That's not actually a solution. The airlines have created a situation where there's an incentive for more people to bring carry-on bags than will fit in overhead storage even if all bags are within size restrictions. Stricter enforcement of the existing bag size restrictions will only slightly improve the situation. That's part of why we're starting to see a new lower class of service where you aren't allowed to bring a bag for the overhead bin.

It’s absolutely a solution. Even if the airlines create an incentive to bring carry-on, if there’s a reasonable limit to the number of items and size, everyone’s luggage will fit! This is how the rest of the world operates airlines.

Hi, I'm from the rest of the world.

This is not how airlines are operated. In many other countries you get one or two checked bags included in the ticket.

A strange thing occurs as a consequence: you just board the plane, and then the plane goes.

Do you do the weird not-a-queue-but-queueish-blob-of-people thing? No, because there is not a zero-sum game for overhead space.

Do you do the pay-extra-to-spend-longer-in-the-hell-tube thing? No, because there is not a zero-sum game for overhead space.

Do you spend 45 minutes to an hour fucking around with idiots who are trying to spit in the face of both geometry and physics and falling arse-first onto the nose of good manners? Not at all, flights are typically on the runway 15-20 minutes after the first boarding call. There is not a zero-sum game for overhead space.

When I first flew in the USA I thought "something is wrong with my flight". It took me several flights to realise: this is normal here. And it's maddening.

I'm also from the rest of the world but what you are saying doesn't match my reality.

In every flight I find plenty of people (myself included) that don't want to check in baggage, due to mishandling, possibility of loss, delays at the destination, and/or problems with connections. So even in airlines where you get a checked bag with the ticket, I regularly see all those things you say don't happen. Maybe it depends on which part of the rest of the world. I'm from Spain, for the record. At the Madrid airport you will see plenty of people queuing at boarding gates half an hour before they open. Most Spanish airlines even have a paid "priority boarding" option to board first, so people very much want to get into the hell tube sooner...

It's true that all of this is amplified for airlines that charge for checked luggage, though, so I'd rather they don't charge even if I don't want to check in myself. Competition for overhead space gets absolutely crazy when they don't charge.

I too am originally from the rest of the world, but currently living in the US, and agree that flying in the US is absurdly and frustratingly poorly managed.

My point about carry-on is that in other countries, you are strictly limited in what you can carry-on, and thus you either have to take less stuff or get checked luggage (free or otherwise). And guess what? Everything fits and people can just walk to their seat and sit down, as you described

I fail to see why the US has a system where everyone is allowed to take two giant items, and then without fail half the plane has to gate-check and it causes significant slowdowns and frustration. It’s like smacking your head into a wall repeatedly, wondering why your head hurts, and continuing.

I can see why people don’t want to check; short flights for business as so much faster when you don’t have to wait for the baggage carrousel or lost luggage. But when you’ve got a 50% chance of being checked anyway, everything breaks down.

It the 'tragedy of the commons'. As soon as one US airline charged separately for checked bags, their tickets looked cheaper and they got more traffic. So the others had to follow. Now its $15-$50 for a checked bag, depending on what scam the airline is doing this week and how cheap they want their ticket to appear. Its sort of like shipping was on Amazon - 1 cent for an appliance! Oh, and shipping is $50.

It's a solution if and only if the space allotted is enough for everyone on the plane to bring a decent sized suitcase. If not, then it's not a solution.

This is precisely my point. The US allows people to Carry on two giant bags, and everyone pushes the boundaries absurdly.

In other countries, the carry-on limit is strictly enforced. They have metal frames to test the size of your luggage, and if it doesn’t slip in, you ain’t taking it on the plane. And a “personal item” isn’t allowed to be a second bag the size of a carry-on suitcase.

If you have too much stuff, tough. Either take less crap or get checked luggage.

I've seen planes overhead full because it's not sized to support everyone bringing the max-size bag.