TheMadBrewer

My bag (Nomatic) has a easily accessible compartment on the top. Bag goes in the bin when I reach my seat, open the compartment to take out what I need right away (Kindle, headphones, etc). My eBags had something similar, though not as large.

Tomphot

I always prefer to put my bag in the overhead opposite me. Reason being, if someone is the overhead above me, I can't see if they are going into my bag. Your bag can be in your full view if it's across from you.

manstein58

My comment presumed people know what they're doing. Just to be clear, if my gear is stowed properly, don't presume to rearrange it for your convenience or sense of decorum. Keep your mitts to yourself

jdrtravel

Sorry, I disagree. It's a suitcase, and it should be packed in such a way that moving it a little bit is not going to harm anything. If someone can move things a little bit so that there stuff fits, it should not be a big deal.

ATOBTTR

And lack of carryon enforcement. When you see people routinely board with 3-4 carryon items and put all of them in the bin, it substantially adds to an already bad problem.

manstein58

Fair point but, to me, moving things "a little bit" is not rearranging. Rearranging is taking my gear out or putting it in a different space-uncouth

meh130

Reminds me of one time about 10 years ago. I am pretty sure this was before they started charging for bags on domestic. I think this was out of FLL. I was PM, so I was on early, along with the other PMs. I had a seat near the back of the plane. A guy (we will call him "Francis") across the aisle puts his briefcase in the overhead compartment, then takes of his sports coat and lays it flat beside the briefcase. He then closes the bin--he knew a closed bin meant the bin was full.

Everyone boards, including those sitting beside Francis. They find bins beside and across the aisle to store their carry-ons, while Francis looks a little concerned they may open the bin above his row and move his stuff.

Then a lady with a couple of kids is trying to get her and her kids in their seats, and realizes all the bins are closed. The FA takes the bag and says she will find a place for it. I interject: "I think there is still some space in that bin." pointing to the bin above Francis. Francis glares at me with a look that he wanted to kill me. The FA opens the bin, sees only the briefcase and the sport coat, takes the coat, folds it and puts the folded coat on top of the briefcase, and puts the lady's carry on in the bin beside Francis' stuff. Then the FA says something snarky to Francis like "Don't worry, I took good care of your coat."

Never forget, Karma sometimes needs a hand.

SpartyAir

This can also apply to the knuckleheads who ride the parking lot shuttle bus to the terminal. It's one of my pet peeves. People just can't be courteous enough to put their bags sideways in order to take up less of the horizontal space. And then there are the lazy butts who put their smaller bags on the bottom shelves instead of the upper shelves so that people with the big heavy bags can't put their bags on the bottom shelf, and instead have to block the aisle.

As to the OHB's, it's "First Come - First Served" confirmed. A few years ago I was on a 777 exit row window seat. The bin above was occupied by the FA's stuff. So I put my bag in the center bin across the aisle. A man boarded later that was in one of the center seats and said to me that was his space and ordered me to remove my bag. I said to him it was FC - FS. He didn't like it and he took my bag out of the OH and put it on the floor. I called the FA and she came back and she confirmed to the man that the OHB's are FC - FS. She proceeded to take the other man's bag out of the OHB and put mine back up there. He had to find another OHB.

chrisdenver1

I always try to put my bag on the opposite side. It makes grabbing your bag much easier while deplaning, speeding up the process for everyone. It also eliminates the awkward twist which can easily cause a muscle pull. Just common sense.

daloosh

Yep, I try not to touch your bag, but if you are an idiot and put it in the wrong way, I'm happy to help you out and rearrange it correctly. If the FA sees it, they'll do it for you anyways. When I travel with my teenaged daughter, her idea of packing is throwing everything in her rollaboard, even though her case has a nice front-opening section for easily reachable things (Rockland Titan 19" spinner). So I make her put her bag up, opposite side if available, until everyone is squared away. This OHB problem was created by the airlines and their desire to make money on checked baggage, but they don't own the OHB problem.

FBplatinum

Something very similar happen to me.

On an flight DTW -> PVG (12h long).

I am in the exit row (no OHB over my head).

In the OHB just behind me, it is only a computer bag, but flat down and a business jacket lays flat (take 90% of the horizontal space of the bin, but the OHB is 90% empty).

I ask (politely), "To who is this jacket and bag"... no answer...

I take the jacket and fold it very carefully and put it over the computer laptop bag,

The guy (call him "Mr Clean", because all is "perfect" on him, super white teeth, perfect hair, you know this this of person hom must pass hours in front of the mirror).

Jump out of is seat and shout at me(very aggressively ... "HE, YOU CAN NOT FOLD MY JACKET, IT IS AN EXPENSIVE ONE".

Me: Look, you take all the space for you, because you store your "stuff" incorrectly. Think it is other pax in this flight.
MR C.: (Again shouting aggressively), THIS IS MY OHB. CHECK THE SEAT # are JUST UNDER IT.

ME: #1 - OHB (very calm) are for everyone, #2 if you place your jacket on a correct way at first, I will not need to place it correctly, #3 I ask to who is this ... you did not answer, #4 it is no OHB over me, where is MY OHB in this case ?
MR C. (begin to yell)THIS IS YOUR PROBLEM, THIS JACKET CAN NOT BE FOLD. YOU ARE STUPID OR DEAF ?

ME: (Always calm), look if your jacket can not be fold and is so "precious", you must buy a business seat or a second seat near you to put your "valuable" jacket.
MR C.: I AM GOLD AND THIS IS MY OHB. PERIOD.

At that moment the flight attendant arrive, stand between us and ask the man (with an little authority in her voice) "Please sir, fold your jacket or keep it on you, the flight is full and we will need all the available space". She turn back to me (Mr. C. are in her back) and ask me (with the same voice, but with a smile) "Please put your carry-on on the OHB and we can finish the boarding".
...
When we arrive, Mr C. jump out of his aisle seat, grab is jacket and bag, push (roughly) the pax in my row (who try to take is own bag in the middle OHB), to be first to go out.

matgv

I fear that you were the one who committed the etiquette error. Since your bag was small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, that's where it should go. The overhead bins should be reserved for bags that are too large to be placed under a seat.

RobertS975

Except that gate checking a bag usually incurs no charge.

DiverDave

The correct answer to overhead etiquette questions is that there is no overhead etiquette.

Peoriaman1

But next he'll start packing his small carry-on bag inside a larger, otherwise-empty rollerbag which can't fit under the seat. Then he'll get his OHB space come hell or high water.

At least that's how one guy did it in one of the other forum sections. And he sounded pretty proud of himself for thinking of it too...