How To Avoid Gate Checking Your Carry-On Bag

Carry-on bags and not checked bags are preferred by many people. Gate check is a common fear among those with carry-on bags. In this post, I want to talk more about that, and give some tips for avoiding gate checking your bag.

Why do some bags have to be gate checked?

If you have gone through security with your carry-on bag, you may be forced to gate check it when you attempt to board. One of the reasons is this is most common.

• Your bag is bigger than the maximum carry-on size allowed by the airline
• You’re boarding toward the end of the boarding process, and the overhead bins are full

All other checked bags will arrive on the claim baggage belt when you gate check them. Fear of having bags gate checked is one of the reasons we see a lot of crowding at the beginning of the boarding process. The way psychology works for most people is that boarding is slowed down by people in the gate area.

You may have to check your bag at the gate if you fly a small regional jet. Unlike a standard gate check, your bag will be available planeside upon arrival, rather than at the carousel.

Is it wrong to try to “sneak on” a bag?

The ethics of this topic should be addressed more broadly. Is taking a bag larger than regulation size wrong? I view it in two different ways.

If you fly an ultra low cost carrier and try to bring on a full size carry-on that you aren't entitled to, you're almost always going to be caught and fined, as these airlines have higher fees if you have to check a bag.

I don't encourage taking on a large carry-on bag that won't fit in the overhead bin or where you're inconvencing others.

It is reasonable to try to exceed the limit in some instances. Some airlines have very low carry-on allowances. Passengers in premium cabins are limited to carry-on bags weighing up to 7 kilomes.

It is light. Rimowa's carry-on case weights almost 10 pounds empty and leaves you with just five pounds until you reach the limit.

Personally, I don't have ethical concerns with taking something that's a bit heavier than that limit, even though everyone will have their own opinion on this. It is assumed that you can safely carry the bag yourself and that you are not taking up space that belongs to others.

I respect that other people will feel different.

Is there a way to avoid having to gate check a bag?

Is there a way to keep your bag out of sight? The two biggest reasons that bags have to be gate checked are if you over pack and if you board as early as possible.

Beyond that, what about? In my millions of miles of flying, I have been asked to gate check a bag at least a few times, even though I usually exceed the carry-on allowance.

There are a few things you can do to make it less likely that you'll have to gate check a bag.

• Whenever I approach an airline employee (whether it’s at check-in, the security checkpoint, or the gate), I roll my carry-on on the opposite side of me of where the agent is standing, to decrease the odds of them seeing it
• When boarding, I always make sure I have my boarding pass and travel documents ready to go when it’s my turn with the agent; if you’re fumbling trying to find these things, it gives them more time to scrutinize your bags
• If I have a personal item, I’ll always put that over my shoulder on the opposite side of where the airline employee is standing, to minimize the odds of them looking at it too closely
• If your carry-on bag is just slightly overweight or just barely doesn’t fit into the bag sizer, you can always remove a winter coat or other heavy clothing item, and wear it, so that it doesn’t count toward your carry-on allowance

Some of the tips are likely to be controversial. I wouldn't do the first one but the second one happened to me.

• When you gate check a bag, a tag will be placed on it, and either the agent will keep your bag, or typically the agent will ask you to carry it to the bottom of the jet bridge and leave it at the door; I’ve seen people carry the bag down the jet bridge, remove the tag, and then take the bag onboard (admittedly this could backfire if you’re caught, so I don’t recommend this, but I have seen it)
• If you’re told you have to gate check your bag, it will typically be delivered to your final destination, via a handwritten tag; I was once on a review trip and had a complicated itinerary with multiple connections, and the agent ended up saying “never mind” when she realized just how complicated the tag was going to be to write out

Bottom line

It is not uncommon to have to gate check a bag because overhead bins are full or because your carry on exceeds the limit. Sometimes passengers try to travel with a kitchen sink while other times airlines have unrealistic carry-on limits.

I don't think you should have to gate check a bag on an ultra low cost carrier, but there are some general strategies that can help.

Have you ever used gate checking bags? Is there any tips I didn't know about?