MIAMI -- Ann Moshenek, waiting to board her American Airlines flight, is laden with two jam-packed carry-on bags. A missionary, she has checked another two suitcases full of clothes, medicines and supplies to take back to her home in the Costa Rican jungle.
"I'm up to my limit," said Moshenek, concerned that her carry-ons won't be allowed on board.
Her worries may be well-founded.
As flights grow more and more full and carry-ons grow ever larger and more voluminous, airlines are taking steps to make sure that there's enough room for passengers.
Ticket price may be factor
In some cases, that may mean fewer bags will be permitted on board -- and it may even depend on the price of your ticket.
United Airlines is testing a policy that would limit the number of carry-on bags from two pieces to one for their lowest-fare passengers. The test, which begins Dec. 1, will affect only flights out of Des Moines, Iowa. But if it's successful, it could be expanded to other markets.
The goal is to make more room for the carry-ons from United's higher-paying passengers, who could be sitting right alongside a discount passenger in the coach section, said airline spokesman Richard Martin.
The airline's customer-satisfaction surveys have shown that carry-on space is a major concern of frequent travelers, he said.
"What our high-fare passengers are telling us is they want space for their bags, and we are listening to them," Martin said. "This test is one way to try to give them that space."
It's not your imagination: Airline passenger travel habits have changed in recent years, and more passengers are lugging baggage on board, said David Fuscus, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents 25 airlines.
"Anytime travel habits change, you have to make sure you can accommodate them," Fuscus said. "The No. 1 consideration is to make sure [bags] are stowed properly, and to make it as comfortable and convenient for customers as possible.
Carriers do that in a number of ways, and one way is to limit carry-on luggage."
Airlines worry that too many bags brought on board can affect on-time performance.
"When there are too many carry-ons for a given plane, it clogs the aisle space and it slows down the boarding process because people are looking for space," Martin said.
Checking takes longer
If no space is found, the bags end up being checked, which takes even more time.
