The Airline Industry Wants a Smaller Carry-On

Packing is not easy to do. It’s something many people struggle with, especially if you don’t travel much. It’s part of the reason why I wrote a post a few months back giving packing tips.

But, I’m afraid it may soon get harder. The airline industry (specifically, the International Air Transport Association) wants to make your carry-on about 40% smaller than it already is! Seriously. That’s not good for pretty much everyone I know.

Why the proposed change?

Is this just a ploy for the airlines to get you to part with more of your money? Maybe. I mean, several airlines are already making it more difficult for you to carry on. You can’t carry your bag on, so you have to check it. Bye-bye $25 ($50 if you’re checking it both ways, which you probably are). And as much as this irritates me, I really can’t blame the airlines. I mean, all of them are businesses. And the point of a business is to make money.

But that’s not what the IATA is claiming. “The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags. We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience,” said Tom Windmuller, an IATA executive.

See, right now airlines can pretty much make their own rules when it comes to carry-on sizes. Oddly enough, most carry on bags are about the same size. So, it seems they're kind of making an issue out of nothing, no?

Bottom line

Is this necessary? I don’t think so. Certainly not the 40% reduction in size. What’s the point in that? Especially when overhead bin space is increasing.

You’d be naive to think airlines aren’t doing this to make more cash. They’ll never admit it. But when it smells like crap and looks like crap, odds are, it’s crap. All this IATA recommendation will do (which already has “30 or 40” airlines “interested”) is make passengers, like you and me, strongly consider buying a new carry-on. You and I may not like it, but it looks like it’s change the airlines can believe in.

What do you think of the proposed changes?


You may also be interested in:
-Learn to Pack Like a Boss
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