Airline Demands Passenger Check A Bag Because They Said A Picture They Had In Their Hand Counted As Luggage
Flying is stressful.
Tyler Olson | Shutterstock If you’ve ever taken a flight, you know how stressful dealing with luggage can be. Maybe you don’t want to pay for a checked bag, so you just bring one on your back. It's a good idea. But then you have to make sure it meets the size requirements. If it’s even an inch too big, you’ll be forced to check it. And for the bags you do check and pay extra for, you still need to worry about weight limits.
Another common issue is the number of carry-ons you’re allowed. Most airlines only permit one bag and one personal item. But what exactly counts as a personal item? What if you’re carrying a backpack, a laptop, and a pair of headphones? Some airlines may count those headphones or any item not in an actual bag as a third item. Recently, a traveler, Dr. Keith Harley Jr., shared his experience with this issue on X.
A passenger said Southwest Airlines forced him to check his carry-on because he was carrying a photo that counted as an additional bag.
"@SouthwestAir I just had a crazy experience on your flight," Dr. Keith Harley Jr. wrote. He explained that the gate attendant did not allow him on the plane just because he was holding a piece of paper that was 8x10 inches in size. "She said it was considered a third item," he added. "Really bad service."
What makes this story more interesting is that Southwest Airlines responded. "We're sorry about any confusion with our carry-on policy," they wrote. "You may carry on one bag and one personal item." The company explained that if the photo was an additional item to the two mentioned, it would be considered a third carry-on.
Had the passenger put the photo in his bag, he would not have been asked to check his carry-on.
Southwest confirmed that travelers are welcome to place any items they are holding, like this man's photo, inside a bag to avoid violating their carry-on policy, but that response seemed almost silly in light of the situation.
Southwest also emphasized the importance of professionalism with its staff. "We know there's more than one way to communicate policies and procedures," the airline wrote. The company closed by asking Dr. Harley to send them a private message with his confirmation number so they could properly document his complaint.
The comments on the post were also quite expressive. "I bought a sandwich at the restaurant near the gate just before boarding @southwestair from LAX to MDW just a few days ago," one user wrote. "And had to give my purse to my partner because the sandwich was considered a 3rd item." It seems that Southwest really does enforce its third-item rule, almost to a fault.
The rules behind carry-ons are extensive.
Undrey | Shutterstock
"You may carry one bag and one personal item," Southwest wrote on its website. "The bag should be stowed in the overhead compartment, and your small personal item should be stowed under your seat." Carry-on bags can be the usual roller bag or a small suitcase. Personal items may include a purse, crossbody bag, briefcase, laptop case, backpack, pillow (neck pillows do not count toward the carry-on limit), blanket, small camera, and more.
It's also important to understand how much a checked bag costs. Within their standard-end fares, the price of the first checked bag is about $34, and the second one is $45. That can make checking luggage pricey depending on a traveler's finances, but hopefully, Southwest will help Dr. Harley by, at the very least, covering the costs of his additional checked bag due to the nature of this miscommunication.
The takeaway is that yes, it can be stressful to have a gate attendant tell you that your sandwich or photo counts as a carry-on item. But ideally, you can just put it inside a bag. Even if it feels unfair, limits are necessary. Imagine sitting in that tight airplane space while the passenger next to you has a pillow, blanket, computer, briefcase, and lunch bags piled up.
Would that feel good? Probably not. The company makes it simpler by asking travelers to put everything inside a bag, while still allowing one outside item like a laptop. This is not to defend the airline, but rather to understand a policy that actually benefits passengers by setting clear limits on what people around you can bring.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
