You hear it everywhere and every time there is an announcement on board. Now you hear it on the ground. Airlines liberally use the term "FAA Regulations requires.....". Truth is that FAA regulations is for the "advancement, safety and regulation of civil aviation, as well as seeing development of the air traffic control...", contrary to what airlines claim, FAA does not micro-manage luggage issues. Each airline has its own set of rules with no standards adopted in place. As a result, passengers are bewildered and confused about the "rules and regulations" of luggage with each airline setting its own fees and policies. Lately, airlines have sent their own hired personnel to roam around TSA lines looking for over-sized baggage and informing some passengers that their bags are too big to go on board due to "new FAA regulations". Regardless of the type of aircraft or class of service, large discrepancies exist even on the same trip by the same airline. On a recent trip, the author carried a mid-sized bag on board without a question. The same bag with the same contents on the same type of aircraft on the return trip was flagged as "too large" by the very same carrier and had to be checked in. Airlines would be wise to adopt a clear policy without erroneously referencing the FAA.
To see the FAA Airline Carry-On Baggage checklist:
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/cabin_safety/media/back.pdf
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