If you put your bag in a bin and it’s now full do you close it?
Mar 28, 2021, 3:23 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
If flight boarding is done, I will. If not. I’ve seen people use the little space left for a jacket, or something very small, so I’ll leave it open. For reasons detailed below.
When the bin is closed early, people end up opening it constantly checking for space. I’ve seen many people filling a bin halfway, and then closing it. Or FA’s who close some bins until the end to reserve some space.
When the bin is closed early, people end up opening it constantly checking for space. I’ve seen many people filling a bin halfway, and then closing it. Or FA’s who close some bins until the end to reserve some space.
Mar 28, 2021, 3:31 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,674
My pet peeve is when the bin is open, and I've just boarded, and I'm in row 1, and I'm about to put my bag(s) up... and the FA closes the bin right in front of me. Stop killin' my routine, FAs. Go pour us some PDBs instead.
Mar 28, 2021, 3:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,674
But that doesn't mean that if the bin is closed, it's full. Sometimes the FAs even intentionally close the F bins to keep Y pax from loading their crap into them. (I had an FA on Friday tell me she did that just for me. It was Republic or else I would have given her an applAAuse cert, she was real nice.)
Mar 28, 2021, 3:33 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
You’ve never seen Kettles take up a whole bin with a small bag turned sideway? I don’t know if people are packing bins better these days or not. I’ve only flown 6 segments in the last year. All domestic F, international F and J. No bin concerns at all there.
Mar 28, 2021, 3:34 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,690
Proper protocol is you close it to make sure your big fat a$$ bag can fit and close and then you open it again so other fools do not see if they can squeeze in another piece of carry on luggage and then your flight attendant walks down the line and closes them all and you smile knowing the bin will close with your over sized big fat a$$ bag.
Mar 28, 2021, 4:12 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,277
No. I make sure it will close, but then it gets opened back up for jackets, handbags, and other small items
that can still get stuffed in to a “full” bin. And so people can see it’s full, then they don’t stop to open every bin and hold up boarding.
that can still get stuffed in to a “full” bin. And so people can see it’s full, then they don’t stop to open every bin and hold up boarding.
Mar 28, 2021, 4:51 pm
#10
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,419
As this topic is not specific to AA nor related to the AAdvantage program, we will move it to TravelBuzz for more general discussion. /JY1024, AAdvantage and TravelBuzz moderator
Mar 28, 2021, 4:54 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
I don't close it. Mainly because some jack-a--es close overhead bins which still clearly have room. So I believe it is best to leave it up to the FA to close them. The *only* exception would be if I'm last to board in F cabin and the FA has graiously left a space empty for me over my seat and it's the only bin still open, I will go ahead and close it.
Mar 28, 2021, 6:34 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 93
Leaving the bins open = faster boarding process. No questions about is there space in that or not. I've seen boarding delayed by people opening up bins and checking all the way to the back of the aircraft. I am all about making life easier for the FA, but it is relatively painless to close at the end of boarding. I do like when the FA closes the F bins when the non F passengers start boarding for the reasons stated above. I also think it is smart to test to make sure it can close and then reopen.
Mar 28, 2021, 6:41 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
I don't close it. Mainly because some jack-a--es close overhead bins which still clearly have room. So I believe it is best to leave it up to the FA to close them. The *only* exception would be if I'm last to board in F cabin and the FA has graiously left a space empty for me over my seat and it's the only bin still open, I will go ahead and close it.
If I could really trust that a closed bin means full, that would be great. But it’s way too common for a bin to be closed when it’s not full, so if overhead bins space is tight, I open them all up to check. Usually find space for my bag, either because someone flat out closed a bin with space or because they thought it was full because they put their rollaboard in sideways or committed other sins. Therefore, it’s easier to tell that a bin is full by leaving it open rather than closing it, even if it really is full: people still boarding don’t know that it wasn’t closed too aggressively.
Mar 28, 2021, 6:56 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: PDX, OGG or between the two
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 2,867
AFAIK, the bins are the FA's domain and I leave it to them. Many times I've seen them shuffle things around and when bin space if filing up they will make people take the small bags out and put them under the seat. When the bins are closed they can't see what they are dealing with and it can slow down boarding. We may think it's full but it's not our judgement to make. No bin is ever totally full.... there's always something else that can get crammed in 
Mar 28, 2021, 7:56 pm
#15
In memoriam
Join Date: Dec 2001
Programs: DL 2MM, AA MM, DL Sky Club Life, AA Admirals Club Life, Hilton Gold Life
Posts: 1,732
Yes I close it to make sure it will still latch (after moving all the brag tags out of the way), then I reopen it so late boarding folks can window shop. Of course it's alway the FAs call