First Class Shared Floor Space
 

Just boarded 752. Guy next to me decides to put his giant laptop bag in the floor space in the center. Except it doesn't hardly fit under the seat. Instead it's reduced my legroom/floor space by half.

Am I wrong to be annoyed? It seems rude to impinge on another passwnger's space. Not even a "sorry" or "do you mind"

No...

This must be an obvious question... but did you not just politely ask if they could move it?!

He's probably just trying to save the overhead space for larger bags, or maybe he wants to access it during the flight without getting up. Just put your feet on it. That might get him to move it, or you could just ask him nicely to move it.

IME, the general etiquette is that the first person of the seat pair to arrive uses the space.

So, you're saying if you are there first, his/her floor space is your floor space? I don't think your comment should include the word etiquette. Sounds more like what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine.

There is no space under aisle seats on 757 first for computer bag. I often put mine in center space but ask adjacent passenger if they mind first and I tell them I will remove it as soon as we're airborne. i then move it against my seat.

Politely ask him if he will move it when airborne?

This has been an issue for those in F on sUA 757s for a long time. The problem is that the storage space in front of the aisle seat is quite small while there is a "shared" space in the center and normal storage in front of the window seat. When I have been in the aisle seat I place my computer bag/briefcase in the center space but I usually ask my neighbor if this is OK. I have never had a problem doing it this way on 100s and 100s of 757 flights over the years!

As for getting annoyed...NAH! Life is too shot for that!!

+1!!!


:mad::td:

I agree! I don't actually do this myself, but I commonly experience it when I arrive after my row mate. Are you all saying that you don't commonly encounter this? Also, pretty sure the OP is talking about the middle space beneath the seats in F on the 757. It's shared space and the perfect size for just one laptop bag.

.....ing about shared space in FC?

Really?

Actually, I read 38,000's comment to say this is common practice (IME = in my experience), not what he recommends or would do himself. I agree it is rude, but it is also becoming common practice from my experience as well. Sadly on flight these days, rudeness is becoming common practice.

:(

Maybe my bag is smaller, but on a 752, I usually put my bag in the shared space between seats because the IFE power box already inhibits legroom there, so that I can stretch my legs all the way out in that narrow space between the box and the aisle.

I don't think it is rude to take up half the space without asking--which I cannot imagine a laptop bag doing. Sure, it would be rude if I took up that whole center section...

A few years ago, I had something similar happen to me. I asked the passenger sitting in the aisle whose huge bag was infringing on my space if he could move it. He declined. I called the FA over for assistance. The FA said, "sorry, thats really space for the aisle passenger to use since their under-seat storage is so much smaller than yours. Look at it this way, you still have a lot more legroom than anybody in back."

I apologized to the passenger next to me.

+1 for using the center space if possible when I'm on the aisle - the IFE box really takes up a bunch of it. But I certainly make sure it's all the way under so as to make hamper access to the window seat, and I'd be happy to discuss with whomever was in that seat if it were an issue. I'm not sitting up front that much these days though.

IME, the general etiquette is that you ask. I always ask the other guy if he's gonna use the middle space before I put anything in it.

My laptop backpack is like that. It won't fit under the aisle seat in front of me. Window seat is no problem, but it won't fit under the aisle seat.

So, when I'm in the aisle seat, I'll always ask my neighbor first, if he/she doesn't mind if I put my backpack there. Otherwise, it'll go up in the bin.

i'm in the camp of "if it bothers you, just ask politely." it's amazing what a simple "please" will do.

on the flip side, i'm also in the camp of "i didn't know this bothered people."

At the new United, it's a BFO (Business First Ottoman). Available for $99 via OLCI. If selected your fare code changes from F to FU and you leg feels lighter due to less cash in wallet, not to mention computer bag collecting your toe lint.

Actually I was in the aisle so it's more of an imposition on me than the fellow in the window seat. It was also a very large bag. Only a two hour flight so I just sucked it up but he also never used it during the flight. And there was plenty of overhead space.

Just seemed inconsiderate

I always sit in the aisle seat and have always assumed that "my space" goes to the middle of the two seats in front of me, which means part of, but not all of the center space. I specifically bought a small backpack that fits within this space. It seems like a bigger "infringement" when the window seat, which has room for a bag underneath, uses the entire center space.

In this context I agree with the OP.

It is possible that he is transporting classified equipment and he has to keep it next to him all the time. :p

i agree

except the center shared space isnt yours, unless you propose to put a divider there

same thing with Y armrest -- its shared between 2 seats. first person rests on it gets it... or do partition the armrest too? or rest your arm on top of the other person's arm? (or, like proposed, you ask before you use the armrest?)

That one's easy: I let the middle guy have dibs on the shared armrest if it's a 3x3.

If it's just window/aisle, I'm likely on the aisle and I'm likely to let the window guy have first dibs on it...

Indeed, Blueman. I guess that at a glance, IME can easily read like IMO/IMHO.