Customers Cram Carry-Ons as U.S. Airlines Look the Other Way
Photo Credit: On a large jet like this American Airlines Boeing 787, carry-on bag weights don't affect aircraft performance. But they can make an airline's fuel bill higher. American Airlines
Skift Take
Don’t look for airlines to impose weight limits on carry-on bags anytime soon, even though jet fuel prices are climbing and heavier loads eat up fuel.
A recent Instagram ad showed a roomy carry-on bag that the company promised would fit in an overhead compartment.
In the comments, a satisfied customer said she’d been able to pack 50 pounds of stuff into hers. What? Fifty pounds is the weight limit many airlines impose on checked baggage.
Is it cheating? Apparently not.
Even though the price of jet fuel has gone up roughly 39 percent from a year ago, most airlines do not police the weight of carry-on bags. True, many are trying to take away the biggest carry-ons at the gate, either by looking for volunteers to check them, or simply ordering passengers to give them up. But that's usually an issue of bag size, not weight.
At least on large jets, how much each bag weighs doesn't matter much. A bigger aircraft can operate safely even if passengers bring larger bags than recommended.
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