Surveys of airline passengers say excess carry-on baggage not only causes delays in getting seated but can also impact both the punctuality of flights and inflight comfort. How can this issue be addressed, especially with so many passengers doing self-check-in at airports?

The fees are all backwards: there should be a fee for carry-ons and checked baggage should be free.

Maybe there should be an allowance and if you have less than the allowance you can get some kind of a discount voucher for your next flight. Maybe it would incentivise people to reduce baggage of all types. Weigh it all. Hell, I sometimes even think we should weigh the passengers too but I can hear howls about that.

Enforce the rules. Pretty simple. I get peeved when I see passengers in front of me at the counter with four bags, while I carry one. The rules explicitly say no more than one bag plus one purse-sized item. How and why do people with 4 bags get on the flights?

I can't recall a flight I've been on being delayed by carry-on baggage. Only by a late-arriving passenger or plane/airport/slot issues.

I agree with JeffLee. Enforce the rules. Measure it a checking (they already have the box there), if it does not fit, they gotta pay or leave it. Do the same at boarding.

The check in and the time you board is so far apart, don't really see it being an issue. Enforcing rules certainly can speed up the process, but the time at customs can be unpredictable, so not sure how much of the buffer can be shaved off. So in the end, no time saved.

How and why do people with 4 bags get on the flights?

That's how some of the airlines make money. For each of those extra bags they charge quite a lot of money. Sometimes even more than the flight ticket itself. Specially the "cheaper" airlines like Zip, Jet Star and the like.

GarthgoyleToday  01:54 pm JST

How and why do people with 4 bags get on the flights?

“That's how some of the airlines make money. For each of those extra bags they charge quite a lot of money. Sometimes even more than the flight ticket itself. Specially the "cheaper" airlines like Zip, Jet Star and the like”

Uh, no. He’s talking about likes of people who carry on a rolling bag, plus a smaller bag on top of that, plus a backpack, plus a bloody giant purse…

Oh, and I forgot the quasi-humans with the giant shopping bags in both hands waddling down the aisle. Put those people in the cargo hold.

It doesn’t help when there are hour-long lines at the counter for checking bags. I would always check any bag with skycaps at the curb. Best value for a $10 tip ever.

There is just no getting around it. Flying is torture now.

I think one of the easiest way to solve this problem is that the company require extra fee for passengers' belongings based on the numbers of them. Or providing distribution service for the second baggages.

Jetstar in Australia have roaming teams with scales at boarding gates weighing, counting and charging for over 7kg - a nice earner.

Enforce the rules at Check in - No messing around at the gate. This does seem to be a particular problem with Americans though - not expats, who get it, but tourists. Hundreds of them in the tourist queue at Haneda yesterday laden down with oversized rucksacks and god knows what. What on earth do you need on the plane apart from your phone/ipad and maybe a small washkit on a long haul that can't be checked in??