If you think it's bad here, try flying on a domestic sector in the US. There are a huge number of roll aboard cases plus handbags and backpacks. Some of this is for access in flight such as briefcases, handbags etc but most is to avoid checking the luggage.
Low cost operators have charged for baggage on the grounds of cost. Obviously it does cost fuel to carry weight and then that fuel costs more fuel but only charging for checked baggage and letting people carry heavy bags into the cabin doesn't make the aircraft lighter, it just looks that way when you use standard weights.
So here's my idea. Charge people a ticket that includes a baggage weight allowance (make it generous, say 30-40kg). At check in your checked luggage is weighed. At the gate your carry on is weighed as you present your boarding pass. At each point you receive a receipt for your own records but the computer calculates how much of your entitlement you have not used (hence the generous point above) and by the time you land your credit card has been refunded for the amount you didn't use. Frequent flyers could opt for points instead and get a bonus percentage for not taking the cash.
People like getting money, not shelling it out. Therefore, psychologically they will be happier even though the cost is no different than paying for baggage by the kg. The airline wins because it has the cash up front and if the refund is in miles it has it for even longer. The cost per kg can also be sharpened because the bean counters don't have to account for unknown amounts of baggage as there are no standard weights.
It will take some time to process each bag at the gate but there will be a decrease in time for pax deciding whether to pay for carry on and then processing that payment. If it reduces carry on the loading and unloading times will be faster and pax will be happier with the inflight experience.
And we all win because The risk posed by overhead luggage coming adrift in flight or in an accident is reduced.
Last edited by Roger Greendeck; 27th Feb 2012 at 21:40.