It makes me wonder whether there's a conspiracy between the airlines and luggage manufacturers. United, American, and Delta have recently shrunk their carry-on luggage specifications, now setting maximum sizes of 22 inches long, 14 inches, wide, and 9 inches high… as opposed to Southwest and JetBlue who still allow bags that are 24 x 16 x 10.
Just today, United sent me a promotional email reminding me of their new policy. Suspiciously, the webpage to which the email points also offers "exclusive discounts" on "approved" carry-on bags. What kind of exclusive discounts? Well, a Tumi T-Tech Cargo offered through United's link for $295 can be purchased for $206.50 from Amazon.com. That's a heck of a discount — United's price is $88.50 more. I assume United is getting some sort of kickback from these sales.
Let's let our voices be heard. My current bag always fits in the overhead compartment of a full-size jet; why should I have to spend a few hundred dollars for a new bag that falls within a new arbitrary set of dimensions. Our message: "How about installing newer and better designed overhead compartments that easily fit the carry-on bags we already have. And as you always remind us at the end of a flight, we have the choice of air carriers. Don't tempt us!"
copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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