New Overhead policy?
 

I was on a LGA-DEN flight this morning, and the flight attendant would not allow any passengers in rows 2 or 3 to put their bags in the overhead compartments for rows 2 and 3, explaining that these were being saved for row 1 (which of course does not have any overhead space, or under seat space for that matter). Unsurprisingly, a couple of the people in row 2 were irked.

I get that the row 1 people often have to put their bags farther back, but I thought everyone knew that was the price of being up front. Although it seemed to make things easier for them when we deplaned, it sort of slowed everyone else down as the ripple effect led to more people's bags being behind them. It didn't help that the flight crew had their own bags in overhead around row 4.

Is this a new policy? Has anyone else experienced this? It's the first time I've seen it.

I had the same on a flight last week (was in row 3). Had to put my luggage above row 4. Kind of irked me too because if you don't board very early and row 4 is already seated how far do they expect you to go back ?

When I flew DEN-MKE on 8/25, it was the FA who filled up the overhead bin on the ABC side w/her stuff, so the ripples just kept going-I was in row 2 but my stuff ended up somewhere over row 10 or 11.

Didn't help that the GA didn't board the flight in the right order, either.

FA's stuff should be in the closet or in the back, but the one place it absolutely shouldn't be is filling up the overhead bins for seats the airline is charging extra for :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

One more reason why I will be so glad when these last 2 flights I have on F9 are over & done with ^

I'll say this for Frontier - they responded quickly to my request to clarify their policy. Here's the not especially satisfying response I received from Customer Relations:

So, I guess the FAs can manage the overhead space however they like, and Stretch seat passengers are free on landing to choose between sitting and waiting until they can get to their bags and pushing their way back the aisle.

I wish I had kept the response I got from the e-mail I sent, but they kinda/sorta admitted the GA didn't board the flight correctly, but did not address my point that if you're going to charge a premium for the seat, make sure the FA's don't hog it w/their stuff (this does not surprise me since no airline in recent memory feels any obligation to actually provide the service the self-loading freight is paying for).

As I said, only 2 more flights w/these people & they can't come soon enough; when I booked my Nov & Dec trips to this specific client, both are 100% AA even though they were a bit more expensive.

Overhead policy is for sure one of the nuisances with F9 especially in the front rows. I try to board as early as I can to avoid having no space or having to go way back to find storage.

That just seems like a cop out to me. :rolleyes:

Yeah, we all know already that the flight crew has the final say on board and can eject you for not following their instructions. Or wearing baggy pants. Or looking at them funny. But I really do find it odd that they charge a premium for the Stretch seats yet don't have a policy regarding the associated overhead space. The most helpful FA approach I've experienced for Stretch was the FAs keeping people *not* seated in Stretch from stashing their bags in the bins up front before heading back to their seats in the back of the plane.

I do try to board early to avoid overhead issues. In fact, on this particular flight I was the first passenger aboard, which made it all the more bizarre when the FA asked me to move my bag from the otherwise empty bin over my row to one farther back.

Part of RAH/F9 weight and balance program as advised and approved by the FAA is the distribution of crew luggage. On ERJ's there is a closet for the crews baggage in the front of the plane. On the EMB's the A F/A stores his/her bag with the manual in the first over head bid and his/her in the FWD third section with the suggestion of it being near the manual bag. The pilots bags are suggested to be in the center third and the B F/A's bags are in the last AFT bins.

On the Airbus the A and B F/A's are required to keep their manual bags in the FWD most overhead and distribute their rolling carryons evenly. So there will always be a reduction by 1 overhead bin in the FWD section based on the FAA approved weight and balance program that we are required to adhere to.

As for the F/A's asking you to move your bag back a row we are asking you to do this so the 4 to 6 passengers seated in the bulkhead can place their smaller items up there. The FAA requires all those items to be up there. We are trying to be accomodate all passengers within the FAR's and being practical at the same time. Would you want your purse or manbag 12 rows back because the guy behind you took up all the space.

