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July 7, 2026 / 11:32 PM EDT
/ CBS Minnesota
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Catching a flight with just a carry-on can make travel feel easy. No need to check a bag and all your belongings stay with you. But quite often, that suddenly changes before boarding.Why do airlines make passengers gate-check their carry-on luggage? Turns out, it comes down to the size of the plane."This happens a lot, especially on shorter flights that are flying regional aircraft," said Gunnar Olson, travel expert and host of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast. "Usually, they're going to make you gate check your carry-on when the plane is just too small to handle the amount of carry-on bags that are onboard."The reason gate checking bags is becoming more common is checked bag fees keep rising, said Olson. Rather than paying to check a bag, more passengers are packing everything into a carry-on."The planes are not built; they're not equipped to handle everybody bringing a full-sized bag onboard," he said.Some passengers have reported seeing empty space in the overhead bins after getting their bags gate-checked. In that case, why force people to separate from their bags? The answer is time.A spokesperson for Delta Airlines told CBS News Minnesota, "Boarding is the most consistent barrier to an on-time departure, and the boarding process can be slowed down by customers needing extra time to store their bags."
