In November, United Airlines became the first major U.S. Airline to ban passengers who purchase its lowest-tier ticket—“Basic Economy”—from using overhead bins, limiting them to one carry-on bag that fits under a seat. And New York Senator Chuck Schumer is not happy with the new rule.
“The overhead bin is one of the last sacred conveniences of air travel and the fact that United Airlines—and potentially others—plan to take that convenience away unless you pay up is really troubling,” he said, according to a release obtained by Buffalo’s WKBW News.
The new policy state that flyers who purchase a Basic Economy ticket can only bring one small item on board—9 inches x 10 inches x 17 inches—that must be able to fit under the seat, not overhead, according to United. Any bag larger than that can be checked for a fee.
However, flyers who purchase a more expensive option—like a regular economy ticket—will be able to still use the overhead bins at no additional cost.
United (UAL) expects that the ticketing plan will raise about $1 billion by 2020.
Coins2Day has reached out to Sen. Schumer’s office for comment and will update the story if we receive a response.