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Home » Travel » Can Gate Agents Please Enforce Carry-On Bag Limits?
Travel

Can Gate Agents Please Enforce Carry-On Bag Limits?

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 6, 2025February 6, 2025 42 Comments

a group of people standing in a line in an airport

Even as overhead bins grow larger, it’s time for airlines (gate agents in particular) to start enforcing carry-on rules. You know it really is possible to do this and not make every flight late…

It’s Time To Start Enforcing Carry-On Bag Limits…

I was on recently on a Delta Air Lines flight where the gate agent made an announcement before boarding:

“Please consolidate your carry-ons as you are only permitted on carry-on bag and one personal item. Purses, grocery bags, garments bags, or fanny packs all count as personal items. You are only allowed two items onboard.”

But then the first woman to board had a large carry-on, a small one, a purse, and a shopping bag…

This was literally seconds after she made the announcement.

What’s the point of making such an announcement if you are not going to enforce it?

Person after person boarded with three or more items…and sure enough, overhead bin space ran out even on the A321neo that features larger overhead bins big enough for every single passenger to bring a larger carry-on bag onboard.

There was a last-minute shuffle to find space that almost delayed the flight.

Now I’ve heard that airlines do not sufficiently staff their gates to properly enforce carry-on limits. Yes indeed, I realize how hard it is for a gate agent to board passengers and check that each passenger is not bringing on more than one bag and one personal item.

But it seems to me that what drives such enforcement is fear of confrontation, not fear of delaying a fight.

And while I understand that (I can be non-confrontational too), what’s the delay in saying, “Step aside. You have too many items. Consolidate or dump one.” It’s very easy: you consolidate or you don’t board and if you miss the boarding cutoff, you are denied boarding.

Because it’s 2025…and folks know the rules. I find any incredulity over these long-term rules to be nothing but a case of “rules for thee but not for me.”

CONCLUSION

Even as larger overhead bins may allow for more permissive policies, I wish airlines would just enforce the rules…there are so many abusers out there and that slows down the boarding process when extra time is needed to find a spot onboard for their extra items.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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42 Comments

  1. Dave Edwards Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 9:50 am

    Right up there with pre boarder abuse, jumping your boarding group, handicappers getting on early but still getting off immediately, put this up there with frustrating stuff that won’t change.

    The gate agents just don’t care enough about their job to do the right thing. Not speaking for all because you occasionally see one address it but for the most part they avoid the confrontation.

    In the end it comes down to ignorant travelers who don’t care about the rules and know the odds are they will get away with their behavior.

  2. rich Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 10:09 am

    Ideally it should be enforced at security. At least in terms of bag sizes. If it doesn’t fit through the scanner or the container it has to go in, then you have to go back to checkin. That would remove from needing GAs to enforce size limits.

    • Steve Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 10:45 am

      Rich,
      If there’s tons of shopping post-security, then what’s the point of enforcing it at security?

    • simmonad Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 12:55 pm

      Many years ago, this did happen at Stansted. I recall being forced to weigh my carry-on prior to entering the security area. It didn’t last very long, though, as next time I went through STN security, the dreaded scale had disappeared.

    • PM Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 7:11 pm

      Different airlines have different policies.

    • 9volt Reply
      February 7, 2025 at 10:18 am

      No, it’s not security’s job. That would only prolong the security screening process even further. Bags can still be gate checked post security.

  3. James Harper Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 10:13 am

    The way to enforce carry on limits is to police it at the head of security so that no one with too much gets that far and they can return to check in with their bags and if that delays them so be it. Even airlines with dedicated terminals fail to do that preferring chaos at the gate but even if the terminal is not a dedicated one, very often the majority of the ground operation is handled by one or two handling agents so this is really easy to implement but isn’t.

    The second thing which is very well enforced in LHR T2 is at T-15 or earlier the sign changes to ‘Gate Closed’ and if you’re not through by then and are delayed by excess carry ons, you’re not going.

    • PM Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 7:14 pm

      How would that work at a terminal with connecting passengers from all sorts of different origins, multiple airlines that allow more/fewer and/or heavier/lighter stuff depending on class and even aircraft, duty free purchases etc?

      • James Harper Reply
        February 7, 2025 at 1:58 pm

        If it happened everywhere, transfer passengers couldn’t have too much luggage but in Europe it’s normal that those arriving from outside Europe need to pass through security where excess bags could be tagged if the airline had a will to do it. Few places are exempt from secondary screening, Singapore springs to mind but few other places and if there were regular places causing problems then screening all passengers from there could be introduced.

