Greetings,

Had a bit of a surly FA last night on IAH-SEA when it came to laptops on departure and arrival. Normally, I put my laptop vertically either at my side on the seat on the window side, or I place it vertically on the floor, slid between the retaining bar and the wall. Last night I had it on the floor vertically, with about five inches sticking forward of my seat front, the rest was not visible.

I've placed the laptop in this exact spot probably over a hundred segments in the last couple of years, this is my airplane routine. In fact, I once had a FA tell me that this was a good idea and location. Anyway, the FA told me last night that this was was not allowed, and then continued to chastise me in front of the F/C class cabin for the placement, where she was quite loud and embarrasing. I did give a quiet sigh (who wouldn't if you had to travel on Labor Day and had done this a hundred times), but did not give her any lip, as much as I certainly could have.

I really do feel that the lecture was way out of line, especially given the nature of the travellers who are usually sitting in first class, who are usually not ma and pa kettles transporting chickens and children. She went on to lecture that this laptop could come loose and kill someone in an emergency situation (unlike the lap children sitting in the back). In the end, she did stow it in the overhead and get it just as soon as we got to 10,000 feet. I really feel that had this just been indicated in the beginning, sans the lecture, I would have been more than happy. But with the lecture, and her serving F/C, it made a very uncomfortable situation on a long flight.

Now, I though that you were allowed to place this in this location, as I thought that so long as it does not obstruct the aisle and the exit path, you were good to go. Is this not the case? Maybe they should make the bulkhead pocket larger so that you can get it in there? How about giving cubby holes at the bulkhead, like they have on some models?

For those of you who are going to indicate that I should not put it under my own seat, it is not under the seat, it is along side it, in a location which is unusable and unreachable by the passenger behind me. If this was not the case, I would never think of placing it in this location.

I should mention she took another laptop in 1E where the guy had it in his seat with him. Makes you wonder if she went through the entire plane and took all laptops, DVD players, eBooks, Kindles, hardcover books and stowed them for safety if the passenger happened to be holding them. Wonder what she did with those babies?

I've used that spot too but if the FA's giving me grief about it I simply put it behind my back until s/he takes their seat(s) for takeoff...at which point I put it back down between the seat and the wall of the plane.

I like that same spot myself, too.

The FA's rationale might include the possibility of heavy braking from an aborted takeoff sending our laptops hurling forward, hitting the wall, shattering into pieces, etc...

Since the area is not designated as stowage, or as off-limits, I find it usually comes down to the personality of your FA, or their temperament that day.

I've been on flights where the FAs are enforcing even no laptops in the seatbacks and definitely not in the little magazine holders on the bulkheads. This is rightly so.

I've had similar issues with a small pocketbook (slightly larger than a ladies' wallet, smaller than a normal purse). Many FAs are fine with this item in my hands or placed next to me in the seat during take-off and landing. But I've also been reprimanded about the dangers of a carry-on item improperly stowed. I don't feel particularly comfortable putting a loose pocketbook (or unprotected laptop, for that matter) in the overhead bin.

In a pinch, I've sat on it or otherwise concealed it with my body. I figure it will only become a danger when my body is also flying through the cabin!

I usually place my laptop there also ,but I usually grab a blanket and use a Kansas City Shuffle so they can't even see it .

The FAA says that passenger items must be stowed in the overhead compartment, in a rack, or under a seat:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...46&postcount=6

I like the legroom of row 1 but always choose another row just to have the underseat space.

You should have heard the rant from the F aisle pax, about wanting to keep the Mac Air in the seat back during take-off, and having to put it in the overhead. The FA went with the "no laptops means no laptops" position.

Won't pick sides, yet wow... that thing is thin/light.

Steve B

I've seen this many times on UA, but never on CO personally.

I too use the spot the OP mentions and have never had an issue. I just always make sure to slide it far back enough and keep my leg in front of it so it's not visible to someone walking by.

He should have put it in a manilla envelope first.

Slightly off topic....don't try that with RyanAir. I was in the exit row and was required to place my sweater in the overhead. The FA stood by the exit rows and made sure that everyone complied with her requests to stow all of their items overhead.

LOL! ^

Did you have to pay to use the overhead?

Isn't this one of those items for which FA's can be personally fined? If so, I would have probably done the same thing if I were the FA.

Tiger Airways (SQ LCC out of Singapore) is ridiculously strict as well -- nothing under the seat in front of the EXIT row (not even bulkhead), and NO blackberries in-flight, even if the signal is turned off.