I just flew into Houston on CO1425. We were on a 733 and unfortunately I was selected for additional screening so I got on the plane later than most. Less than half the plane had boarded but the overhead bins were nearly all full. Of course people (like me) tend to carry-on more luggage than we probably sould. However, I noticed that 5 of the overhead bins were unusable. They were full with life rafts. Why cant CO do like AA and put the life rafts in compartments in the ceiling of their 737's?!?! In the larger scheme of things its not that big of a deal but it was a real pain. Does the 733 have that much less room in the ceiling than a 738 or is is this just a CO cost-cutting measure?

Five overhead bins with life rafts??????????
Really?

Regardless, the fix is:

Bring back the sizers and enforce the 2-item carry-on rule.


On a 735 flight last Friday from SFO to IAH I counted 8 pax with 3 or more carry-ons. One person had four (a purse and 3 bags).

The 737-300's that are overwater equipped only have 3 life rafts taking up 3 overhead bins.



AMEN!!!!!!! ^ ^


This is becoming a HUGE problem. Especially on the -500's. I have been on flights where one person takes up an entire overhead!

If airlines weren't losing "10,000 bags per day" perhaps that would be the first step in limiting the carryon luggage. At least CAL faired well in those rankings recently published by USA today...but it would only take once for me having a bag lost to stop checking luggage. But then I do not use the airlines to "ship" my belongings either.

My bigger complain is the folks behind the curtain walking on board, immediately placing their bags above the F cabin seats.......

We definitely try to keep an eye on that but sometimes there is a lot to do during boarding and some slip by.

Actually, my bigger complaint is people who didn't get the upgrade putting their bags sideways in coach. There should be a no-questions-asked gate check for any bag found sideways in coach (yeah, yeah, I know the planes narrow over row 1).

Only CO's overwater equipped 733s have life rafts in the overheads, and as has already been posted, there are not five bins taken by these rafts.

AA's 737s are all 738s. CO's 738s, as well as the 739s, and 73Gs, have the rafts stored in compartments above the aisle just like AA. I've never been on a 733 operated by any carrier that had compartments above the aisle for rafts. It seems like this might not have been an option on the 737s until the 737-NGs went into production in the 1990s.

I was seated in row 10 in coach yesterday on a 757-200 (about the 3rd coach row) and after the 24 FC passengers boarded, I was about 6th or 7th to board among the elites. When I got to my seat, there were 3 roll-aboards already in the bin over my seat and the person across the aisle from me was putting 2 in that one. I noticed that the bulkhead row on this plane had no overhead bins at all and therefore it pushed each row back in terms of space. It wasn't that big a deal for me because I put my one bag in the bin across the aisle, but for people who boarded later, they had to stow their bags much further back in the plane - and we all know how that congests the aisles during boarding and how it's very difficult to get back to your seat while others are still coming on board. It just seemed particularly bad. And I will add that this was a PBI-EWR route full of families and vacationers with plenty of checked luggage, not a typical business route at all.

Oh I wasn't trying to imply FA's didn't...they all do (NW & CO alike) and I greatly appreciate it but as you said they have alot to do during the boarding process

I think the older 737 3s and 5s were not designed with today's pack mules in mind. I would also like to see the sizer back in place and used without exception. It almost becomes a safety issue. I think when people try to put a 50 -70 lb bag in the overhead it becomes a hazzard to the people around them.

On a flight from Philly to Houston I saw a lady try to bring on a 24" pullman. Of course it did not fit and had to be checked. I was wondering why the GA even let her board or security let her thru with such a large bag.

As much as I like my carry on, I think it might make more sence to have the rule "if you don't plan to use it during the flight, check it"....

I fondly remember flying first class from various South American cities back to the U.S.(usually on AA). We'd all be waiting in the club/lounge. Once coach was boarded and seated, they would call/board first class.

All the overhead space in F was clear. ^

BTW: Glad to see my friend, socrates, aka the Red Tail Renegade making nice with CO FAs

My usual airport, BWI, has notoriously slow baggage delivery. CO isn't too bad - 5 or 10 minutes; but Southwest is outrageous - a half hour wait is normal. The airlines teach people to try to carry everything onboard.

My gripe is the guy sitting in row 30 who stuffs everything in the bin over row 6.

That means less people they need to employ slinging bags.

LOL, I've always like the flight crews of both Blue & Red Tail....they are both very professional with a few bad apples in the barrel.....I will say CO's FA's regardless of base are very similar in the service they give whereas NWA's do vary by base with Seattle being more of the "old style" (which makes sense given their seniority and typical routes they fly)

BTW: I had to give up the F seat I was holding for you on the DTW-PBI flight in a few weeks...the cabin was filling with elites (sorry only 16 F seats on the 319) but I'm sure out of the total 8 FC seats on the CLE-PBI flight a few are left open for ya