        It’s easy if there’s a will.

        • GUWonder Reply
          February 8, 2025 at 1:08 am

          Unless the security screening checkpoint is either dedicated only to airlines having the same exact baggage policy or each airline puts their own baggage control dragons at the screening checkpoint, the screening checkpoint is a bad place for the baggage control check. And then there is the airside shopping mall and food court stuff. 😉

          Gate check is best.

  4. derek Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 10:38 am

    AA problem is when the bAAg police nAAzis become overzeAAlous….

    when they ban a perfectly compliant bag with excuses, like the hag must drop.into the sizer and no effort to push or lift. Or a wheel sticks out 3 mm too much

    • Jerry Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 11:20 am

      While I disagree with some of your language, this happens and is frustrating. It seems AA GAs enjoy making people check bags.

    • XPL Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 1:32 pm

      I avoid Always Awful so I wasn’t aware of this, but if they do a better job than United or Delta in enforcing carry-on rules, then I should give them another chance. Strict and even sometimes overzealous enforcement is better than United’s spotty enforcement or Delta’s anything-goes.

    • Buffy Reply
      February 8, 2025 at 12:03 pm

      We have flown AA several times over the last year. They are very adamant about ONLY 2 carry ones. I had a carry-on rolling bad, small backpack and an another small item. Both small items would fit under the seat in front of me, they made me cram one of the small items in my roller bag before boarding.

      I also witnessed the flight attendants take duffle bags that would fit under the seat and find the owners and had them put them under the seats.

      I didn’t like that they weee basically trying to scare people into gate checking their carry on bag. Then you get on the plane and there was a lot of empty space left when they were closing the bins readying for take-off

  5. Malik Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 11:14 am

    Airlines show passengers their carry-on rules almost every step of purchasing a ticket online and in the confirmation emails. Sure, the airlines should start enforcing while passengers pass by the check-in desks with a couple more employees, but it’s also the passenger’s responsibility to read to the rules.

  6. Maryland Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 11:25 am

    Consistency promotes efficiency. If the gate agents and FAs used the same rules every day boarding would be faster and passengers less frustrated

  7. Dave Edwards Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 11:30 am

    The Spirits and Frontiers of the world figured this out by incentivizing the agents to check for extras.

    I certainly don’t want to see more fees for passengers but money usually solves problems.

  8. PolishKnight Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 1:38 pm

    “But then the first woman to board had a large carry-on, a small one, a purse, and a shopping bag… This was literally seconds after she made the announcement.”

    Sorry to chuckle, but what good does an announcement do at the gate after they’re waiting to board? They’re supposed to go home and unburden themselves of some items? 🙂

    She could put the purse in the shopping bag so that would “consolidate” those two items and then stow the shopping bag (with kangaroo purse inside) under the seat in front of her with the smaller carry on. It’s doable.

    The issue is that some people are overhead bin pigs and put EVERYTHING they bring on board there including their jackets. There’s no on-board incentive to stow the items you’re legally allowed to bring with you under the seat in front of you aside I suppose from an occasional shaming look from others (but our society increasingly is immune to shame.)

    When I bring my bag-of-stuff for my daughter including toys and other goodies, I stow it under the seat during takeoff and then immediately bring it out to under my legs for the duration of the flight for easy access and my feet comfortably go under the seat in front of me.

    Agreed that only one “carry-on” bag per flight should be enforced but otherwise, the other junk is meaningless. No woman I know puts her purse in the overhead bin so why even bring it up? Same with fanny-pack: If it’s on your fanny, I don’t care. Far more destructive to overhead bin space is the thick jackets some use to take up a whole carryon bag slot.

    Ahem, so to simplify the announcement:
    “Attention passengers: To avoid delays in boarding, you are only allowed 1 carry-on bag per passenger in all classes and elite status. Anything above that will be gate-checked. Thank you!”

    Done.

    • Maryland Reply
      February 6, 2025 at 3:44 pm

      Polish Knight I too have a peeve with the artic jackets tossed in the bin. Some are horse blanket sized and often smell like an animal. Or worse cheap cologne. Ick

  9. Christian Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 3:34 pm

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. It drives me nuts when the gate area is filled with people blatantly over the permissible allocation. The gate agents largely ignore the violations, especially when it’s a pilot with three very large bags or some road warrior who thinks that they can take up a huge amount of overhead space because they’re much more important than everyone else. If the gate agents began enforcing policies then the selfishness of passengers loaded with bags would be irrelevant.

