American Airlines making controversial major boarding change

Carry-on bags have long been a source of stress for airline passengers. 

Many people don't want to check a bag, so they fit everything they need in a carry-on. The problem is that there are a lot of ways to have your carry-on forced into the baggage section with a gate check.

First, the airlines will sometimes force people to gate check carry-on bags when it appears that overhead bin space has started to run out. 

In other cases, they will simply force all passengers in the last boarding groups to gate check their bags. That decision can be made, at least sometimes, not because space has run out, but because the airline wants to make sure it gets everyone boarded on time.

An airline can also force you to check your carry-on if it's too big. Many airlines use sizers — tools that show whether your bag will fit in overhead bin space — to decide which carry-ons are okay.

That saves a lot of time, since it's very slow when someone brings a bag onboard that won't fit and it has to be brought back to the front of the plane. 

In some cases, although it's much more common on international flights, carry-ons can be rejected due to weight.

Now, according to a popular social media voice in the aviation space, JohnNYC, American Airlines appears to be getting rid of its carry-on sizers. 

American Airlines may drop carry-on sizers

View From the Wing's Gary Leff explained how carry-on sizers work.

Passengers are limited to one carry-on bag (that goes in the overhead bin) and one personal item (that goes under the seat in front of them) and there are strict dimensions for each. Gate agents are supposed to enforce these limits, and require passengers with items that are too large (or have too many items) to check them. And these sizers are meant to be objective tools to demonstrate whether a bag is too large – or just right.

Carry-on sizers are metal frames that give gate agents a tool that allows them to objectively make decisions on which carry-on bags will fit. Having that tool also gives the airline employees some cover that they're not making an arbitrary decision.

That doesn't stop people from arguing, but it does make it easier for the gate agents to enforce the rules.

American Airlines did not immediately return a request for comment from TheStreet.

General airline carry-on policies

• Many airlines use the “45 linear inches” rule (i.e., sum of length + width + height ≲ 45 in.) as a guideline for carry-on size.
• Domestic U.S. airlines often don’t publish a carry-on weight limit, placing more emphasis on physical dimensions and your ability to stow the bag overhead.
• For international flights, carry-on weight limits are more common (e.g. 7-12 kg or 15-26 lb.), depending on airline and class.
• Basic/no-frills fare classes (e.g. “Basic Economy”) may restrict carry-on privileges (e.g., only allow a personal item, or require fees for regular carry-ons).
• Always include the wheels, handles, and external pockets in your measurement — airlines expect the full size to fit in their baggage sizers.
• If your carry-on doesn’t fit the bin or is oversized, you may be forced to check it (possibly with fees).

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

United Airlines has removed gate sizers

If American Airlines makes this change, it won't be an unprecedented move. In January 2020, United Airlines started removing all bag sizers from gate areas. 

"The internal memo said agents should use judgment at the gate and that sizers would remain in lobbies and (some) pre‑security areas. This was supposed to 'empower employees' and reduce stressful gate confrontations," Leff reported. 

Airline Observer editor Brian Sumers shared the United Airlines memo on X, the former Twitter.

We’re removing bag sizers from our gate areas.

As part of our continued efforts to empower employees and deliver a friendly experience for all, we are removing all gate area bag sizers by January 23. With this change, we will not be removing bag sizers from the lobby and security checkpoints, where we will seek to better identify and check many oversized bags, and we will continue to remind customers about our 1+1 carry-on bag rule in a variety of ways.

In the event an oversized bag makes its way from the lobby to the gate, we know that our customer service representatives can apply our core4 principles and make the best decisions for our customers in the moment. If a bag is oversized, please gate check it to its final destination per the normal process. If it looks like it fits, let it go. Use your best judgment. Do keep in mind that Basic Economy customers are still only allowed one personal item that fits underneath their seat.

United partially made this change because it had updated the overhead bins on many of its planes, allowing for larger bags. 

Airlines try to make carry-on rules clear

An academic study of carry-on rules, "Carry-on Baggage — Are the Regulations Doing Their Job," showed that airlines have actually encouraged passengers to bring carry-on bags.

Since 1987, the airlines have tried to make passengers more aware of the limits they technically impose on passengers at the airport. Carry-on baggage policies are printed on the back of tickets. Airline reservation agents often advise passengers of carry-on limits. Most airlines give verbal reminders during the boarding and landing announcements. Some airlines have even placed cartoon reminders of carry-on safety on their overhead bins.  

Live and Let Fly's Matthew Klint shared why United (and by extension, American) have made this choice.

United is removing gate sizers because they simply do not provide an accurate picture of what will fit in the overhead bin. Furthermore, they just gather dust and are rarely used. Finally, United’s overhead bins, on average, will be able to accommodate even more hand baggage by the end of 2020.

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