Originally Posted by
Kmxu
Seriously, if I do not have a carryon luggage, I will post-board as 1K after Group 5, instead of pre-board. I do not have to wait for 30 or more minutes (extra time in lounge for international trips) before the aircraft door is closed. This 1K benefit is only meaningful if you have to worry about the overhead space.
This⬆️
The issue is not only the concern with overhead space it is overhead space above your seat. I am astounded at how many pax put their carryon above my seat and I then expect they will then be sitting next to or near me to watch them walk another few rows back where there is open overhead space above them. Of course the person sitting next to me is then forced to find space further back and then swim upstream on arrival to retrieve their bags.
So this 1K when she has carryon boards after the families with small children purely to ensure on arrival no need to swim upstream. I would prefer to be at the end of boarding.
For the life of me I do not understand why the UA FAs do not do a better job of "policing" this during boarding - foreign domestic airlines do this extremely well.
In answer to the OP - do not embarrass yourself if 1K is not on your BP.