    • TK Reply
      February 8, 2025 at 6:49 am

      As a wife to a pilot, he has enough time to run to the gate and is usually LAST to get on. Then he gets off to run to do another flight. If you would like to be delayed longer, we could have them check their flight bags and wait at the carousel for the stuff they need in the plane. Sound good?

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        February 8, 2025 at 10:12 am

        Even so, pilots or FAs should not be permitted to take five bags onboard…it’s absurd.

  10. Greg T Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 3:41 pm

    Recently on an Air Asia flight KL to Penang. There were 2 weighing machines with agents checking the weight of EVERY passengers carry on bags. Anyone’s weighing over 7 kilos was being sent back to either reduce the weight, or pay for it to be checked in. There were probably 4 sent back in the 10 minutes we were there.

  11. Mark Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 7:08 pm

    There are a few exceptions – CPAP machines and medication bags don’t count towards cabin bag limits. It’s only a matter of time til there’s a black market in CPAP bags for people to ise as extra carry on…

    • Bill Reply
      February 8, 2025 at 11:41 am

      You can’t just bring a Cpap Bag, most airlines require pre registration of medical equip when you book your flight. Then you have to check in at the airline desk first when you arrive at the airport where they I inspect your gear for FCC comalliance of your device. I have COPD/Emphysema and have to travel with three medical devices, I’ve had people on the plane tell me I should be checking some of my bags, however they are delicate and expensive (15-20k). I could just imagine get to our destination with a broken BiPap. I would have to turn around and go home, not to mention the problem of getting a replacement as I can’t sleep without it. Baggage handlers are very rough with checked luggage. Please dont criticize the disabled for a couple extra bags that are crucial to their health, wish I was as healthy as you are…civic did me in 5 shots and here I am.

  12. Dave W. Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 9:13 pm

    One problem is: why would a GA bother? They risk an unpleasant interaction. Just let the bins fill and force those with later boarding groups be forced to check. The plan leaves on time, and the GA has no (potentially violent) interaction.
    Or, you could provide incentives to enforce. We know that has worked on an ULCC.

  13. NedsKid Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 9:30 pm

    Spirit (even a decade before any incentive offered) staffed agents with a bag sizer at the entrance to the checkpoint at places like FLL where they were primary or only carrier on the other side. Even took over handling line queueing for all carriers (for free) in exchange for checking boarding passes.

    My agents always enforced carry on limits at the gate. Even without incentive. On average we threw away 2-3 bags a day passengers abandoned at the gate after emptying into either a Hudson News bag or cramming into something else.

    I’ve seen American enforce carry on limits better than others. Several times in recent memory I’ve seen people in the first boarding group getting told they have too many bags. My favorite was the retort of an agent at the Miami AA Eagle complex… “Well as a Concierge Key then you of all people should know the limits.”

  14. Right-This-Way Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 10:10 pm

    When I worked two Summer seasons for DL, they used us seasonal employees down at the gate strictly at either the entrance to or at end of the jet bridge to enforce the carryon rules. They also had a rolling /portable computer capable of issuing bag tags to the passenger’s final destination. Yes, some objected but most complied and it definitely alleviated the usual mess that could be expected on board without doing that.

  15. Rupert Reply
    February 6, 2025 at 10:27 pm

    Agreed, GAs need to enforce the rules.
    This problem has been solved in Europe: As people are lining up to board, GAs go through, check peoples boarding passes & luggage and pull people out who are above the limit to check it.
    Some airlines tag carry one to ensure that personal items go under the seat, not into the bin.
    Works like a charm. Once people go through this a few times, they will follow the rules. Not enforcing the rules results in nobody caring…
    If they are afraid of confrontation, just take any passenger who is abusive of the plane…

  16. Glenn Reply
    February 7, 2025 at 12:11 am

    The best way to solve the problem is to have the violator move to end of the boarding line. The they can board if there is sufficient overhead space for the items they believe is OK to carry-on. Moving to the end of the boarding process is like being in the penalty box and will absolutely assure everyone it will not happen again.

