Why do airlines make passengers check their carry-on at the gate?

Catching a flight with just a carry-on can make travel feel easy. No need to check a bag and all your belongings stay with you. But quite often, that suddenly changes before boarding.Why do airlines make passengers gate-check their carry-on luggage? Turns out, it comes down to the size of the plane."This happens a lot, especially on shorter flights that are flying regional aircraft," said Gunnar Olson, travel expert and host of the Thrifty Traveler Podcast. "Usually, they're going to make you ga