As I was visiting family over the last holiday season, I couldn't help but watch my 2-year-old nephew play with his toys. It was so cute watching him play with his shape sorter toy. 
There he was, stubborn as all get out, trying to put a rectangular shape into a square hole. He was determined to get his block into the hole. It was adorable and at one point quite humorous and I couldn't help but think of all the times I have watched passengers who are determined to put their oversized bags into the overhead bins. There they are shoving, pushing, pulling, and losing their balance because their bag is too heavy or too big for the bins. Trust me, I used to be just as guilty of this anyone else. Instead of packing smarter, I crossed my fingers for a -700 aircraft (which has more overhead bin space than our -300 and -500 aircraft).
But with research I'm currently doing with a group of people tasked with improving the efficiency of our airport operations, I've seen first hand the correlation between our boarding time and the amount and size of our carry-ons. So next time you're packing for a flight, pack smarter not "fuller". Check out the latest great invention in travel bags, the space saver bags for the busy traveler. I'm a committed user and they really do work and give you the space you need so you don't have to expand your carryon bag! Southwest.com has some helpful information too. Now if only we can keep the small carryon items out of the bins, but I guess that's a different post.
Comments
I have my small roller board carryon, typically lightly packed so I can fit it into overheads with no problem. Twice on Southwest within the past 6 months I was in the unfortunate group C for cattle-call boarding. By the time I got to back of plane I was told there was no spot for my carry-on and I'd have to check it. Not so, once back there, I clearly saw several spots where mine could have fit. It was very annoying to see this. Due to the miserable cattle call conditions and above mentioned refusal by crew to even try to rearrange a couple of coats and shopping bags so more carryons would fit convinced me to never fly Southwest again. Sorry, you lost a customer. I prefer to pay $50 more to eliminate anxiety about where I'm going to sit and to ensure my bag can go with me. P.S. Having customers sprawled on airport floors to save spots in lines A, B, C is really unpleasant and a safety hazard.
Why aren't the gate attendants having those passengers with bags so large they can't lift them above their head, check the bags?
My guess is the airlines can save more money by having less baggage handlers? There are samples at each gate saying that if the bag doesn't fit in it, they are to be checked. People bring everything, including the kitchen sink, on a trip and then other passengers are inconvenienced by having to put their laptops, small bags and coats on the floor at their feet. Same 'ol thing....we have rules but nobody enforces them.
Using soft sided duffel bags as carryon helps a bunch as well. They are much more flexible as to where they will fit. They also have less of their space wasted by internal supports and structure.
Of course the downside is you have to carry them as they don't have wheels. But then, if you can't carry it - Its Not Carryon!
What's even funnier than passengers attempting to put their super-sized luggage into overhead racks are the same passengers attempting to carry their super-sized luggage down stairs IN THE RAIN at airports where there isn't a jetway. Like St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It would be comical if it wasn't dangerous!
Thanks for the tip about the space-saving bags. I'm going to check them out because I usually pack FAR too many clothes because *gasp* the horror of being caught in the same outfit twice in a two-week vacation period is too great to be imagined. If these will save me ANY space they'll be worth it.
Space bags (linked above) are especially helpful for the trip **home** when you have the dirty clothes to deal with. We also toss in a spare gym bag in case we get too overstuffed.
The other nice thing is that we've never had a lost or delayed bag when we've checked with Southwest, and that's been a stack of flights, even though my wife and I are non-business travelers.
BNA-BWI in two weeks! :-D