Carry-on baggage should not be a competition issue that is decided by each individual air carrier. Rather, it is an important safety issue that should be addressed by the federal government. It is not enough that some air carriers have begun to enforce limits on carry-on baggage. All air carriers should enforce the same limitation on carry-on baggage. Currently, each carrier has its own carry-on baggage policy, which may or may not be strictly enforced.
Some carriers allow only one bag per passenger.
Other carriers allow as many as three bags per passenger. Some carriers strictly enforce their carry-on baggage policies for each flight. Other carriers allow exceptions to their carry-on limitations if flights are not very full. This has led to a confusing array of carry-on baggage policies. Passengers at the boarding gate are often confused or frustrated about what they can or cannot bring on board.