A laska Airlines will be the first carrier to install new overhead storage bins from The Boeing Company on its fleet of Boeing 737 and 737 MAX aircraft being delivered later this year.
Officially called Space Bins, the larger overhead bins have a similar look and feel to the overhead storage bins currently in use; yet they hold up to 48 percent more bags — or as many as 174 standard carry-on bags as opposed to the current capacity of 117 of those bags. They can even store items which would usually not fit in a typical overhead storage bin — such as a guitar.
When open, the bottom edge of the overhead storage bin hangs approximately 2 inches lower, which means that passengers do not need to lift their bags as high to load them. The deeper bins allow more bags to be stowed; and let customers load overstuffed bags with less struggle — which purportedly will reduce boarding times while improving on-time performance and require less intervention from flight attendants.
It is about time that the limitations of storage aboard aircraft are being addressed — especially as airlines are charging ancillary fees for checking baggage and profiting to the tune of billions of dollars from that policy. Perhaps these new overhead bins will help abate the war over space in the overhead storage bins.
Do you believe that these new overhead storage bins will offer enough space?
New overhead bins are expected to help improve storage by up to 48 percent on new aircraft to be delivered to Alaska Airlines in late 2015. Photograph courtesy of The Boeing Company.