Excellent post...here is my two cents. Overhead bin space is limited and shared space. Guests seated in rows 1 through 4 most of the time are Classic/Classic Plus ticketed or Ascent/Summit level frequent flier members, both groups receive two FREE bags at check-in...so do it. The gate agents will always offer to gate check carry-on luggage meeting size and weight requirements for FREE at the gate as well...so do it. Just because 99% of airlines have a checked bag charge with the cheapest $19 tickets doesn't mean your entitled to carry-on everything and the kitchen sink.

I disagree having to check bags just because I happen to sit in row 3. Checking bags costs me a lot of time waiting for them and Denver seems to be especially slow. Time has a value for me and I have a relative small carry on for my trips.
It works perfectly fine with other airlines.
I think since they do charge extra for the front rows or give them to Summit / Ascent members and most of the time you have business travelers there that tend to use carry ons F9 has to find a solution here.
If they want to keep or attract business / frequemtn fliers with the higher rates they tend to pay they will not keep up with having to fight their way up the isle for their bag 7 rows in the back.

I guess we cant please everyone...

Here's the problem- the first "open" bin space allowed was above row 4. Row 2 people board, are told they have to put their bags back two rows, then find that row 3 and row 4 people have already filled row 4 space, so now they're at row 5, which has also started to fill with row 4 and row 5 people, and so forth. Then they return to their seats (having to push past people boarding behind them) and see the overhead space above their seats is still empty. Who is not going to be irked by that? And that frustration is compounded when we land.

I've not been on a flight in the past year on which when we hit the gate the aisle was not immediately full. Yes, there is typically a slight snarl at first as Row 1 passengers try to get other people to pass their bags to them, or try to push their way through the aisle to their bags (which is not very doable). But once they're out, everyone else kind of flows, usually. The result of this practice though is to extend the snarl and slow the deplaning process even more. The other option of course is to just wait until everyone else has left the plane and then go get your bag, but that negates one of the perks of sitting up front, being able to get off the plane quickly.

I think that anyone who books Row 1 should be strongly encouraged to check their larger bags. And if Row 1 access to the frontmost overhead bins is to supersede the longstanding first-come, first-serve policy, then I think either 1) Row 1 should be given ultra-priority boarding before every other row (and if you snooze you lose), or 2) Frontier should make it official policy to reserve the first few overhead bins for Row 1 and then charge a premium for that (and provide a discount for the rest of Stretch who are guaranteed not to have their bags above their seats). Alternately, Row 1 passengers could be limited to one small underseat-sized carry on and provided a discounted fare or free checked bags or some other compensation.

I suspect that reserving the overhead bins above Stretch exclusively for Stretch rows would be all that is necessary to ensure adequate space for Row 1 passengers. Their bags are going to be behind them no matter what, just as people who board late are not guaranteed overhead space near their seats no matter where on the plane they're sitting. But I don't see how it's particularly fair to require people not in Row 1 but who also have paid a premium to priority board and sit in the Stretch section to yield their space to other passengers who may not have boarded yet and may not even need it.

You are right, it is always a balancing act. I do appreciate the very detailed answers you gave and it is a shame that the load balancing blocks already 1 bin. It helps to understand the problem and why it is done.

Agreed time is valuable. However, if guests seated in rows 1 through 4 board correctly with their boarding group Priority=Summit/Ascent/Plus, then Courtesy=rows 1-4, they should have enough overhead bin space in the front of the cabin provided all 24 guests (airbus only) do not have a bag to place in the overhead. There's not enough space no matter what aircraft type or seating configuration if everyone needs overhead storage especially with 90% load factors. Hence, the gate checking value in advance. There is no single solution as every flight has a different ratio of business travelers vs leisure travelers and a different mix of carry-on volume. As far as STRETCH seating most guests love the additional legroom comfort and being in the front of cabin that is the added value.