More and more Americans are flying each day. In fact, almost three times as many people fly today as they did 20 years ago. 640 million passengers flew in 1998 and one billion passengers are expected within the next decade. Planes are more crowded than ever before. At the same time, passengers are arriving at the boarding gate with more and more carry-on baggage.
Most passengers view carry-on baggage as a convenience.
In reality, however, carry-on baggage creates a tremendous amount of inconvenience. Aircraft are often delayed for 10 to 20 minutes because passengers are struggling to find a place to put their carry-on items. As a result, airlines have begun boarding passengers earlier and must wait longer for passengers to deplane, which adds to airport delays. Carry-on baggage is not really an issue of convenience. However, it is an issue of safety.