Oh, are you coming to New York? I wish I'd known. You should have set up a book signing, say at the Barnes and Noble Greenwich Vilage, 396 Ave of the Americas at 8th Str, Friday night at 7PM.

The airlines are backing themselves into a strange corner - they increase baggage check-in fees, resulting in more people trying to bring more stuff onto the plane in carry-on form. This either takes up time at security as it gets pawed through, or at the gate as someone either tries to argue the bag onto the plane, or as it gets gate-checked after losing the argument. Sometimes the people are trying to be smart, HOPING the bag gets gate-checked, which is usually free since they don't have the ability to collect fees at the gate. All this just makes the whole process longer and more stressful.

The more rules and limitations that get set up, the harder we (oh, sorry, "some people") will work to circumvent them. And we're just trying to get to another town for a meeting. Imagine how hard the people planning to kill us all are trying.

Charge for drinks or headphones - that's fair, not everyone will want a drink on the flight or watch the crappy movie. But damn near everyone will have luggage. People are kidding around when they talk about pay toilets on the plane...now.

There's got to be a better way. Most definitely limits on the size and number of carry-ons, but I think Vinnie's got a good idea, too, to charge for the drinks and headphones.

Amy, I'll see ya tonight! o.O

The solution is for airlines to buy bigger @#$%^& airframes and quit surcharging for checked baggage.

My carry on always passes the size limits, and so to most of the ones I see on the plane. But there's not enough space for everyone to use the space they're "entitled to."

Bigger airframes.

The rising cost of checking baggage is not an excuse to be rude. I travel with my three kids and never seem to need the carry on space others traveling alone need. It has gotten out of hand. As far as a laptop goes though I always put it under my seat because there are too many people out there who have no problem slamming their stuff on mine to make it fit.

Annoyingly huge carry-on bags are nothing new! They have been driving me crazy for years now. It pre-dates the baggage charges. Mainly people are trying to ensure that they check in faster and get out of the airport sooner. Also to avoid lost luggage, I would imagine. Avoiding baggage charges is just another reason.

I'm amazed at how often I have seen people get onto the plane with luggage clearly NOT of carry-on size. One young lady brought on a good old-fashoned tapestry-fabric Pullman, and when the flight attendat challenged her, she cried, "But I measured it and it totals under 65 inches! (or whatever the linear limit is). Clearly she missed the website's clear instruction '.. and fit within a box of *" x *" x *"' - and just a s clearly, there' sno way this thing would fit in any overhead bin (big and flat). She then whined "You charge $25 / bag, and I only have $8 on me." They gate-checked it, no doubt her straegy. Isn't it great that Southwest is now cheaper than Greyhound?
Oh- and I love the asshats who leave their computer bag & coat above, and have nothing stowed under-seat, after the announcements to put them under your seat because the flight's full.
I wish I still lived on the East Coast where Amtrak would be a viable option ...

The problem with checked baggage is theft. You can't lock it anymore, and if you're stupid enough to put anything of ANY value in there, it's going to go missing by the time you recover your bag.

I've practically given up on flying anymore. I'd love to go to Europe on vacation but frankly I just don't want to deal with the hassle that is TSA and airline baggage handlers. I have a carry on that fits under the seat, and if I can't fit what I need in there, it doesn't go. Period.

I'd love to travel by train, but it's more expensive than flying and takes forever. Bummer.

"In the past, passengers had to be able to physically lift the luggage to carry it on to the plane. Today, passengers routinely board airplanes towing suitcases the size of sleeper sofas. On a recent TWA flight from St. Louis to Atlanta, a passenger boarded with a Volkswagen Jetta, which he was able to get into the overhead storage bin after just seven hours of shoving." - Dave Barry (1999)

"The problem with checked baggage is theft. You can't lock it anymore, "

Yes you can, with luggage locks that open with a TSA key for inspection - go through Amy's Amazon link and search, they're inexpensive.

Valuables go under the seat, never in the overhead bin.

Check one bag and assume the 'extra' fee is actually part of the ticket price and pay it.

Pick up your luggage at the carousel and assume the 'extra' time is actually part of the trip and spend it.

I've had two misplaced bags in decades of air travel (both delivered to my door by the airline within 24 hours) and zero theft or broken items using this method.

One truly fair solution to the baggage fees is to charge people based on what causes the airline expense, the weight.
To them it doesn't matter if the weight is in a cary on or in a checked bag or in you being a double wide person. So go up to the gate with all luggage put it and you on the scale and charge based on that.

Teflon writes: "Oh- and I love the asshats who leave their computer bag & coat above, and have nothing stowed under-seat, after the announcements to put them under your seat because the flight's full."

Yep -- and then they're the ones who have to get up and get something out of the overhead about twenty times during the flight. I usually get window seats, and I always put anything I'm going to use during the flight under the seat.

Hey, I'm from Fort Worth, and I'm pretty sure that woman merely packed the Museum District.

Don't rely on those TSA approved locks, as Gog_Magog said above. Twice I have tried that and when I pick up my luggage, they are gone! Sure you can lock them when you check them in, but what good is that, if the luggage handlers with the TSA keys steal them?

Unless things have changed, and they very well may have, you haven't been allowed to use locks (I used to use those plastic locks - they were great, and CHEAP!) since 9/11. All they're good for now is letting the thieves know which bag the good stuff is in.

Yes you can, with luggage locks that open with a TSA key for inspection - go through Amy's Amazon link and search, they're inexpensive.

Right - the people I'm most concerned about stealing my stuff are the ones with the master key!

boo. hoo. wah. wah.

I overstuff the bins. I spent 2 weeks in Japan without checking luggage. I know how incompetent the airlines are and I have to fly to make my living.

Sorry, casual travelers, I manage to get on first, I fill the bins and I don't care about you. Only fools check luggage.

I think this guy has some good points:
http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=911&category=13

He really does pit passengers against one another.

Are TSA and baggage handlers one and the same?

I've had suitcases with TSA locks for years now, nothing's ever been missing . I don't put in valuable like jewelery or a camera in them, of course.

TSA and the baggage handlers are not the same. However, if a they are willing to steal from luggage they are willing to steal a key. Lock smiths can also get them. It was reported on the news here that a couple of handlers were fired when they were caught with master keys.

I have never had anything stolen out of my baggage either and I don't use locks any more. I had two TSA locks that dis-appeared over a number of flights. I was told sorry - they probably just forgot to put the locks back on. I co-worker got her luggage back with a different lock on it! The hotel had to call a lock smith for her to open her luggage.

If you don't like the TSA locks, I can report that I've had success using trash bag twist-ties instead. Can't get much cheaper than that.

Whichever you use, just don't put your valuables in your checked bag and you'll be fine.

Gog, you've lucky. I've been a frequent flier for many years and very rarely check a bag, even if I'm traveling for weeks. (I'm a very light packer). However, on the occasions I've had to check a bag for some reason, I've had all kinds of problems. I've had stuff stolen out of a bag even though I was using a TSA lock -- not all TSA employees are honest, unfortunately. And good luck making a claim for the missing stuff. I've had one bag disappear altogether, never to be seen again, and more than a couple bags that have gone missing for more than 24 hours. The more you fly, and the more connections you have to make, the greater chance that some airline, somewhere, is going to screw up and send your bag halfway across the globe.

I always check the carry-on size and weight limitations and make sure I'm within them. I hate it when people try to break those rules and bring on gargantuan-sized bags. But I'll go a long way to avoid checking a bag. I'd happily pay a fee to carry on a bag if that were the only way. As it is, we light packers win all the way around.