Time for a new term?

Maximum underseat size…MUSS? If this trend continues — maybe so. Expect only one thing in air travel: inconsistency. That’s what you get with business models that are borderline profitable at best operating in an environment  of (mis)regulation and reactionary security policy. Traveling light used to equal simple. No more.

Maybe a new category of light travelers will be necessary. You used to be a one bagger, soon you may be an underseat bagger. Share your cabin baggage hassles here.

Comments

[Alan Birnbaum]

To continue my thread from last February, based on what Abraham Lincoln would have packed, "We hold these truths to be self-evident. Not all passengers are created equal." Let's face it, on an airliner with 150 seats, there is only enough bin space for about 100 "full" sized carry-on bags. So, if EVERYONE tries to carry on such a bag, fifty out of the 150 will have to either gate check their bag, and extract what the essentials for that flight, put into an inner bag, or they forego messing about the situation and MUSS up instead. That in part is why I have on order that Lands End Bag elsewhere discussed, whose actual capacity is only about 15% less than my Air Boss, if however arguably not as easy to pack.

[Laurie]

Apparently, airlines want to use a stronger business model versus a stronger safety model.
Lots of loose bags in the cabin seems like a safety issue (even if they fit completely under the seat), at least that is what we have been told by the airlines all these years. Ultimately, accessing a bag from this area is difficult (and may intrude on fellow passenger's space) and also limits one's ability to stretch out.

I believe greater strides should be made with the care and tracking of passenger's baggage to begin with, so that the majority of flyers can feel comfortable checking their bags again. I've often wondered if perhaps the airlines are quietly edging their way to a cost per square inch business model- kind of like supermarket shelf space, but for passengers & their luggage.

I'm seriously considering the Scottevest as a workaround solution to whatever the airlines or our government decides.

[Paul]

I and I'm sure others would be interested in more uniformed under seat sizing standards. I have two flights this year with an airline who isn't my normal airline (i.e. I have no status with them) and so I have seats further back in a later boarding order. I'm worried about my one bag (AirBoss) having overhead space available (where with my regular airline I board early and don't worry). I've gotten my packing list to be fairly light so I could possible do an underseat bag for 3-5 day trips, but without any kind of standard measurments to shoot for it isn't worth shopping for a new bag.

My regular airline uses planes from only three manufactorers. Most of the other airlines are probably the same and there really aren't that many commercial passenger plane manufactorers in the U.S. and Europe. Stsandardizing how much space is under a seat really shouldn't be too hard to coordinate if there was a desire to do so.

I think I'll take my upcoming flights as an oppurtunity to see if I can get the AirBoss light enough to go under my seat, just in case.

[Alan C]

I agree it all comes down to enforcing the rules you have in place, but I think airlines saw the checked-bag fee as a new revenue source and charged more than needed. How about a nominal fee ($0 to $5) to check a traveler's typical bag, then charge more for the larger bags and boxes. I think enough people would check their bag to stop the shrill announcements coming from flight attendants.

I just traveled with a large duffle, 45 lbs. of camping gear, and didn't mind paying the round-trip baggage fee ($30 on Alaska, a bargain!)

[Dan]

Under these travel conditions maybe the onebagger will
have to get creative . Carry a larger back-pack that can fit
under the seat and a cargo vest to carry more stuff; which
can be removed in the aircraft as personal clothing.

[Monte]

If the flight crew wouldn't use one or more baggage overheads to store stuff in there would be more room. Blankets, pillows, and the cute little demonstrations pieces are all occupying baggage space.

[K-eM]

I think Laurie and Dan have good points.

Since the only one I can control is myself, I have made a habit of packing small enough to fit under the seat in front of me. I have always hated competing for overhead space; however, it does confine my long legs. But then it doesn't really matter since my knees are jammed up against the seat in front of me already anyway. At that point I just pray that the person sitting there doesn't get ideas about reclining. I'm not thinking about my feet.

Since, as Laurie points out, it's hard to get at your bag and get things in and out of it once it's under the seat, I wear a jacket with a lot of pockets that I got at Eddie Bauer (Dan's thinking). I don't usually travel with a computer (personal choice) and so I put my writing instruments, notebook, reading book, iPhone, etc in my pockets while waiting to board.

When I've stowed my bag under the seat, I'm ready to go with everything handy in my pockets. The sleeves roll up so it usually doesn't get too warm to keep it on.

[Eric]

I've always been a MUSS flyer. I very rarely use overhead space, even though I am 6 feet tall. I prefer to have my stuff close, then put my bag under my knees after takeoff. Most of the time I can leave the bag under my knees for landing, very few flight attendants seem to notice.

As for charging for carry-ons, I think they should make the overhead bins sized for one carry-on, and make them like airport lockers: put four quarters in to open it! Ha, just kidding.

[Brian Why]

@Eric - Even money says Ryanair will have 'em installed in a fortnight.

[Alan Birnbaum]

As a footnote, bags that may be optimum as an MUSS will not necessarily qualify as being a "Personal" item, as their total linear inches might be as much as 42, based on the Spirit Air criteria, while the Lands End Weekender Companion Bag I have on order so measured would be 38 inches, the rarely-measured limit for a "Personal" item being of course 36 inches. I have yet to see a gate agent with a tape measure (something that I always carry!); a typical briefcase of 6 x 12 x 18 inches meets that definition readily, and the fact that it may be a bit too long to be MUSS rarely is an issue, I'd think.

[Brad]

I should have dubbed this "personal item travel."

[Dan]

Or " No Muss--No Fuss" bagger. LOL.