Originally Posted by Jaguaar

Main cabin 3
Was always boarded last during all 4 flights

Originally Posted by WidgetKid

I think the root of your problems was that you chose to board last. I find that typically the beginning of Main 3 is usually (emphasis on usually - not always) safe with carry-ons. If you board last, you can pretty much guarantee that you're going to have to check your bag.

Originally Posted by Stgermainparis

So I was Main 2 tonight and during Main 1 they said all carryons checked. Get on plane and all the up bins are empty. .... Honestly feel like this is wrong. Lost a bag a few years ago. For good. So I’m very committed to my carryon. This can’t possibly be appropriate.

Originally Posted by Firstboss

Force-checking carry-on should qualify a passenger to change to a later flight for free.

At a minimum, it should be limited to passengers flying the final segment without further connections.

The whole purpose of carry-on is to carry the items you cannot replace (can't afford to lose) or items you absolutely need to have without delay at the destination.

If one's carry-on is within the enforced limits, refusal to accept it on board must be considered violation of contract by the airline. In a perfect world, of course.

Originally Posted by Stgermainparis

At least I was on my last leg. Still. I was pretty annoyed. It was a late flight getting in at nearly midnight and that put my departure from airport even later bc had to deal with baggage claim. Many people on board were angry. I may complain. I was unaware that I change to a different flight (that was certainly never communicated). Of course this was the last flight of the day. What happens then? Do they have to put you up in hotel? LOL. Thankfully my bag did make it but this forced check added 25 minutes to my trip. And frankly if I’d known I’d have to check it, I wouldn’t have dragged it through international security etc. and lounge hopping for three hours.

Originally Posted by emma dog

You should complain. Similar thing happened to me a few months ago and it’s got to stop.

Originally Posted by Stgermainparis

I probably will. Had items in carryon that I needed for work the next day and would’ve been very peeved if bag didn’t make it.

Whenever I have made a complaint that doesn’t have a significant tangible “loss” (e.g. if bag is force checked but arrives with flight or if seat entertainment down) and is perceived as an inconvenience, they don’t seem to care. At all. Response essentially is “we got you and your stuff there” regardless of how they did it.

Edited to add: just filed a complaint with photos of empty overhead bins in my row and adjacent. I'll try to remember to update when they respond!

Originally Posted by Stgermainparis

Got a phone call. Said it was a weight balance issue, 🤔 which is not what they said at the gate. But they apologized and gave me 7500 points. I think they handled the complaint well.

Originally Posted by BHammy

I think it depends on the GA.

Mrs BHammy and I were headed to SYD through ATL and LAX from CHA...two weeks after I had back surgery.
I had an earlier flight to check gear through customs in ATL (with carnet), wife was coming 3 hours later with a tighter connection (45 mins, I think)

We were both PMs at the time, got seat in the second row of C+ just inside boarding door, and FA closed bins above us knowing she was running late due to weather out of CHA. My wife ran to the gate, with a CabinOK sized bag (smaller than normal carry on) which had ice packs and such as well as feminine products for our 4 hour flight to LAX and then 14 hour flight to SYD.

But within 15 minutes of closing the doors, the GA flipped on her power trip mode: ALL FURTHER BAGS MUST BE CHECKED.
I could hear my wife and several other pax in the jetway pleading with her to carry on small bags. "NO - or you won't be flying" was her only reponse.

She hadn't checked with the FAs what so ever - she only wanted an online gate departure....ended up taking WAY longer arguing with pax, getting bag tags, fragile tags, etc... My wife ends up coming on board in tears having to carry her feminine products onboard by hand, with the FAs shocked at how the GA was treating the last few pax.

During flight, FA ended up apologizing for GA, gave my wife a selection of premium snax and bottle of wine.
Post flight complaint ended with stock response covering for staff.

That's been the worst of our flights - but when showing up 'late' (zone 3+) to the gate, I hear more and more about checking bags. They let us on, both the DM status now, but plenty of others are stuck putting their bags below to destination. YMMV.

Originally Posted by exwannabe

I think saying "weight and balance" vs "full" to the pax being told to gate check might be an issue. Many posters here would understand that, but most in the real world would not and would be asking what is going on and delaying boarding.

I think the more common issue with premature cutoff though is the simple fact that they can not wait for the bins to be actually full. If they did so, there would be dozens of pax already past the GA with rollers that will not fit. It would be a major meltdown.

So they wing it, estimates by FA and GAs. And can get it way wrong.

A camera on the gate could solve this (and also refine W&B with not just bags but average pax size). That would not only help on the bins pace issue but better W&B could help the airline thus pay for implementation. of such a system.