Passenger jets to get larger overhead bins

MINNEAPOLIS -- Fliers can stop sharpening their elbows. Overhead bins are getting bigger.

Packed planes and a high volume of carry-ons are forcing airlines to expand the space above passenger's heads. United and Delta are the latest airlines to replace or upgrade bins so they hold more luggage. And engineers at Boeing are designing jet interiors with today's bulkier luggage in mind.

It's a chance to placate fliers who feel like they're thrown into a roller derby every time they board a plane. Because of checked-bag fees, more people are bringing carry-ons, which are growing in size. And with planes more crowded than ever, bins fill up before everyone is seated. Travelers fight physics and one another to shove one more bag overhead. Or they're forced to check luggage at the gate. The result is upset travelers, harried flight attendants and delays.

The percentage of passengers with carry-ons has hovered around 87 percent in recent years, United Continental says. And "the size of the carry-on has increased . . . They are stretching the limits of their bags," says Scott O'Leary, managing director of customer solutions at United Continental Holdings.

Expanding bins is a smart way for airlines to set themselves apart, says Henry Harteveldt, who leads airline and travel analysis at Atmosphere Research Group, a market research firm. "Especially if they cater to the business traveler, they're hoping it will give them a small but noticeable competitive advantage."

Airlines often waive bag fees when luggage can't fit overhead and must be checked at the gate. And business travelers, who generate most of the industry's revenue, are often exempt from baggage fees anyway.

But will bigger bins encourage fliers to bring larger bags? Airlines hope not and are trying to crack down before luggage makes it into the cabin.