Overhead bins getting bigger on some carriers
Airline overhead bins, increasingly stuffed to capacity, are getting bigger.
But the big surprise may be that the airlines offering larger bins are not sticking passengers with new fees to use the extra space. At least not yet.
Oversized bins can be found on many of American Airlines’ new Boeing 737-800s, which were deployed starting in May with a new interior design. The new overhead bins pivot down and out and can hold up to 48 more bags per flight than standard bins.
Starting in April, United Airlines plans to replace the bin doors on 152 planes with new doors that curve out, providing more interior space. The new doors on United’s Airbus A320s will hold 106 typical roll-on bags, up from 64 bags in the traditional bins.
Meanwhile, international passengers will also find bigger storage bins on Delta Air Lines’ 767-300ER planes, flying on long-haul routes. The bins hold 26 more bags than the bins they are replacing, a 23% increase.
Why would airlines offer more space for carry-on bags when the nation’s largest airlines stand to make billions by having passengers check their bags? They collected $2.5 billion in the first nine months of 2011 in checked-bag fees.
United says customer surveys have shown that if passengers have a problem during the boarding process — such as struggling to find luggage space in the overhead bin — they tend to have negative feelings about the entire flight.
“We want the boarding process to be so smooth that it is otherwise not memorable,” United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith offered a similar reason for the larger bins.
“While we don’t release the exact figures, there is a revenue benefit to American to increase the overhead bin storage space,” he said. “American Airlines is committed to investing in its products and services to improve the travel experience for its customers.”
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