Check your laptop?Delta launches new carry-on restrictionsApril 15, 1998Web posted at: 1:51 p.m. EST (1851 GMT) ATLANTA (CNN) -- Delta Air Lines began enforcing its new carry-on baggage policy on its flights Wednesday, limiting passengers to two carry-on bags that fit inside "Size Wise" units located at all gates and counting laptop computers as a carry-on. The airline also counts shopping bags and large purses as one of the two allowed carry-ons. Exceptions include small purses, a meal or snack to eat during the flight, and personal aid devices, such as crutches or canes. Bags that don't fit easily into the "Size Wise" containers are being checked at the gate. The airline said even if a bag fits into the overhead compartment, but doesn't pass the size test, it has to be checked. The handle and wheels must also fit inside the size unit before the bag is allowed in the cabin. Delta spokeswoman Katie Moussouri said the airline's decision to adopt a two-bag limit was customer driven.
Although most passengers at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport said they agree with the policy, many said they were caught off-guard by how strictly the guidelines were being enforced. Some said they thought their carry-ons were small enough, but still had to check them. One Delta gate agent said he gate-checked more than 20 bags for a flight to Newark. The Atlanta-based airline said it has been notifying customers ahead of time about the start date of the new guidelines by sending notices in tickets, in a recording on its reservations line, and through the media. United Airlines starts a similar carry-on policy May 15. 
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