I'm glad this worked out for you, but when you show up 15 min prior to departure, you really don't have a right to expect anything less than having to gate check your bag, regardless of how much it inconveniences you. Now if you were connecting from somewhere and that flight was late, that's one thing. But if you were either a) originating in IAH, or b) scheduled an unreasonable connection that still put you at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure with an on time arrival, you have absolutely no right to expect to have bin space, and especially don't have a right to waste the FA's time by asking him multiple times about bin space, as if the 3rd or 4th time will magically change his mind. I'm glad that gentleman was able to help you out; but we can do without your whole "I showed up 15 minutes before departure and I absolutely cannot be inconvenienced by gate checking my bag like the lower class" attitude.

I disagree. In first class, one should be able to expect room for at least one bag, no matter what time one shows up for the flight.

This works ONLY if the carryon rules are enforced. The problem is that the rules aren't enforced, people are bringing on multiple bags the size of an acceptable carryon and then people with connections are arriving without sufficient space for their bags. Given my experience yesterday with unsafe placement of bags, I am definitely now in the camp of a strict enforcement of carryon rules and unhappy with CO's current policies. They are not only inconveniencing many PAX but also leading to safety problems.

Bingo.

One of the reasons for this 'problem' is Continental's generous carryon size allowance.

It's 51 linear inches versus 45 inches at most other carriers (Length plus width plus height)...no restriction on any dimension as long as it's 50 total.

Although I'm sure many fellow flyers will think I'm breaking the rules, I carry a 50 linear inch rolling garment bag that is within the CO rules.

Call it rude, but it's one of the top reasons I prefer Continental. If I get on board early, great. If I don't and have to gate check, oh well. The rule itself has saved me enough time over the long run versus waiting at baggage that I'll take the inconvenience.

The bigger issue is enforcement of the 'personal item' on every carrier which shouldn't be more than a briefcase or purse according to the guidelines but usually ends up being a small suitcase.

I was wondering how long it would take to see this thread come back...just 18 months ago you could fit a casket in the bins post the no full size liquids rule.

Im so sorry Your EXCELLENCY.

but take your head out of your rear end. 1- I never ever considered myself to be better then anyone else be it on a flight or not. As far as I know we never met so Please do yourself a favor and dont act like an Arse

2- I did say I got there 15 mins before it was really 16 but even at 15 mins I am considered on-time in regards to my seat being able to be given away.

3- Ive been on flights where like mine they wanted to close up and get out of there before the offical departure time. Thats not my problem. thats great if all have already boarded. As I posted on another thread there was an incident of my LAS-IAH flight (the flight before this 1) where we were running 15 mins early and all except 1 passenger was on board and the Capt didnt like that the GA was awaiting for that guy.
B- Ive been on flights that wanted to push back and they felt it alot quicker to simply pull the bins are full when in fact they werent! I knew that for a fact

C- All to often Coach might be full and not FC, also most FAs will try to accomadate an FC passenger , but usually assume anyone coming on during the time period that I did were Coach people. I guessnext time Ill have to dress in a Tux or Suit.

D- My layover was over 2 hrs. My mistake was for the 1st time in a very long time I didnt check the boards to see if the Gate # printed on my BP was still the same assigned Gate, so it meant we werent heading out of C-North but C-South which happened to be the same 1 I flew into. Its not a 2 min walk between the 2

and I would think your attitude is the 1 that needs Alot of change to it, I HOPE I never have to rely on you for anything.Prejudging people in your line of Biz is a CRIME

Despite your passionate and animated post in which you failed to use correct punctuation and made yourself look like a 16 year old on Myspace with your random capitalization of words, I stand by my opinion that you are being unreasonable and irrational. Sorry you hope you never have to rely on me for anything, and I'm sorry you feel I need an attitude change, and I'm sorry you feel my intolerance of your arrogance and stupidity makes me a criminal in my "biz".

Not only is my punctuation bad my spelling is even Worse, I take looking like a 16 yr old as a Compliment, heck to be 33 yrs younger then I am, any day.(although you didnt mean it that way).

but from your posts it seems we are both playing in the same sand box and with the same toy soldiers

what is unreasonable and irrational is for me to open a so called Full Bin , and find that its filled with coats and small bags or brief cases that have no problem fitting under anyones seat. I have no problem if there are backpacks and rollerboards that fill them up.

In my case I was on a 735 that meant 8 seats, 2 people hadnt boarded yet, I was 1 of them. Sorry but with coats being hung up for those in FC, I would most Certainly expect to find a place for my rollerboard with a bin in FC. The bin that it ended up didnt have a single rollerboard in it before mine went in there. The bin across the aisle had but 1 rollerboard in it.