  17. Christ Reply
    February 7, 2025 at 7:44 am

    I carry on 2 items every time and never check a bag even for a 3 week vacation. If they didn’t lose my bag every time I checked one I wouldn’t bring on anything.

  18. D3kingg Reply
    February 7, 2025 at 12:53 pm

    Charge all passengers (including elite members) $75 for carryon bags and offer 1 complimentary checked bag. Boarding would be seamless on domestic flights within the U.S.

    • PolishKnight Reply
      February 11, 2025 at 6:25 pm

      I can understand the business model of charging for checked bags in that the airline probably has a set cost per checked bag they have to pay to use the airport baggage conveyor belt. Then there’s the cost of dealing with issues with lost/delayed checked bags. I can appreciate that giving that away for “free” carries a lot of overhead.

      Ironically, the steerage class folks who suddenly didn’t want to pay for a bag anymore discovered the Up-In-The-Air FF wisdom that a carryon bag saves a lot of time at baggage claim and decided that was superior to dealing with baggage check-in/pickup. Many now PREFER to carryon.

      I personally have never had to pay for a checked bag even though I’m in economy via utilizing airlines that had free baggage allowances or credit card perks. Our last family vacation on Jetblue, we had:
      2 big checked bags.
      1 boogyboard.
      1 massive costco beach cart (folded up).

      carryons:
      1 laptop case.
      2 backpacks.
      1 goodie bag (for the child)
      a small shopping bag.

      Yeah, it’s fun to pack into the Uber XL!

      That said, my point being that I think a lot of people haven’t figured out the new “rules” on credit card checked baggage allowances or packing efficiently.

  19. Cat Hoover Reply
    February 7, 2025 at 1:43 pm

    And if they are not goung to wear their jacket on the plane, PUT IT IN YOUR SUITCASE BEFORE CHECKING LUGGAGE!!
    The bins are meant for carry ons, not your jaclets or your pets (paying attention there, histess wjo killed a puppy because she is too stupid to know that animals need air to breathe and put it in an airtight comparyment. I hope you lost your job and no longer work in the industry!)

  20. Jihn Reply
    February 7, 2025 at 1:53 pm

    I doubt bery much that the situation on a US internal is anything like as extreme as most of the BA flights to/from West Africa and South Asia. That’s complicated by BAs ridiculous upto 2024 kgs “hand” baggage plus one bag… Needless to say on those flights space frequently runs out welk before half the passengers have boarded.

  21. Lo Reply
    February 8, 2025 at 7:53 am

    Delta FF here – they’ve gotten quite strict and happily force gate bag checks on almost every flight I’ve been on this past year. Takes a little longer to get everyone boarded, but I’ll take a little schadenfreude as a bonus.

  22. CRS- Reply
    February 8, 2025 at 10:11 am

    I’ve read as people complain about bag size enforcement, now it’s: please be gate gestapo and sort out those with too many carry on’s. What gives?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      February 8, 2025 at 10:50 am

      I’ve never complained about any bag size enforcement tool.

  23. Jano Reply
    February 8, 2025 at 11:26 am

    I always check my suitcase and take a small school-type backpack with me. All other passengers bring large packs on board, same size as my checked luggage. Then they argue that I am not entitled to put mine in the overhead bin because it fits under my seat. I don’t want it to clutter my meager foot space, and their logic is inappropriate! This needs to stop.

  24. Anonymous Reply
    February 8, 2025 at 2:24 pm

    Flight attendant here… I see a third item you’re going to check one… I hate hate hate privilege behavior.

  25. Win Whitmire Reply
    February 9, 2025 at 10:51 am

    Everyone should look at the severe questioning of the CEOs of Spirit and Frontier airlines by a bipartisan US Senate committee. These two airlines cater to the folks that won’t (can’t ??) spend the money for a descent airline. They PAY their gate agents to seek out and (at their discretion) charge for arbitrary extra bags, overweight, oversized bags, etc. They are crooks..plain and simple!

  26. Mary R Reply
    February 11, 2025 at 9:40 pm

    Why don’t the gate agents have the travelers who are waiting 2 hrs at the gate anyway bring their bags up and put them in the baggage sizer and if they fit, then place a tag on them showing they have been accepted. If they don’t fit, they have to gate check (for a fee) or have time to consolidate. Would solve many problems without confrontation and help rehabilitate the abusers of the system. And no flight delays due to baggage storage. And extra profit for the airlines.

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