Jun 28, 2023·edited Jun 28, 2023Liked by Mari, the Happy Wanderer
I think the issue is more complicated. Although I do agree with the root problem, that airlines are allowed to charge for checking one bag. I would totally support a federal law that requires airlines to check one bag for free. Period.
Of the rest, there are different motivations. One group simply needs (or wants) to fly as cheaply as possible, so the $50 charge for a bag motivates to use carry-on. For them, they could use the free gate-check option when it's presented. That's what I do when destination time or connections are not a problem (see below.) This doesn't help with security though.
You mentioned the short connection and those who fear losing their bags. The "don't worry because of 24-hour delivery" option is only valid if you're actually staying at your final airline destination. If you're traveling from there by car or train, it becomes way more difficult to reconnect. Personal experience with this one.
Another group does carry-on because they are rushing through the day, ususally for business. Having to wait for a checked bag can add an hour to ones destination. Sometimes this is not at all convenient. When this was me, I would pack a very small under-the-seat pack, to be sure that the airline wouldn't force me to check it.
Finally, there's the terrible class system. Those who get on the plane first can bring their bags. Those at the end of the line might be forced to check, and believe me, I've seen cabins with only half the bins full, and the attendents declare "NO MORE BAGS" and force everyone in the second half of the boarding to check. It's insulting and maddening. I've written letters. It clearly underlines which class of person you are, the ones who get treated with some particle of respect, and those who are just flying cattle. I've taken to paying for priority seating just for this reason. I hate having to get on the plane early, but it's worth it if I need to bring my bag. Fixing the problem with money.
I wasn't aware of the point of flight-attendents only getting "paid" starting from when the doors close. This might explain the half-bin experience. It also explains some times when you rush to get seated, then the pilot announces that we're too early and have to sit at the gate for another 30 before we can depart. Ugh. But at least the flight-attendents are getting paid for that time.
I prize our freedom but boy do I wish more of us westerners would voluntarily submit ourselves to orderly and considerate group behavior in public/crowded situations.
I HATE people who recline. I have long legs that barely fit in a coach space as it is. Plus, by design, everything I need is on or under the seat — my TV, my tray, my carry-on. All of that becomes more difficult to use or access when the person in front decides to lean back.
Oh, another practical suggestion: I think half the reason people crowd the boarding line at American airports is that there isn’t good signage, there isn’t enough room, and the boarding announcements are garbled and difficult to understand. Narita (and presumably some other airports) have actual sign posts, marked with the boarding zone on them, so that people have somewhere to go to line up for their group — as opposed to just having to hang out someplace else (in a packed and overflowing gate) and then magically appear at the gangway when their number is called. It would markedly improve matters if all mid-to-large airports adopted these. Southwest’s line-up posts also work well!
I NEVER check bags if I can help it — which means I only do so on international flights for longer trips. And wouldn’t you know it, on my way to New Zealand a few years ago, my bag was mislaid. We were leaving the next morning on a driving trip, and it took three days for it to catch up with us on the other end of the North Island. Checked bags also get roughed up, and so do their contents (and if you want to avoid having your stuff destroyed, you have to get a hard-sided suitcase, which then potentially destroys the rest of your trip).
Perhaps I should have prefaced this by noting that I travel with a backpack. I am always bemused by flight attendants referring to all luggage as “roller bags,” because I’ve never owned one of said items, and have no intention of getting one. I attempt to move through public transit spaces (airports, train stations, etc.) with minimal disruption to myself and others by packing light, carrying my possessions close to my body, taking up minimal space, and not needing to utilise any of the systems or people set up to help others manage their stuff.
I’m admittedly coming at this from a somewhat more selfish perspective than you are (I don’t want to depend on other people because I don’t trust them?), but the underlying philosophy of self-reliance is another way of making a minimal impact on the people around me, which addresses one of your fundamental points. If everyone just did SOMETHING to minimise their footprint (pack lighter, check bags, know the rules), it would be an improvement. And it’s probably good to keep in mind that people who are irritating us may have done something we can’t see…
People lining up anxiously at the gate is what gets to me. When I've flown in Europe and Africa, no one does this. No one. I dislike the gate lining up because it makes me anxious--that's on me, and I understand that people want to get their bags in overhead bins, and I also dislike that there are so many gradations of payment that buy increasing amounts of airline privilege. Still, I wish people would sit and wait until their group is called. I can feel my cortisol levels rising when a huge crowd huddles around the gate, even if I've checked my bag. The anxiety is contagious. Analyzing the behavior would be the basis of an interesting psychology experiment. Or maybe not--maybe people just can't afford to pay an extra $50 to check their bags and/or don't want to gate check it so they get anxious about getting on the plane. The bottom line is that airlines in the U.S. need to be more heavily regulated. As with so many industries these days, they focus on profits to the exclusion of all but the most cursory kinds of kindness.
