Idea to Increase Value of E+: Guaranteed Overhead Space
 

How would you all feel about a policy guaranteeing overhead space to E+ customers? It would benefit elites and would most certainly increase the incentive to buy up for non-elites.

How? Pre-board E+ customers prior to general boarding, then close the E+ bins as general boarding commences.

Obviously, such a policy would require the GA's strict adherence to boarding priority and carryon limits/restrictions. What do you all think?

You can't guarantee space for an entire compartment within that compartment if everyone has a full size carryon.

If all the E+ customers have already boarded, why close all the E+ bins?

If you board early, you shouldn't have a problem finding overhead space if you have a regulation-size carry-on.

Isn't there a little sign next to the seat numbers on the OH bins that says "Reserved for Economy Plus" pax?

No one abides by it, but part of why I enjoy the front of the bus is the fact that I never need to fight for bin space because of the density of the seating layout.

You answered your own question. If anyone actually enforced the carryon limits there would be no problem fitting everything aboard.... everyone's largest bag would go in to the bin the "right" way, no one would ever put more than one bag overhead, and everything would fit with no trouble at all. You'd probably also save 15 minutes of boarding/deplaning time on every flight.

Everywhere else in the world these rules are enforced, and out of my 100,000 or so miles of flying outside the US (mostly around europe and australia) I have never once seen all the bins full.

Yes, UAL needs to come down hard on those who put laptop bags and handbags and the like up top -- actually remove them if necessary.

I'd rather they cracked down on the massivly oversized "expandable" rollers that seem to fill up the bins on all US carriers. That way there would be room for everyone's laptop bag or purse. Of course everyone is too important to check luggage and wait for it at the other end.

Guaranteeing overhead space in E+ is fine but I like to board last, not first (I don't want to be on the plane any longer than I have to be) and your plan does nothing for me.

Would work in theory, but then consider the following:


Late arriving E+ passenger from connecting flight. Boards nearly as door is going to close.

Gate agent tries to get passenger to gate check his legal-sized roll-a-board, but passenger refuses, because policy states he is guaranteed overhead space, and then boards.

Flight attendant then locates a E- bag which needs to get "bumped" for the E+ bag. Owner of E- bag refuses to check bag, as it contains valuable camera equipment. Gate agent goes to E- bag #2, which contains passenger's medications. Bag #3, thr passengers travel documents, etc.

Flight is now delayed 10 minutes trying to make space for Mr. E+'s bag.


Just not going to happen. Especially when not even 1st Class is GUARANTEED any overhead space.

Even that approach, while making sense in theory, has limitations. Some seats (like the C/D seats on 73x's) have a very small space underneath the seat in front (even for a regulation size laptop bag) and overhead is the only option.

If I see a choice between a couple people holding their winter coats vs me having to check a carryon bag, I don't hesitate to ask the owner(s) to hold their coats, or try to put them back after I put my bag in. Never had anyone refuse.

I always put my laptop bag in the overhead and consider that to be a benefit of early boarding. I've not seen any rule that disallows this, so I'm not sure why FAs would "crack down" on a non-rule. As far as I can tell, overhead space is first come, first served.

Exactly!

There is a far simpler approach.

If an aircraft has more than 90% of the seats sold, then passengers without *A elite status should be restricted to 1 carry on item.

Obviously, this wouldn't be needed for the 764, 762, or 777.
Not sure about the UA 763 or 747 as I haven't flown on them yet.

I wish the airplane manufacturers could simply find a way to put in two plastic dividers per overhead bin, separating each into three compartments that could hold 1 small rollaboard or personal items of equivalent size, assigned by seat number. Basically, that's "your" guaranteed overhead space and whatever doesn't fit needs to be checked.

What if that is the only carry-on someone is carrying? In that case it would make more sense to allow only one item in the overhead bins, which is not practical.

On something else: in a recent PMCO flight, the front overhead bins were filled with the flight attendants' carry-on. This definitely needs to change.

FA's have better (and required) things to do to assure an on-time push. If GA's enforced UA's own policy (which when adopted by FAA becomes an enforceable rule), OH space would not be a problem and it wouldn't take long for those who can't abide by the rules to learn to do it right.

It's true that most aircraft can't acommodate a properly-sized roll-a-board from every pax, but it's rare that every pax has one.

So, while there's no 100% guarantee, there's probably a 95% guarantee if UA enforced its own rules.