United Airlines Will Now Send You Back To Check Your Oversized Carry-On At The Ticket Counter

This thing rules you now.

We all see you trying to shove that ginormous rolling suitcase you call a “carry-on” into the overhead bin, and apparently United Airlines has noticed, too. The airline says that while it’s not changing its carry-on size policy, it’s issuing a gentle reminder that oversized bags will cost you extra, by way of a trip back to the ticket counter to check that sucker for $25.

The airline emailed its frequent fliers a reminder of its rules regarding carry-on size, telling the Associated Press too that there’s no change, per se, it’s just embarking on a campaign to increase passenger awareness.

As if that guy’s bag donking you on the head as he struggles to heave it upward didn’t make you aware enough.

Anyway — as of Saturday, United employees are sending passengers who have oversized bags — as measured by those sizing bins — back to the ticket counter to pay the $25 fee to check the bag, instead of letting them check at the gate and waiving that fee.

Many airlines have been pretty lax in enforcing similar rules, so it’ll be interesting if they move to do the same thing or just keep letting people gate check.

While some passengers are grumbling that this is just another way to collect money, United says it just wants to speed up the boarding process. It’s also adding new bag sizers before security checkpoints as a last chance to check yourself before you wreck yourself with a trip back through security when your bag is too big.

This is why I only travel with a purse full of beef jerky and a rainproof poncho. Can’t be tied down to those bulky, unwieldy bags but gotta be ready for anything.

Follow MBQ on Twitter if you don’t mind that she’s better at reminding people to follow her than to tweet sometimes: @marybethquirk

CARRY-ON CRACKDOWN: UNITED ENFORCES BAG SIZE LIMIT [Associated Press]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist