ryerflyer

So tell the F/A that, or that the other bag is hers. Odd you failed to mention it earlier.....

GregMM

If you had said that the two bags covered two passengers, then the whole issue would have been resolved right there.

mcgahat

I am going to imagine LGA-IAH is one of those routes that there is a LOT of carry on bags and it is an absolute mess to manage boarding because of it. The OP mentioned they made sure to board so they did not get stuck with no space due to boarding towards the end. Maybe if people would stick to the rules then this would not be such a problem. They are really rules, not guidelines. You get one carry on and one personal item. Here is the note about the personal item from UA's site.

"In addition to one carry-on item, you may bring one personal item such as a shoulder bag, backpack, laptop bag or an item of similar size."

I think the FA was well within the spirit and the the actual rules to tell you to check our second bag and I commend them for doing so. Perhaps they would treat people with a little more respect if the PAX would show it themselves.

The carry on baggage issue on domestic flights is something that drives me nuts as it is an absolute mess with most people absolutely ignoring the rules on carry ons and then complaining about about FA's then they are just doing their job.

PTahCha

Sounds like OP did not like what he heard, so therefore the FA must be rude.

avi8tir

Definitely not a DYKWIA person... Im one of those people who avidly supports the FA's and backs them up when people are being out of line or rude.

And as to why I am not GS, I don't know.... this is only my second year flying on UA as I moved to Houston in Jan 2011 and am formerly a DL customer. Currently at 153,000 this year and thats before yesterdays flight has posted.

BOShappyflyer

Agreed. The FA was right in enforcing the rules. No need to be rude about it, of course, but it should be enforced. The OP was in the wrong, regardless of how often he has flown, the status he has, or the boarding group # he was in.

The general rule is that you can bring one personal item (excluding purse, etc). One bag can go in overhead bin and one under the seat. This has been fairly consistent for every Y flights I've ever flown on whether on United, or on other airlines. As a general rule, you can check in more bags if you are an elite member free of charge.

With more full flights these and more people trying to take their bag onboard to avoid the check-in fee, this is to be expected. On my most recent flight in Y (the only segment that didn't get upgraded), I only had one bag as did my Dad who was traveling with me. We checked everything else in. He was in the last boarding group. At that time, the announcement was made that anyone with a rollerboard in the last boarding group must gate-check their bags. The FA also handled it nicely by requesting that anyone who can fit their luggage under the seat to do so as well.

Fortunately for my Dad, he only had a duffel bag which can fit under the seat if need be, so it was no big deal. I've seen some unhappy passengers who were the last to board (through no fault of their own; i.e. catching a connection) and was forced to gate check their one and only bag. Being in group 1 doesn't afford you the option to take up more space than you should take, because it takes away from others on a full flight.

I know everyone wants more space, including the legroom space in front of them, but it the considerate thing to do. During the boarding process, it can get intense with people trying to put everything on the overhead bins, so it's possible that FA could be under pressure and come across as rude. But I think the FA was wholly in the spirit of the enforcing the rule.

PHLyer82

I agree a simple statement to the FA that the second bag was not yours but your fiance would/should have resolved the issue.

Thorgils

+1. I'm heartened that so many of the respondents have pointed out to the OP that while his/her behavior and attitude may just have been "legal" (although as several have suggested, that's not entirely clear), they were hardly very social or considerate of the other passengers.

Typically these days, most flights on which I fly have load factors of over 90% or 95%. On narrow bodies, the overhead bins are for two rows of three passengers. Hence, whenever I have a piece of luggage larger than about one sixth of the capacity of an overhead bin (quite a bit smaller than the "legal" carry-on size limits), I will usually check it (or feel guilty on the very few occasions when I do need to bring it on board).

The OP's attitude of "1st come 1st serve (sic.)," coupled with the airlines' moves to extract as much revenue as possible from checked bag charges, is responsible for such antisocial behaviors as stealing the overhead space of other passengers. Some boarders will quite blatantly deposit their carry-ons in bins above unoccupied forward seats, then continue on back to a seat many rows further back. That type of behavior is shameful, in my opinion.

Meanwhile, the passengers who have been considerate and checked bags that they might "legally" have trundled on board are often adjured by FA announcements to give precedence to large rollerboards in the allocation of the overhead space. Particularly in the winter when traveling in coach, I've checked my bag so that I can use (less than) my "one sixth of a bin" fair share to stow my heavy overcoat or heavy briefcase . . . but that behavior is officially discouraged in favor of forcing in the largest possible rollerboards.

So while I don't endorse the OP's FA's rudeness, I do sympathize with her frustration with selfish passenger carry-on behaviors.

fragment54

I really hate people who throw their rollaboard and "laptop bag" (pretty sure they have way more than a laptop in those things) in the overhead storage. People in first are the absolute worst about this. Even better when they stick the rollaboard in sideways just to make sure they can take up a whole compartment.

LaserSailor

...I applaud the FAs who enforce the common sense rule that most of us learned in kindergarten....and I really like it when they bust the "drop in front, head to back trick....Sir...you will need to place thatbag where you sit please....

Instant outperform Recognition :-)

UnitedFlyGuy

I'm really glad that you were sure to board first and secure sacred bin space! God forbid if you couldn't!

Hope I never fly with you.

avi8tir

I'm sorry, but if I am on an A fare and voluntarily take a Y seat, damn right Im going to secure my space.

And my point was how rudely the flight attendant was addressing me AND others. To the point that my fiance, myself and even the person sitting next to my fiance (she said she was 1K) all commented on the fact of how unprofessional the FA was.



So, you have a 1K a Platinum and a 1K making an observation and agreeing on the situation.

Guess you had to be there... sheesh!

Cargojon

If you think the FA treats people in coach poorly, you should see how Y pax get treated on FT

DCDreaming

"People in first are the absolute worst about this."

Absolutely, but few on here will say it.

PHLyer82

This is the attitude that is killing you in this thread. You act like taking a Y seat on an earlier flight so you could get home before a hurricane is an act of kindness or generosity on your part. It is not, but a nice perk you have/earned as a 1K.

That actually did make me laugh out loud!