Delta Aims to Enhance Boarding Efficiency with New Carry-On Initiative

If you've ever experienced a flight crowded with passengers and their carry-on luggage, you know that sometimes there's simply too much—often, carry-on luggage can struggle to find a place. This can significantly hinder the boarding process as travelers frantically search for that last available space for their wheeled bags before the flight attendants eventually have to intervene and start checking luggage.

Delta Air Lines is exploring potential solutions to this dilemma. On select flights from Boston, as well as from Orlando and Tampa in Florida, some passengers will receive a text message four hours before their flight, inviting them “to take part in a trial where a carry-on bag—defined as one piece of luggage not exceeding 45 linear inches (length, width, and height combined)—can be checked for free at the bag drop with a Delta agent,” according to a statement provided to Dinogo. Bags larger than standard carry-ons will not be permitted.

This pilot initiative is set to run for one month, and according to Delta, “This test is intended to help our teams gain insights into how a reduction in carry-on bags can enhance the overall customer experience, from arrival at the airport to boarding the plane.”

Currently, Delta charges $30 for the first checked bag and $40 for the second. (Holders of Delta SkyMiles American Express cards, those with Delta Medallion Status, and active military personnel are exempt from these fees.) Each traveler is allowed one complimentary carry-on and one personal item.

At Dinogo, we've frequently discussed the advantages of carry-on luggage versus checked baggage. Aside from a few exceptions like Southwest Airlines’ generous two-checked-bags policy, checking a bag usually incurs additional costs. Plus, there’s the extra time required for bag check-in and the wait at the baggage carousel after landing.

Many passengers prefer to avoid the extra fees and delays, opting to bring their belongings directly onto the plane. However, if checking bags were free, more travelers might choose to do so, potentially reducing carry-on luggage congestion on board.

The income airlines generate from baggage fees is significant. In 2019, U.S. airlines collected $5.7 billion in baggage fees—Delta alone accounted for $1.04 billion of that amount, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Delta has not disclosed specific details about potential policy changes regarding carry-on and checked bags. The airline simply mentioned that it will “thoroughly analyze the data from this trial to enhance the boarding experience for customers.” For the time being, this is merely an experiment.