If a coat is your only carry-on you can't wait until everyone with bigger bags has stowed theirs first?? It's not a difficult concept

Get a room!

On my flights I would say sometimes it works, but most of the time it does not. Often I hear people mutter that they are entitled, and sadly many just have the "ME Syndrome."

If I have a jacket I would like to put away in the overhead bin, I put it on top of my own bag.

I'm sure that will turn out well.

It might work IF you ask nicely. :)

Just remember to put yourself into the other person's shoes. What goes around comes around. ;)

it is very easy to stow coats on top of rollaboards after they are all in the overhead bins.

Fights over overhead space would probably be reduced if people put their stuff in the overheads space efficiently. For example, rollaboards wheels in or wheels out (there are four possible orientations to try for a marginal rollaboard), and put your own coat or small items on top of your own rollaboard in the overhead.

The request is often made in the announcement, but may not be always followed by travelers. As you can see, a very sticky subject for some.

On all UA flights, they announce multiple times that your under seat storage is your primary storage and you are to use it first, only if you have an item that does not fit there can you put it in the bin. They then state that all briefcases, coats, and small bags must be placed in the under seat storage and can only be placed in the bin after every one is on board and all roller bags have been loaded.

Sadly, no one listens. Its a free for all.

But when I have a small bag, I put under my seat (in front). There are always people who end up gate checking. So I agree with Pilot. If that's all you have, put it under your seat, the overhead is for Roller boards.

I'm 6'3 and I need every inch of space "under the seat in front of me."

If I've checked my rollaboard and the only thing in the overhead bin space is my laptop bag and my coat then it's staying up there. Go find some other place for your steamer trunk :)

How do I do this from the window seat? I put my laptop bag and coat "efficiently" up there then I get in my window seat, put my iPod and paperback in the seat pocket and put on my seatbelt. I'm now good to go.

i always get on board early enough to ensure my stuff is where i want it

I have rarely seen flights where there wasn't enough overhead space for everyone

I'm always in "zone 4" or "group 4" (last to board) and fight for overhead space.

I've been on 20-ish segments since summer... Every single one of them had overloaded bins with some bags requiring a gate-check.

The problem, of course, the airlines created for themselves....by charging for checked baggage and then losing it all the ....ing time, all the bags that belong in the belly now come up to the overheads. handle bags properly and I'm sure this problem will likely go away. ;)