Flight Attendants Want Carryon Limit

[dbaker]

Flight Attendants' Union Seeks Limits on Carryon Luggage, Financial Aid for Workers

BOSTON (AP) -- The nation's largest flight attendants' union is calling for new regulations to limit carryon luggage, allow flight crews to have non-lethal weapons and require airlines to provide anti-hijacking training in response to the Sept. 11 hijackings and terror attacks.


The recommendations are among a series of steps the Association of Flight Attendants is pushing to increase airport security. The union also wants Congress to extend unemployment and health care benefits for flight attendants who lose their jobs.

[dbaker]

Flight Attendants' Union Seeks Limits on Carryon Luggage, Financial Aid for Workers

BOSTON (AP) -- The nation's largest flight attendants' union is calling for new regulations to limit carryon luggage, allow flight crews to have non-lethal weapons and require airlines to provide anti-hijacking training in response to the Sept. 11 hijackings and terror attacks.


The recommendations are among a series of steps the Association of Flight Attendants is pushing to increase airport security. The union also wants Congress to extend unemployment and health care benefits for flight attendants who lose their jobs.

[tfung]

They should have enforced a carryon limit from the beginning... Flights in Europe and Asia have always enforced a 1 carryon limit. More if you're flying Business or First class... Sometimes I really wonder why people would not check in their 4 pieces of carryon luggage. They take forever to move down the aisles, and they have to move it all the way back up to be checked in anwyays when they can't find space to put them... [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

[tfung]

They should have enforced a carryon limit from the beginning... Flights in Europe and Asia have always enforced a 1 carryon limit. More if you're flying Business or First class... Sometimes I really wonder why people would not check in their 4 pieces of carryon luggage. They take forever to move down the aisles, and they have to move it all the way back up to be checked in anwyays when they can't find space to put them... [img]/forums/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

[dbaker]

On 2001-10-05 06:07, tfung wrote:
Sometimes I really wonder why people would not check in their 4 pieces of carryon luggage.

On a recent IAH-LAX-HNL trip, I noticed that the aircraft servicing the IAH-LAX segment was arriving from LIM and was running an hour late. This meant that my 35min connection in LAX would be a few minutes at best.

I'm a Continental Elite and was flying in F to LAX and BusinessFirst to HNL. I'm certainly not a "bin hog" in general, but given the circumstances and probability that my bags would make the connection, I felt perfectly fine carrying on my three bags. I got a "look" from a pax after the GA made an announcement that there was a one carry-on per person limit on the first flight, but that same GA was happy to let me board with my luggage.

When flying IAH-LHR-(limo)-LGW-DOH, it's known (from experience) that if bags are lost (which is about 50/50 on that route), it takes at least 48 hours to recover your bags. At US$15k/passenger for F, BA never complains about the number of huge suitcases that are brought onboard. The risk of a western businessman having to wear middle-eastern clothes for a couple days is probably worth a few looks from other passengers.

I agree that it's often abused for no reason. However, it's hard to tell what circumstances travellers are facing and sometimes, you just have to do it.

Daniel


_________________
Daniel A. Baker -- dbaker@ityt.com -- web page

[dbaker]

On 2001-10-05 06:07, tfung wrote:
Sometimes I really wonder why people would not check in their 4 pieces of carryon luggage.

On a recent IAH-LAX-HNL trip, I noticed that the aircraft servicing the IAH-LAX segment was arriving from LIM and was running an hour late. This meant that my 35min connection in LAX would be a few minutes at best.

I'm a Continental Elite and was flying in F to LAX and BusinessFirst to HNL. I'm certainly not a "bin hog" in general, but given the circumstances and probability that my bags would make the connection, I felt perfectly fine carrying on my three bags. I got a "look" from a pax after the GA made an announcement that there was a one carry-on per person limit on the first flight, but that same GA was happy to let me board with my luggage.

When flying IAH-LHR-(limo)-LGW-DOH, it's known (from experience) that if bags are lost (which is about 50/50 on that route), it takes at least 48 hours to recover your bags. At US$15k/passenger for F, BA never complains about the number of huge suitcases that are brought onboard. The risk of a western businessman having to wear middle-eastern clothes for a couple days is probably worth a few looks from other passengers.

I agree that it's often abused for no reason. However, it's hard to tell what circumstances travellers are facing and sometimes, you just have to do it.

Daniel


_________________
Daniel A. Baker -- dbaker@ityt.com -- web page

[dbaker]

An article on CNN today:

• The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce that it is immediately limiting all airline passengers to one carry-on bag and one personal article such as a purse or briefcase, an FAA official told CNN on Monday. Experts said the move would give screeners more time to examine bags and passengers closely.

This isn't as bad as earlier reports that I heard that was saying the "one carry-on" included a briefcase, so it usually won't affect me.
_________________
Daniel A. Baker -- dbaker@ityt.com -- web page

[dbaker]

An article on CNN today:

• The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce that it is immediately limiting all airline passengers to one carry-on bag and one personal article such as a purse or briefcase, an FAA official told CNN on Monday. Experts said the move would give screeners more time to examine bags and passengers closely.

This isn't as bad as earlier reports that I heard that was saying the "one carry-on" included a briefcase, so it usually won't affect me.
_________________
Daniel A. Baker -- dbaker@ityt.com -- web page

[Nugget]

I'm sure like most flyers I'd much prefer to check my luggage if I had more confidence that it wouldn't be lost or abused while it was in the hands of the airline and its "tossers".

Frankly, I think that 1+1 carryon limit is a reasonable limit, especially for shorter, non-transcon flights. Carryon is really only practical on a 737 because not everyone does. There's nowhere near enough room for everyone to have a full-size carryon.

If the airlines want to minimize the objections to this policy, they should re-think their handling processes and lost luggage compensation/recovery policies.

[Nugget]

I'm sure like most flyers I'd much prefer to check my luggage if I had more confidence that it wouldn't be lost or abused while it was in the hands of the airline and its "tossers".

Frankly, I think that 1+1 carryon limit is a reasonable limit, especially for shorter, non-transcon flights. Carryon is really only practical on a 737 because not everyone does. There's nowhere near enough room for everyone to have a full-size carryon.

If the airlines want to minimize the objections to this policy, they should re-think their handling processes and lost luggage compensation/recovery policies.

[dbaker]

FAA Limits Passengers to 1 Carry-On

WASHINGTON (AP) - Continuing to tighten airline security following last month's terrorist attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) is limiting passengers to one carry-on bag and a pocketbook or briefcase. All other luggage must be checked.

It's official.

[dbaker]

FAA Limits Passengers to 1 Carry-On

WASHINGTON (AP) - Continuing to tighten airline security following last month's terrorist attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) is limiting passengers to one carry-on bag and a pocketbook or briefcase. All other luggage must be checked.

It's official.