Background: Last night (6/2) arrive in ATL then flyingto MCO. I want to get on an earlier flight so I run to the gate of the next departing flight. Flight is fully boarded, the Gate agent is frantic, 5 people are in line to get on this flight...Me, 2 pax, and 2 non-revs. Gate agent is super cool, says "give me whatever boarding pass you have, get ont eh plane, take any seat you want!" I was totally grateful, and we all head down the jet bridge...and are stopped by a FA that says, "you have to check those bags (everyone had a Rollaboard), there is no more room." I made a joke that we're pros we can find room, especially because this was a 767 with 45 empty seats (according to the screen). He says no...makes the gate agent check all our bags.

The 5 of us walk on the plane, tons of empty seats which was nice...and 7 empty and open overhead bins!!!! I'm 20 rows back and the FA ignores me when I point up to the bins. I sit down ...ac door shuts 2 minutes later, and the FA comes by and shuts all the bins.

So.....I'm happy to get on the plane. The gate agent was great under pressure and "Southwest efficient". But why would FAs just not even let you look, or look themselves to see if there was space?? Keep in mind these were open, completely empty bins. Does this happen to others that are forced to check a bag, just to walk on and see tons of obvious space?