People putting smaller bags in the overhead bins annoys me a whole lot less than people who bring oversized rollerbags that they put in sideways and people who put their jackets in their own spot vs. on top or in front of another bag.

How does someone even carry all that stuff through the airport, does the jet way, and down the aisle? I'm a pretty able-bodied person, but in the winter time it's enough of a juggle when I have a 18" roller, computer bag, and overcoat. So much so that I almost always check my roller in those situations. Every so often I don't get to the airport early enough to comfortably check my bag (or, on more rare occasions, there's something in it I'd rather not check), at which point I'll usually wear the coat or stuff it in the roller (if there's room) before boarding.

I like to have both hands free, so typically go with a overhead bin-sized backpack and then an oversized cross body messenger bag as my purse. As long as you've got the backpack loaded properly for balance purposes, it wouldn't be that hard to add the wheelie bag with a fee things lashed to it.

Bingo! Forcing people who have small carry on items to lose their precious leg and foot room will only result in less space as they now put their carry on items into their luggage and take it with them on board the aircraft.

The logic of forcing people with small items to stow them and reduce their personal legroom so that somebody whose has brought on luggage that takes up two or three times more space is not inconvenienced escapes me. Especially when the guy with the small carry on items has already checked a bag he/she could have brought on board. And maybe paid to check it!!

A roller, computer bag and a coat?

Not even remotely challenging. :D

Try a high energy 2 yr old, stroller, carseat, carry-on, and diaper bag SFO-various European cities with a change of planes en route.

Yup. I have no problem if you put your personal item up rather than a rollaboard. Just don't go putting two unless you don't have underseat space in your seat.

I still use an old-style two-zipper soft shoulder bag as a carry-on, and it's rarely very full, so I've never had any trouble bringing it onto an RJ. My laptops go into a backpack that also just barely fits into an RJ overhead, so I almost never have to check bags at the ramp. The carry-on is also flexible enough that even when there's virtually no overhead space left, it can squish in somewhere.

Practice! I have a slimline, lightweight rollercase, and a slimline laptop bag that fits over the handle of the roller. My purse has a shoulder strap. The coat slips over the laptop bag, through the rollercase handle. That leaves my left hand entirely free (normally it carries my passport and boarding pass ready) but it could, if I needed to, carry an airport food bag. On the plane, the rollercase turns sideways and I push it in front of me, with the laptop bag and coat on top.

I can't be the only person whose spouse has a different idea of flying. I like to check bags and not worry about whether it will fit (although I did just buy a new bag that's ultra small). My spouse insists on carrying on his suitcase even on a CRJ. I can see that bag getting gate checked. Why can't we agree and just pick up both our bags at baggage claim at the end of our trip?

What makes even less sense is that our next trip is with a group. We have to meet a company rep and be shown to a bus. I imagine they'll have to wait for quite a few people, so the delay in getting our bags at baggage claim is not a big deal.

My thoughts exactly. And have you noticed that I still have been unable to get an answer from any of the posters on the question of which of the three options I proposed that they'd prefer I take? ;)

It's always amusing to me when people get upset at me to care more about them than they clearly care about me. Some of the responses in this thread are a prime example of it.

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I believe in "first come first served" frankly. As long as you meet the carrier's size requirements, you get on first, you get the space. Now frankly I feel you should have some concern / compassion / politeness to use the space below in order to make it easier for the late boarding folks, but frankly you somehow managed to get early boarding so it's your choice whether I agree with it or not. For late boarding people, they will always have the space below for their personal items and they need to understand if it's full, they it's getting checked. Plenty of easy ways to get early (or "earlier") boarding like a credit card. Again, I would hope people are polite enough to try to use the space below and save overhead space, but if I'm late to boarding or late in the zones, it's my personal responsibility to deal with it.

This isn't how it works. The personal item is tagged which means it's guaranteed to get on the plane and not be gate-checked. Any carry-on (e.g. rollaboards) which doesn't have the magic personal item tag risks going in the hold if they run out of space in the overheads. So it's in your interest NOT to rip the tag off. Instead, treasure that tag and save them up at home ;) Note that it's only Economy flyers who get the personal item bag tags. If you're flying Business/First with BA, it's still a free for all in the overheads (which can be an issue with short haul European flights).

I don't think it's unreasonable for a 6'4" tall man to want to store his personal item in his bin.

Most complaints are not for people like you. The biggest perpetrators I see are infrequent travelers (who would not even think about these rules and regulations), or DYKWIA-ers that stuff their overpacked carry on, their massive purse, their coat and their duty-free bag full of crap in the OH bin.

Yea if you've paid for additional services (early boarding, E+, etc.) you have earlier access to bin space and airlines even advertise this as a perk of early boarding services but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask someone like me (a bit shorter than 6'4") to see if they can hold onto their jacket or put it under their seat. Obviously if you're on the taller end of the spectrum, no considerate person will want you to suffer a 6 hour transcon with your knees at your chest..

The harsh reality is that the pricing scheme has encouraged the average traveler (not us) to overpack carry ons and fit everything they absolutely can into whatever they can bring on board to avoid extra fees. A lot of travelers now are students, young people, and families that may not be able to afford early boarding, check-in bag fees, etc. All I really ask for from people is if you can reasonably fit a small item (purse backpack), under your seat without discomfort, you should do it to clear some OH space for the other pax.

While traveling through AUS/NZ, I was impressed with their "check-in everything" system as opposed to the US system where everyone carries stuff on. It sped up boarding, caused less of a hassle on the plane, etc. You'd assume airlines would profit from this as well, but I can see the merit in business pax needing to make a hasty escape as soon as they land

Are those tags the ones that say "Approved Cabin Baggage" on them?

Maybe they figured it was a rhetorical question :) but for the record, obviously I choose option 1 :D

My beef is with non-bulkhead pax who put both carryons in the overhead. And then especially those who lie about having done so or pretend not to hear when you ask if maybe anyone has an item in the overhead that they can move and would like to help out a fellow passenger.

The funniest was the time I got no takers (boarding near the end of PREM on a E75) and gate checked rather than put my bag behind me and have to swim upstream upon arrival. Another F pax arrives near the end of the entire boarding process, has a bag that won't fit anywhere, and the person on the aisle across from me jumps up and says, "hey, you can put your bag here" and transfers his carryon from the overhead to underseat to make room. I don't blame him though since I think he was in the lav when I originally asked.