Originally Posted by
reimero
Pivot bins do make a huge difference, and in spite of repeated requests to turn bags on their side and hold on to your jackets/coats, I still see an awful lot of wasted OH bin space. I've also noticed it tends to be more of an issue on flights with a higher rate of vacationers (as opposed to business travelers), particularly when "1 carry-on plus 1 personal item" is not enforced.
Of course, I've also seen the inverse: people putting their modest-sized carry-on in the OH bin then closing it when there's still lots of space remaining to give the impression that it's full.
On my return flight I could be mistaken but a number of carry ons of those boarding first looked oversized and probably would not fit in the "size tester" at the gate. That could explain why so many people had to gate check their bags.