New Federal Carryon Legislation Proposal Idiotic!

OK I admit that not everything is perfect when it comes time to board an airplane, but do we really need another law passed to fix this? U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D.-Ill has introduced a bill in Congress to set a standard limit on the size of carry on, and put the Transportation Security Administration in charge of policing it. Check out the article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His proposal calls for the maximum size of a carry on bag to be 22" x 18" x 10", or a maximum of 50 linear inches. His pitch is about the overcrowded overhead bins, safety, .... which is fine except the FAA has already set limits on carry on baggage that most airlines follow which calls for a maximum of 45 linear inches. The standard size currently being offered for purchase at WorldTraveler.com is 22" x 14" x 9" to stay at the 45" limit.
So what is the point of a Federal Law that makes things worse? While I agree that there should be improvement in our current system, I feel the airlines are the ones to deal with the issue. Those that handle the problem in the best fashion will increase their market share by satisfying more customers. We are a market economy and do not need more Government oversight on what is really a customer service issue. There are plenty of safety regulations in place concerning the operations of airlines. If you would like to read some comments by consumers on the subject check out what an article in RedEye had to say.
Since I think I know everything (according to my wife), here are a couple of ideas I think the airlines should implement to speed up the boarding process and increase consumer satisfaction:
- Board the back of the plane first, starting with window seats - or at least board window seats first, then middle, then aisle.
- Place a professional baggage handler(wearing a back brace) on each plane to actually place the luggage into the overhead bins. This will help those who struggle with the weight of the bag, and also make sure they go into the bins properly and use up the least amount of space.
- Change the standard size of a carry on from 22"x 14" x 9" to 20" x 16" x 9". This is the same capacity, but will fit into more overhead bins without having to turn them sideways. This is also the standard carry on size within Europe. Tumi was one of the first manufactures to introduce this size into the U.S.
If you have any ideas on the subject please send them in and we can work together to fix the boarding process.
Send to : traveltips@worldtraveler.com





