Check this...

This last trip was a first for me. I checked no luggage. Now I know some of you are veteran light travelers. I however used to travel for longer trips for the most part and usually with 2 kids in tow. This meant lots of stuff and checked baggage. There was really just no way around it.

This last trip was pretty short and so I didn't check my bag. I packed lighter and printed my boarding passes at home. It was nice in that I didn't have to go through the ticket counters at the airport. Just walked right to security and went on through. Quicker, easier, no worrying about getting stuck in line at the check-ins. No worrying about lost luggage on connecting flights etc.

All in all, it was a pleasant way to travel, and I certainly look forward to doing that again in the future when possible. Now I am hearing of certain airlines that are already or are planning soon to implement new policies where even the first piece of checked baggage is at a fee to the passenger. I have a real problem with this.. or should I say a real concern with this policy. Take a look a the flights I was just on.

My carryon is pretty big. Pretty much maxes the limits airlines have. It only fits in the overhead if put in sideways and taxes up a good chunk of space. Takes up maybe 1/3 of a big overhead bin.. for just my piece of luggage. Now there are people that are bringing bags like that and a laptop case or diaper bag and then a purse too. The flight attendants spent almost 20 minutes rearranging and cramming carryons to get it all in to be able to take off. Stuff was falling out of peoples bags and backpacks as it was getting shuffled around. Hell a cobination padlock fell out of a sidepocket of a backpack being moved by a flight attendant and hit a passenger.

The poor short flight attendants were having to climb on the seats all over the place trying to adjust and cram things in. This was all on a flight that allowed 1 checked piece of luggage for free. What is going to happen on flights where they charge 25 bucks for checked bags? $50? Even if only 10 or 20% more passengers carry on than they did before, where are these bags going to go? Are flights going to get delayed as the crew tries to stuff everyones crap into overhead bins and under seats?

How long will it be until the lady next to you will be carrying a live chicken on her lap and there are people strapping luggage on to the wings and stacking it in the aisles like one of those busses they use to transport people in third world countries? What happens when there is just no way they can get anymore carryon luggage on the plane in the bins? Are they going to check the luggage for free at that point or charge you because you were one of the later people and the bins were full already?