Did you hear about the two vultures who were turned away at the airline
gate entrance because they had too much carrion? More and more airlines are
cracking down on the size of carry-on luggage. The latest is American
Airlines.
Now this infuriates some people. Why should we be restricted? After all,
most of us are pretty reasonable about what we want to take aboard. I
called Patricia Friend, president of the American Flight Attendants
Association for the answer. She says carry-on luggage can create major
problems for flight attendants. Plus, there's the simple reality of the
situation.
United was the first major airline to put sizing mechanisms in major
cities. United Spokesman Joe Hopkins says the sizers were voluntary on the
company's part and that they rely on their own internal regulations to
police carry-on bags.
So the carefree days of unlimited carry-on are pretty much over, except on
Continental, which says it intends to accommodate any size and amount of
carry-on baggage when possible. Continental claims that sizers are not the
solution and that they actually cause "delays and inconveniences -- exactly
the opposite of good customer service." The American Flight Attendants
Association obviously disagrees and is hard at work lobbying Continental to
change its position.
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