I think the issue is more complicated. Although I do agree with the root problem, that airlines are allowed to charge for checking one bag. I would totally support a federal law that requires airlines to check one bag for free. Period.
Of the rest, there are different motivations. One group simply needs (or wants) to fly as cheaply as possible, so the $50 charge for a bag motivates to use carry-on. For them, they could use the free gate-check option when it's presented. That's what I do when destination time or connections are not a problem (see below.) This doesn't help with security though.
You mentioned the short connection and those who fear losing their bags. The "don't worry because of 24-hour delivery" option is only valid if you're actually staying at your final airline destination. If you're traveling from there by car or train, it becomes way more difficult to reconnect. Personal experience with this one.
Another group does carry-on because they are rushing through the day, ususally for business. Having to wait for a checked bag can add an hour to ones destination. Sometimes this is not at all convenient. When this was me, I would pack a very small under-the-seat pack, to be sure that the airline wouldn't force me to check it.
Finally, there's the terrible class system. Those who get on the plane first can bring their bags. Those at the end of the line might be forced to check, and believe me, I've seen cabins with only half the bins full, and the attendents declare "NO MORE BAGS" and force everyone in the second half of the boarding to check. It's insulting and maddening. I've written letters. It clearly underlines which class of person you are, the ones who get treated with some particle of respect, and those who are just flying cattle. I've taken to paying for priority seating just for this reason. I hate having to get on the plane early, but it's worth it if I need to bring my bag. Fixing the problem with money.
I wasn't aware of the point of flight-attendents only getting "paid" starting from when the doors close. This might explain the half-bin experience. It also explains some times when you rush to get seated, then the pilot announces that we're too early and have to sit at the gate for another 30 before we can depart. Ugh. But at least the flight-attendents are getting paid for that time.
Hahaha the hey buddy guide is hilarious.
I prize our freedom but boy do I wish more of us westerners would voluntarily submit ourselves to orderly and considerate group behavior in public/crowded situations.
I HATE people who recline. I have long legs that barely fit in a coach space as it is. Plus, by design, everything I need is on or under the seat — my TV, my tray, my carry-on. All of that becomes more difficult to use or access when the person in front decides to lean back.
The hair over the seat!
Oh, another practical suggestion: I think half the reason people crowd the boarding line at American airports is that there isn’t good signage, there isn’t enough room, and the boarding announcements are garbled and difficult to understand. Narita (and presumably some other airports) have actual sign posts, marked with the boarding zone on them, so that people have somewhere to go to line up for their group — as opposed to just having to hang out someplace else (in a packed and overflowing gate) and then magically appear at the gangway when their number is called. It would markedly improve matters if all mid-to-large airports adopted these. Southwest’s line-up posts also work well!
I NEVER check bags if I can help it — which means I only do so on international flights for longer trips. And wouldn’t you know it, on my way to New Zealand a few years ago, my bag was mislaid. We were leaving the next morning on a driving trip, and it took three days for it to catch up with us on the other end of the North Island. Checked bags also get roughed up, and so do their contents (and if you want to avoid having your stuff destroyed, you have to get a hard-sided suitcase, which then potentially destroys the rest of your trip).
Perhaps I should have prefaced this by noting that I travel with a backpack. I am always bemused by flight attendants referring to all luggage as “roller bags,” because I’ve never owned one of said items, and have no intention of getting one. I attempt to move through public transit spaces (airports, train stations, etc.) with minimal disruption to myself and others by packing light, carrying my possessions close to my body, taking up minimal space, and not needing to utilise any of the systems or people set up to help others manage their stuff.
I’m admittedly coming at this from a somewhat more selfish perspective than you are (I don’t want to depend on other people because I don’t trust them?), but the underlying philosophy of self-reliance is another way of making a minimal impact on the people around me, which addresses one of your fundamental points. If everyone just did SOMETHING to minimise their footprint (pack lighter, check bags, know the rules), it would be an improvement. And it’s probably good to keep in mind that people who are irritating us may have done something we can’t see…
People lining up anxiously at the gate is what gets to me. When I've flown in Europe and Africa, no one does this. No one. I dislike the gate lining up because it makes me anxious--that's on me, and I understand that people want to get their bags in overhead bins, and I also dislike that there are so many gradations of payment that buy increasing amounts of airline privilege. Still, I wish people would sit and wait until their group is called. I can feel my cortisol levels rising when a huge crowd huddles around the gate, even if I've checked my bag. The anxiety is contagious. Analyzing the behavior would be the basis of an interesting psychology experiment. Or maybe not--maybe people just can't afford to pay an extra $50 to check their bags and/or don't want to gate check it so they get anxious about getting on the plane. The bottom line is that airlines in the U.S. need to be more heavily regulated. As with so many industries these days, they focus on profits to the exclusion of all but the most cursory kinds of kindness.