Furor forces airline group to scrap call for smaller carry-on bag

You can stop shopping for that new, smaller carry-on bag ... for now.

The International Air Transport Assn. has backed off (“pausing,” it said in a release) its Cabin OK intiative announced this month. That proposal would give the thumbs up to carry-on bags that were 21 ½ by 13 ½ by 7 ½ inches.

The issue: Many U.S. airlines allow carry-on bags that are 22-by-14-by-9 inches. Some airlines allow bags larger than that; Southwest, for instance, will let you bring on a 24-by-16-by-10-inch bag

The proposal by IATA set off a furor among passengers, many of whom have begun toting their bags with them because many airlines (Southwest again being a notable exception) now charge for checked baggage.

In 2014, airlines collected more than $3.5 billion in checked baggage fees, according to a Bureau of Transportation Statistics report issued in May. Delta, United and American, the top three airlines serving LAX through April, collected more than $1.5 billion in fees, respectively.

Airlines for America, an industry trade organization for U.S. airlines, said in a release Wednesday that “no U.S. airlines are supporting the smaller carry-on bag initiative.” It also noted that the Cabin OK initiative would have been voluntary.

A tweet from Jaunted, which bills itself as the “pop culture travel guide” seems to sum up consumer sentiment

And Runaway Girl Network, “where air transport intelligence meets the passenger experience,” suggests

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