But I spend a lot of time at airline check-in counters, and the vast majority of bags I see are of the soft-sided variety, which I have used more times than I can remember.
Airlines would need to keep scales at ticketing counters and weigh customers at check-in, a procedural change that would require extra time and personnel, likely causing delays.
The employees claim they should be paid to work while the boot-ups and shut-downs are happening, since during that time they're doing tasks like paperwork or "arranging their calendar, " while the companies counters that they're probably smoking, getting coffee, or talking to people.