• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

This Senator Is Not Happy with United Airlines’ New Overhead Bin Ban

By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 5, 2016, 8:53 AM ET

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.

Fortune has reached out to Sen. Schumer’s office for comment and will update the story if we receive a response.

About the Author
By Madeline Farber
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Panelists at Fortune Brainstorm AI.
Workplace CultureBrainstorm AI
AI is already taking over managers’ busy work—and it’s forcing companies to reset expectations
By Beatrice NolanDecember 10, 2025
26 minutes ago
Curly haired woman in a black dress speaking.
AIBrainstorm AI
Actress Natasha Lyonne dropped out of NYU and watched movies instead. Now, she’s helping to shape the future of AI
By Amanda GerutDecember 10, 2025
32 minutes ago
Jeff Williams, former Apple CEO
C-SuiteDisney
Jeff Williams, who retired from Apple after 27 years less than a month ago, just got called up by Disney to join its board of directors
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
47 minutes ago
Federal Reserve Bank Chair Jerome Powell speaks during the George P. Shultz Memorial Lecture Series at Stanford University on December 01, 2025 in Stanford, California.
EconomyFederal Reserve
The Fed delivers a rare ‘hawkish cut’ as Powell tries to steady a softening job market
By Eva RoytburgDecember 10, 2025
60 minutes ago
Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during the Hoover Institution's George P. Shultz Memorial Lecture Series in Stanford, California, US, on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. The Federal Reserve said it was monitoring community and regional banks' commercial real estate loan portfolios amid concerns over "elevated interest rates, tighter underwriting standards, and lower commercial property values." Photographer: Jason Henry/Bloomberg via Getty Images
EconomyFederal Reserve
‘Be careful what you wish for’: Top economist warns any additional interest rate cuts after today would signal the economy is slipping into danger
By Eva RoytburgDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
Sheryl Sandberg points with one hand as he sits in front of a light blue background during an interview.
SuccessWomen
Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In finds more women leaning out for the first time since the promotion survey began a decade ago: ‘Major moment of backsliding’
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 10, 2025
3 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Politics
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: 'I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand'
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
8 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The 'forever layoffs' era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
By Nick Lichtenberg and Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.