Summary

• Limited capacity in overhead bins on airplanes is a problem, as only 40% of passengers can bring their carry-on bags on some flights. Checking bags for free at the check-in desk would alleviate this issue.
• Passengers benefit from checking in their cabin bags for free, as it eliminates the need to carry and navigate them around the airport. Airlines like easyJet used to offer incentives, such as priority boarding, for doing so.
• Airlines would also benefit from passengers checking their bags, as it reduces the need for gate checking, which can be time-consuming. However, passengers may be reluctant to check their bags in, even if it is free, due to the desire to leave the airport quickly. Incentives from airlines could help change this attitude.

It's a scene from a horror film. You've arrived at the gate with a carry-on suitcase, only to find that every other passenger also has a carry-on suitcase. You're in the last boarding group, meaning you'll have to fight for any remaining overhead storage. What if there was a different way?

Traveling with cabin baggage is almost a given in this day and age. However, it is something I have historically looked to avoid. By doing so, traveling becomes much easier if you're prepared to wait around a little on arrival. Stick around with us as we explain why airlines should check carry-on bags for free.

Limited capacity

The primary issue with carrying suitcases into the aircraft cabin is their size. easyJet used to say that its aircraft had space for around 70 suitcases in the overhead bins. Now, when an Airbus A320 carries 180 passengers, this means that only 40% of the passengers would be able to travel with their bags. While carriers in these situations tend to check baggage for free, this is often done at the gate after lugging the bag through the airport.

But why bother? When it is so much easier to check a bag in at the check-in desk, it seems counter-intuitive that most airlines would like to charge a premium for this.

The benefits

There are benefits for both passengers and the airline to allow passengers to check in their cabin bags. Firstly, let's look at the benefit for the passenger. By checking hand luggage in for free, passengers can forget about that suitcase until they arrive at their destination. There is no lugging it around the airport and no faffing about at security. In fact, easyJet used to reward passengers for doing so with its Hands-Free program, which gave receive priority boarding as an incentive. After all, you don't need to fight for locker space. Head for Points reports that this program was removed in November 2021.

However, there would also be benefits for the airlines. Assuming almost everybody had a carry-on suitcase, a large proportion of these would need to be gate checked. This involves the boarding staff having to write up tags and wasting time as the whole procedure is completed. By contrast, if these bags were checked in, there would be less of a fight for space onboard the aircraft.

Change of attitude

However, people are somewhat attached to traveling with their bags, driven by a need to leave the airport quickly. Recent delays at European airports have not helped to soothe this, and even I am now considering carrying my bags onboard when traveling to certain airports. Other passengers could also be reluctant to check their bags in, even if the service were free.

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The answer to this is a nudge from the airline. While Eurowings provides text alerts about free bag drops, other airlines could potentially offer incentives to encourage passengers to part with their bags for a few hours, such as a hot drink onboard. Ultimately, airlines are able to make substantial ancillary revenue from checked baggage, so it is unlikely anything drastic will change soon.

Would you check your cabin bag in for free? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Head for Points