Carry-on requirements now strictly enforced

Most business travelers have a distrust of airline baggage handling, feeling that even if a bag is not lost or damaged, they will still lose valuable time waiting for their luggage to reach them in the airport. It's not unusual to see oversized garment bags, or two bags plus a briefcase being hauled onto an airplane.

Many airlines are launching low-cost, short-haul service that requirs high frequency and quick turnarounds. USAir for example, has cut ground time on many flights from 45 to 25 minutes.

Even if you are not traveling an one of these high-frequency flights, airlines are very conscious of their "on-time" performance, which will lead to stricter enforcement of carry-on policies. Passengers choking the aisles and trying to fit bags into overhead bins often create costly delays.

The Federal Aviation Administration enacted the two-bag carry-on limit in 1987 due to injuries resulting from crammed overhead bins.

Up to this point, gate agents have been fairly lenient for fear of aggravating passengers