He added that customers need to be aware that what they see as the lowest fare on a price comparison search may not wind up being the cheapest option once the fees are tallied.
“It’s not transparent until you’ve gotten a certain depth into the booking: ‘Oh, here’s the seat selection fee. Oh, here’s the baggage fee. Oh, here’s the carry-on fee.’ And watch out if you don’t check-in online, there’s a massive penalty if you don’t,” Vanderlubbe said.
I fly without a carry-on all the time. I have a small backpack that has only things I need during the flight like my headphones/laptop/gaming device in it.
Keep in mind they are only talking about carry-on bags that must go in the overhead because they are too big to fit under a seat. Anything that can fit under the seat is a personal item.