Is Overhead Bin Etiquette The Next Frontier In Airline Passengers' Quest For Space?
Feeling exhausted by the never-ending stream of social media posts chronicling that latest in-flight argument over switching seats or seat recline? Turns out there's a new frontier in the ongoing battle among airline passengers to boldly go wherever they want to go. This time, the overhead bin space is up for grabs and the battle to stake a claim before the bins are full is testing the patience of an already stressed-out traveling public. With studies that show the airline industry's incredible shrinking seat situation is already driving main-cabin passengers right to — and occasionally over — the brink of fisticuffs, it's kind of a no-brainer to posit overhead space would be next.
As frequent fliers — at least those who spend a lot of time traveling in the main cabin — well know, securing overhead space to stow a carry-on can make or break a long day of travel. And successfully claiming a bin within easy reach of your assigned seat is the gold standard, especially for passengers facing a tight connection. Plus, traveling sans checked luggage avoids the time suck of standing around a baggage carousel, a process that even in ideal circumstances can add 15 to 50 minutes to the arrival process.
But if you are still on the jetway when the flight attendants close the last full bin, you can kiss those conveniences goodbye. Without some kind of divine intervention, odds are you will be directed to hand your impeccably packed, just-right-sized carry-on bag to a luggage attendant who will whisk it away to the bowels of the aircraft, out of sight and out of reach — but never out of mind — until you reach your destination. It's a dire situation experienced fliers do their best to avoid at all costs.
Overhead space is not assigned
With so much at stake, it's no wonder travelers are beginning to challenge the overhead bin space claimed by passengers who boarded early. It seems logical to expect that if you're seated in 34A, your bin space should be right above your seat. Not so fast. There's nothing in your agreement with the airline that stipulates designated overhead storage space. It's a classic free-for-all that can lead to contentious confrontations.
A Reddit post in r/unitedairlines laid bare the social media debate about overhead space. The original poster, u/taylor-reddit, expressed incredulity at something that occurred while they were boarding a United Airlines flight, noting, "I was on a flight yesterday where the FA [flight attendant] announced your items do not have to go directly above your seat and to look for any overhead space." Apparently, that announcement led to a bit of chaos as boarding passengers attempted to claim whatever open space they could find. "The flight was packed and room ran out quickly and people were scrambling up and down the aisles," the Redditor continued.
The post received a firestorm of more than 300 responses, many of which focused on the creative and onerous steps some passengers take to bypass luggage allowances. One respondent called out the lack of enforcement by gate agents, writing, "Some of these 'carry ons' are monsters, let's be honest."
What's the solution?
Commenter u/saasee added, "Biggest frustration is when the early passengers board, but [sic] 2-3 items in the overhead bins then when group 3 boards there is no space left and bags have to be passed back out to be gate checked." That's a real-world dilemma that snowballs as passengers board and could ultimately delay the flight. Still others were unapologetic. "If I skip a carry on and only bring a personal backpack that bad boy goes up in the bin," one said. Another declared, "I try to carry on as much as possible. Although it isn't convenient when you have layovers, I prefer it."
Who's responsible for these seemingly endless battles over the limited amount of shared space in the main cabin? Travel industry pundits posit the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of airlines that are continuously rolling out new cabin configurations designed to maximize profit over comfort. Some could argue the passengers should be more tolerant of one another. After all, we're all in the same boat — er plane. It's frustrating, but until airline industry bean counters realize they have squeezed us to our limit — or until the Federal Aviation Administration steps in to set standards — a little bit of courtesy goes a long way.
"Of course we all want to be comfortable and stretch out, but hold on to your personal items until boarding is completed," Karina Kay, a Las Vegas-based flight attendant, told Condé Nast Traveler. "Give others with larger carry-ons a chance to place their baggage, then place yours in the surrounding space."