Let the Carry-On Wars Begin

With United, American, and US Airways all instituting charges for both first and second checked bags, a carry-on crunch is coming, the Wall Street Journal reminds us. Expect the baggage police to start heading off patrons flouting the cabin limit at security screenings. Airlines hope to to fight overcrowding in overhead bins and lower the total weight of aircraft, leading to lower fuel consumption.

"This fee will just cause many people to drag all their worldly possessions into the cabin," grouses one passenger. The airlines may even bring back metal templates on X-ray machines, which physically limit the size of a bag. The unpopular devices were discontinued in 2001. In other belt-tightening news, US Airways will start charging $2 for soft drinks. (More American Airlines stories.)