No, My Carry On Bag Is NOT Too Big To Fit In The Overhead

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This happened a while back, before COVID (BC for short). I wonder how many of you can relate?

“Ma’am, Your carry on bag is too big to fit into the overhead. You’ll have to gate check it.” These were the words of the American Airline employee with the sourpuss as I gave her my boarding pass. “And you’re only allowed to have 2 bags. You’re carrying too many bags.”

“No I’m not,” I replied, standing my ground. “I only have 2 bags. This is a travel pillow I put behind my back so I can sit more comfortably on planes and this is the lunch I just bought from Hudson News, since our flight between Orlando and Phoenix is four hours long and you’re probably not going to give us more than a cookie. Neither of those ever count as a ‘bag.'”

She gave up on that strategy quickly enough (I’m pretty sure I caught some side-eye too) and retorted back, “Well, your carry on bag is still too big for the overhead. You’ll have to put it in the big sizer and if it doesn’t fit, you’ll have to gate check it.” I really think if she was 20 years younger, she would have put her hands on her hips, stomped her foot and said, “So THERE!” too.

Now, I know my carry on bag. It’s a Travelpro and I specifically bought that brand because it’s the one airline workers use specifically because it fits in the overhead 99% of the time, even when it’s completely stuffed. I also know I had my pillow in there and it’s made of memory foam. So as much as it squishes down when I zip the bag, it also puffs up once the bag is fully closed. And even then, because it easily squishes down again, it still fits in normal airline overhead space.

I wasn’t going to give this one up without a fight (those of you who know me personally would automatically know this would be the case 😜). Besides knowing damn well it would fit, I also always have a full change of clothing in my carry on because I’ve had the experience of an airline losing my luggage for 24+ hours. Unfortunately, at four and a half feet tall, going out and buying a new outfit so I’d have clean clothes the next day just isn’t an option; I can’t wear brand new pants and shirts until they’re altered. So with the concern that my stuff could get sent to Phuket while I went to Phoenix, nope, I wasn’t giving up my carry on unless I absolutely had to. And in this case, I knew I shouldn’t have to.

She takes my bag from me and puts it on top of the bag sizer. “There, you see?” said she of the obviously not having a good day and wanting to take it out on others. “It doesn’t fit. You’ll have to gate check it.” (you could almost hear the “neener, neener, neener” that wanted to come out at the end of that sentence)

“I assure you that it will fit,” I replied to Miss Looks Like She Smelled Something Bad. “And you didn’t even try to fit it into the Size Check, you just laid it on top. There’s a foam pillow in there and if you bothered at all to push the suitcase in, the pillow would have given way. But don’t worry, I’ll just take the pillow out right here.” Which I did. And then, of course, the carry on bag pretty much slid into the Size Check with room to spare, and I was allowed on my way.

So there I was, my computer bag on my shoulder, pulling my 2-wheeled carry on, with a cylindrical shaped travel pillow, Hudson News bag with a roast beef sandwich, chips and a soda in it AND now my full-size pillow in my hands (and tucked under an elbow as needed), too. I wouldn’t say it was a struggle but…OK yeah, it was a struggle. Especially since I wanted to keep my pillow from falling onto the floor because my head’s on that when I sleep and who knows what’s in or on that airport carpet, right? Anyway, a few feet away, another American employee said, “Are you OK holding all of that?” I told her I’d be fine but it sure was a lot easier before her co-worker over there (I pointed with my eyes and a directional nod of my head) insisted my carry-on wouldn’t fit in the overhead so I had to take my pillow out. She said, “What? You have a Travelpro. Of course, it would have fit!” I’m not sure, but I think she rolled her eyes a little. 

As it turned out, there was a delay on the jet bridge so while we waited, I took the opportunity to stuff my pillow back into my carry-on.

The bag still fit in the overhead just fine.

Take THAT, Miss Sourpuss!

Oh, and by the way? The SAME THING happened a few months later. And it happened at the same flippin’ airport, on the same flippin’ airline! Here’s the story of what happened with THAT American gate attendant.

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