of yesterday, refused to give Edwin or Mrs. Edwin any answers. [More]
Spirit To Start Charging Up To $100 For Some Carry-On Bags
By 5.2.12
Spirit Airlines continues to demonstrate why Consumerist readers nominated the bottom-dollar carrier for the Worst Company In America 2012 tournament. The airline, only one of two U.S. carriers to charge for carry-on bags, has announced it will be jacking up its baggage fees, meaning some people could end up paying $100 per carry-on. [More]
Senator Joins DOT Secretary In Blasting Spirit's New Carry-On Bag Fees
By 4.12.10
Spirit Airline’s ballsy new $20-45 fee for carry-on bags has already caught the attention of the Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and now New York Senator Charles Schumer is rattling his sword. [More]
