Bag-check fees lead to stuffed bins overhead

— -- Checked-bag fees recently imposed by airlines to increase revenue are squeezing business travelers out of their most precious real estate: the overhead bins.

Frequent business traveler Jeff Brown was boarding his US Airways flight at Hartford, Conn., when he was told that the overhead bins were full, just after passing the first-class cabin.

About 20% of the passengers were still in line to get on board, says Brown, a machinery manufacturing company executive from Kansas City, Mo. "Around 20 bags had to be gate-checked. It was so packed, there were people sitting in their seats holding small to medium-sized bags because they couldn't go either way in the aisles."

Airline officials, flight attendants and frequent travelers say Brown's case is hardly unique. Passengers are bringing more carry-ons, and finding enough space to put them away properly is becoming increasingly difficult, they say. The situation is more acute on routes that are favored by leisure travelers, such as flights to Florida or Las Vegas.

Even before the new fees were introduced, overhead bin space was already stretched thin. Planes are flying with some of the historically highest "load factors," or the percentage of occupied seats, as demand remains relatively robust, despite the weakening economy. Airlines are also flying smaller planes, with more regional jets mixed into the fleets, to serve small and midsize cities.

"Flight attendants are seeing more bags in the cabin, and we have to work harder to make sure they fit," says Candace Kolander, coordinator of air safety, health and security for the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). "It could also be a safety hazard. In the very unlikely event of a crash, there is the possibility that the bin door could open and bags will fall out."

Airlines aren't required to reveal the number of checked bags. But American Airlines, the nation's largest carrier, says the average number of bags checked per passenger has dropped since it began imposing fees ($15 for the first bag, $25 for the second) earlier this year. Prior to introducing the fees, an average of 1.2 bags were checked per passenger. Now, it's slightly below one, spokesman Tim Smith says. "The biggest percentage drop is in the second bag (checked). It was more noticeable."