Yes it seems arrogance and stupidity is right up your alley. Im happy that most of the CO employees I have been in contact with have a very positive and generous attitude and personality. I've been Plat for close to 10 yrs now

You just lost all credibility.

LOL! ^

I also was in F on a 752, although it was a domestic flight. Does that restore my credibility?

Craz, I agree with Buck. If you show up 15 minutes before your flight, you're asking for trouble. I mean, all the 1st people have boarded ages before. Stowage space is not reserved for you.

The REAL problem is (and I'm speaking for coach since I rarely fly 1st) that the average person has NO IDEA how to load the bins efficiently. It's not just the sideways rollaboards; it's all the other hand luggage that Jonny and Suzy Q. line up in the bin along the back. Purses, sweaters, sacks, boxes, you name it.

Here's what happens: Jonny comes aboard with his rollaboard and a computer case. Suzy has her rollaboard, a big purse, and a sack of souvenirs. It ALL goes up in the bins. Nothing under the seats, because even though Jonny is 5'8" and Suzy is shorter, they think they desperately need all the space under the seat.

So up in the bin you get two sideways rollaboards. There may be space on top and at the end, but they ignore that and start on a new bin space. Computer case, flat and sideways, next to purse, flat and sideways, next to sack, also sideways. Then they'll fold up their jackets in a line next to those things, thus filling two bins.

Whereas, they SHOULD put the rollaboards on lengthwise, computer case right-side up and lengthwise squashed next to that, same for purse. Sack may very well fit on top of those. Jam the jackets on top wherever there's room. Thus, 1/2-2/3 of one bin. Or even better, put the purse and computer case under the seats. They're small enough you can put your feet on top of them.

Frankly, I don't hesitate to re-arrange the bin to make more room. I don't change bins or anything, but I'll sure turn around all those sideways bags, and put things upright that fit that way.

People are so goofy. It's as if they think their stuff is safer if they push it way to the back of the bins and line it up there.

I see this many times but not so much in FC but in coach on EWR-CLE and CLE-EWR flights, Especially during the winter. What I see is that many times the FAs dead heading home to CLE or via CLE to EWR to make their Intl Connections board before anyone else (Friends of the GAs by BSing with them). They slyly board before anyone else (this is hub to hub so its always a full flight and they know what they are doing) and fill up the first few rows of coaches overhead space with their bags....Let me remind you that these are Elite Seats and hence elite bins. Two weeks ago I snagged a bulkhead seat and sure enough even though I was the 5th person after FC to board (100% ful flight) I could not place my one laptop bag in the overhead. The first open bin on the 737-300 was not row 5, but row 12 (I am glad we had a Elite Carpet...NOT)! Of course, there were 4-5 FAs already sitting in their seats before any of us boarded the plane, including FC. Why doesn't Co make the dead headers and CO transiters gate check their bags or stow them rear forward is my question? If nothing else after row 16 past the elite seats.


Sorry to all the CO peeps dead heading but remember who is paying for the seat and the overhead space, and of course your wages, not you, but me and my company.

Suggestion: CO - Please make a rule for the FAs to follow rather than taking up FC and Elite Overhead storage space. Especially when I am a person who always checks luggage but carry's on 1 single laptop bag.

This is what I percieve as a problem with the overhead storage.


One thing to note this is especially bad on CLE-EWR routes in the winter, especially the last CLE-EWR flight of the day. Many times you do not see 4-5 Crew mates on the flight but 10-15 of them because of earlier cancelations and what not for weather delays. So the crew members are booked now on the last flight of the day so that they can make their Intl connections, but they do not bring one bag...they bring 2-3 and usually fill up space all the way to row 16 from the front of the cabin. Before anyone even boards in coach half the space is taken. This probably isn't a problem at other locations but for CLE-EWR I see this many times late in the day.

A couple of months ago, we were running late and got to the plane at the end of the boarding. It was a completely full flight, so we knew the overheads would be full and tried to get the FA to gate check our bags as we boarded. She said she was sure there would be room. Of course there wasn't, and then we had to get them back to the door so they could be gate checked, exactly as we knew would happen.

My sentiments exactly: and thus my reason for traveling with 23”x19”x9” Rollaboard. It is wedge shaped and efficiently fills the overhead bin without wasting space. The old MD80’s were a little tight, but most of the mainline aircraft are a breeze now.

Thank you CO!

I'm on 792 ewr to mco waiting to leave. Im in 8F. 8D comes on. takes my computer cag and shoves it against a corner mag partition. I ask him what the hell he is doing. no answer. I guess some people don't give a crap when it is not their $1500 computer they are shoving between hard objects.