Time to Crack Down on Those Carry-Ons

It’s about time airlines addressed the problem of too much carry-on luggage (“Crowded Airlines Clamp Down on Carry-Ons,” June 29).

You report that low-cost carriers have discovered turnaround times are greatly reduced by not allowing passengers to delay flights while searching for an empty bin to hold their “garment bags stuffed like a sausage” (not to mention the considerable retrieval time of these monstrosities).

Federal Aviation Administration regulators stipulate only that each airline must have a program to limit carry-on baggage. Because the size of airplanes varies, it follows that luggage space might also vary. Why doesn’t the FAA make a blanket regulation: Carry-ons must not exceed the space under the seat (pretty skinny, actually) or the bin area directly over those seats? If a passenger wants to carry on Grandma’s antique mirror, fine--but he or she must purchase the three seats under the bin. He would soon learn that it’s cheaper to check it through.

Airline ticket and information services and travel agencies could be advised to warn travelers of carry-on luggage limitations. Well-placed signs at the airport could validate these rules.

Correcting this problem is long overdue, and now that it has been shown as a money saver, airlines might finally decide to enforce their usually lax rules.

LOUISE HAUTER, La Canada