Originally Posted by
NYTA
My view is that any item smaller than a rollaboard should go under the seat. Frankly I have seen just as many leisure travelers putting small bags (and duty free bags!) in the overheads that should be under their seats - taking space in the bins away that could be used for rollaboards. It's all a matter of incentives and priority etc. When I'm traveling for work, they'll have to pry my rollaboard out of my cold, dead hand to get it away from me. On low-cost airlines like Ryanair/Easyjet (which I fly several times a year within Europe), I pay extra for priority boarding and the ability to take a roller + personal item. Having airline status is the equivalent of having "paid extra" by having my butt in one of their seats (instead of those of their competitors) for 50,000+ miles a year. The airlines themselves want the business of "road warriors" much more than they do of the family of four going to Disney World once every few years.
You're doing something very wrong with all of that. No matter what anyone does, including travel, they should be able to do it in a relaxed stress free manner, letting someone else take the strain where possible, and not be in such a rush. That does not include hanging on to all your bags so you can hurry from one place to another without waiting at a baggage carousel just to make another appointment. It also doesn't include insisting someone who has brought one smaller bag on board puts it at their feet restricting their legroom so you and your colleagues can all get your rollaboards above your head (I accept if you paid extra for it you're OK, it's the ones that don't pay and just expect it that need educated). You lose a bag - so what, buy more stuff and claim it back. Relax, slow down, take it easy and you'll enjoy life more.
If it's "part of the job", then educate (or change) your employer. If more Business Travellers took this approach the OP may never have made his post.