We know that airlines overbook their seats, then count on no-shows and rebookings to make the system work. This helps ensure that each flight will be as full as possible, but it also leads to situations where passengers must be paid to take a different flight. What if the airlines are doing the same thing with overhead bins and “allowing” more carry-on luggage than a plane can even hold? What if they’re overbooking those compartments in the hopes or expectation that some passengers won’t bother with a Rollaboard and will simply check their bags instead?
If that’s the case, then the aisle pandemonium can’t be chalked up to passengers’ misbehavior or to honest confusion at the gate. No, it would mean that all this hassle is a natural outcome of the airlines’ cabin-stowage arbitrage. It would indicate inconvenience by design.
Airplanes definitely aren't built for every passenger to have an overhead bin carry-on. I saw it a lot this last year with Southwest - if you're C boarding group on a full flight, you're not getting a bin for your bag. They have 2 free checked bags, but even if you proactively checked 2 and are forced to check another at the gate, it's still free. I don't fly other airlines enough to know if they are mean about the impromptu checked bags, but I wouldn't put it past them considering many charge for even one bag.
Most airlines charge for checking bags.
Checking bags at the gate though? Yes I'm aware most do charge when you get your tickets, my main question was for in situations like the OP's article