Posted on 05/02/2002 5:11:33 AM PDT by the
(KRT) - The federal government is asking airlines to eliminate size restrictions for carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints nationwide - a shift that some warn could lead to crowded overhead bins and testy passengers.
The Transportation Security Administration sent a letter to airlines last month, asking them to remove sizing templates at checkpoints, to provide consistency and offer "one standard that will allow for a smooth transition for the traveling public."
"It's an effort to make the process as efficient as possible without any compromise of security," TSA spokesman Paul Turk said.
For passengers with a penchant for bringing oversize bags onboard, it means fewer limits on carry-on size at screening sites, though federal guidelines now limit the number of carry-ons to one item plus one purse or briefcase.
But flight attendants are worried that removing the templates will bring back the era of huge carry-ons, which could lead to skirmishes with passengers.
"Even before Sept. 11, we had a problem with what we view as excess baggage in the cabin," said Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants. "And the closer a person gets with something they want to carry on, the more difficult it gets to let it go. It becomes a confrontation."
Formerly hailed as the answer to bulky carry-ons clogging airplane overhead bins, the templates are already disappearing from airport security checkpoints.
The templates are gone from all of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.'s checkpoints, as well as from about half of Miami International's. They still remain at American Airlines' screening sites at Concourses B, C, D and E, limiting bags to 12 inches by 24 inches.
Larger bags get stuck on the conveyor belt, and passengers must bring them back to the ticket counter to be checked.
American, the dominant carrier at the Miami airport, removed its templates from all U.S. airports about a year ago, but made an exception in Miami because of the large bags carried here, said spokeswoman Martha Pantin.
"People come here from South America and Haiti and do a lot of shopping, and try to take everything back," said Rick Musica, an American flight attendant and Miami vice chairman of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.
Musica remembers a passenger on a flight a few years ago from Miami to Panama City, Panama, bringing onboard a 25-inch television in a box. Other passengers have brought engine parts, disassembled crankshafts and huge coolers filled with food.
"They get angry with us because we don't have anyplace to put it," Musica said. "They think we can just put it on the floor in front of the door, and not think about the safety aspects and restrictions."
United Airlines led the industry's charge against unwieldy bags in 1998, installing the stainless-steel templates - limiting carry-ons to 14 inches by nine inches - at 59 airports nationwide. The action drew mixed reviews from passengers, though the airline credited the move with improving its boarding process and on-time performance - key factors in customer satisfaction.
Other carriers soon followed United's lead, including American and Delta Air Lines.
Continental Airlines, which had enlarged its overhead bins, bucked the trend and won a case against United. The decision required United to remove templates at Washington Dulles International Airport checkpoints the two airlines shared.
Still, United maintains the templates at about 35 airports, said spokesman Joe Hopkins, though not in Miami - where it shares Concourse F with several other carriers. The airline would continue to make its case with the government to keep its templates in place, he said.
Frequent business traveler Rick Faint, vice president of global licensing for Citrix Systems in Fort Lauderdale, also backs carry-on size restrictions.
"I'm almost always on crowded flights," Faint said. "And if people bring things that are too big, it inevitably causes problems with the boarding."
Either way this is yet another small example of the Federal Government run amuck. Mineta and Macaw don't have time to take care of arming pilots, but they have time to worry about telling the airlines how to run their businesses down to the pickiest little level.
If the airlines follow this request we will certainly return to the days of people attempting to check in for their flight with two pieces of carry-on luggage: A mattress and a Yak.
Whew. I thought you were about to say llama.
A very simple solution which does not require an Act of Congress or an FAA regulation is for airlines to offer an incentive to people who carry no more than a purse or briefcase -- those people get to leave the plane when it arrives at the gate prior to the people who have carry on luggage.
Umm, doesn't a template "provide consistency" and "one standard"????
My other favorites was "A pole lamp and a gas grill."
(No llamas, though.)
(Yet. ;-) )
Right on. While your de-planing privelige is a good idea, imagine if they offered a separate class, "Coach-Lite", that had a slight discount or added frequent-flier miles, or something as simple as free cocktails? I fly fairly frequently, and oversized carry ons (and the rude people who bring them) are a huge peeve of mine.
This makes no sense whatsoever. The templates are there to provide "one standard."
I wonder what it would cost to UPS or FedEx my clubs? Anyone know?
When yaks are outlawed
only outlaws will have yaks!
Airlines have different size templates based upon the size of the overhead bins in their aircraft. Continental spent big dollars to offer larger overhead bins in their planes in an attempt to offer a feature that travellers desired. Among other things, forcing one template for all airlines would remove any competitive advantage that might have been realized by offering increased carry-on capacity. That, and it simply reeks of bureaucratic busybodery.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.