BarelyBAGold

Yesterday evening was flying up to Glasgow from Heathrow and Mrs BarelyBAGold and I were in 1D and 1F. Had arrived at LHR on a connecting flight and had minimal hand baggage as bags checked into hold. Boarded last as no need to rush. Overhead bins above 1C and 1D already had therein large trolley case. No problem from my perspective as bin above 2C empty. On arrival at GLA it became clear that the two trolley cases above 1C and 1D belonged to the two PAX in 2A and 2C (passenger in 1A had stored his small bag above 2D and 1C wasn't occupied). Now, had I wanted to ensure as best I could that my hand luggage could be placed above my own seat I would have arrived at the gate early, but tbh if there is space above a passenger's own seat for their bag, why can't they place it there?? Rant over!

itsmeitisss

I never put my bag above my seat. Too much twisting in an unnatural angle isn't great for your back. I put it on the other side, which sometimes exudes a quizzical look from the people on the other side. Despite being Gold, I never choose row 1, I actively move myself out of it. You get more legroom by putting your feet under the seat in front.

Aus_Mal

Because people are idiots.

AmaaiZeg

From previous posts on this topic, I gather it is quite common. CWS likes it.
Have you ever had the person on the other side wanting to put it above your seat at the same time and clashed heads? 🤣

LondonAussie

I have no idea, since it makes little sense to me, but I've been noticing this trend recently of people putting their bag a few rows in front of where they are sitting, even though the space above their own seat/row is empty.

I assume they think it somehow gets them off the aircraft 3 seconds faster or something, as it's often the same people who look like they'd push an old lady out of the way if it got them off the plane first. Which is even more amusing when they go to all that trouble and it's a bus gate.

VSLover

or i make them wait while i push back to their row to retrieve my bag given no space above row 1.

i understand wanting to see your bag etc, but on a shorthaul flight there really isnt any excuse for the most part. the plane isnt so big that you are not going to notice someone in your personal space reaching overhead from you.

and unnatural back motions? you are making the exact same motion to lift your bag from the ground to an overhead bin regardless of where you are when you are first boarding a plane.

JP Flyer

Whilst we are opening this can of worms what about the fact that there is usually less overhead luggage space for Row 1 and then sometimes what is there is full of crew bags! Why would they do that - row 1 has less space to start with, no option for putting bags or small items under their seats and crew are always the last off the aircraft anyway!

I try and avoid row 1 in CE, but BA keep putting me back into it! Mind you, I never complain about row 1 on long haul.

AAL2887

Had this many times as well sitting in row 1, just a back pack and yet somehow I can only find space for it in Row 4. I often find everyone in CE stuffs all their belongings above, yet very few people realise there's also space under the empty middle seat for all their smaller items if they don't want them under their feet...

gcuk

I’m always put my hand luggage in the lockers across the aisle, for the simple reason that it’s easier to see if anyone is rummaging through my bag during flight (and it has happened). It’s also so much easier to get the bag out of the opposite overhead locker as I exit my row.

LondonAussie

It never occurred to me that people would try that on a flight, especially as there's nowhere to escape for a would-be thief and the crew know who everyone is onboard, etc.

Perhaps rather foolishly, even when flying alone I've left my phone, wallet, passport, laptop etc all unattended at my seat while I've gone to use the toilets or to stretch my legs on a longhaul.

So maybe I was too harsh before, and concede that there may be a valid reason for stowing belongings somewhere you can easily see like 1 ahead of you (or directly across). Doesn't explain people who place their bags many rows ahead, like towards the front of CE when they're sitting several rows back behind the curtain!

testycal

Amen..at age 61 I have come to the conclusion that is generally true and am not the sharpest tack in the drawer.

eefor jfp

I fault the cabin crew for this. US airlines are pretty good about policing this (not perfect mind you, but better) and there are signs everywhere that those bins are reserved for passengers in such and such a cabin (biz or premium economy), Obviously having those signs is much easier on aircraft with fixed seating and BA has a different set-up with the moveable curtain. Still, I think that people in economy class using business class overhead storage are not playing by the rules and the cabin crew need to do a better job of protecting CE space for CE passengers, at least in the early phases of boarding (maybe closing the bins after the first wave of CE passengers have boarded to save the remaining space for late arrivals).

corporate-wage-slave

I do the same. China reputedly had an issue in this space (not that I place too much credence in that) where people would pilfer items mid flight while the owner would be unable to see what was going on, particularly if in a window seat. But the much more significant issue is if someone accidentally takes the wrong laptop bag or whatever as they disembark, leading you with no personal items, and the untaken and similar bag from someone else that you shouldn't really touch. That I have seen several times including quite recently, thanks to a bus offloading. So my advice is to put the bag on the opposite side within your line of sight, which is usually several rows worth of overhead.

VSLover

American Airlines passenger arrested for stealing $10,000 cash in crime spree aboard flight to Miami

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2118882.html

xvirginx

I do exactly the same for exactly the same reasons and to save my back!