bocastephen

That was my tactic the one time it happened to me. Someone put their laptop under their bulkhead seat. I picked it up and called the FA and said someone must have left their laptop from the previous flight - lady in 1F jumped up and grabbed the laptop, gave me a glare, and then put it where it should have been in the first place. I really have no patience for people like this, so if I need to be jerk, so be it.

drewguy

If OP had two (child) companions he wouldn't have been eligible for upgrade unless he split PNR. And that would have created problems of its own if one upgrade clears. Seems like a stiuation to decline upgrade eligibility.

vitira

I was on a UX flight a few weeks ago in the first row of Y (Row 7 on a CR7, which has a ton of pitch). A passenger in F with a bulkhead had taken his bag and put it under the seat in front of me. My bag had gone above and I was able to put my computer and water and such under the seat in front of me, and after takeoff the FA came and removed the bag and brought it to the pax in F.

At the end of the flight I had carefully put my items centered under the seat in front of me and the FA came back and went to shove the bag right back under the seat. I'm not sure how full the overheads were but I didn't really care. After arguing for a couple of minutes (she offered to put my things in an overhead, I told her to pound sand) we were on final approach and she just shoved the guy's bag in. I gave it a few extra kicks.

I complained to UA and a woman actually called me about it, but I had to explain to her that, no, it wasn't my bag, but rather the FA asked me to move my items so that she could put someone else's bag under the seat in front of me. I'm not sure she understood. No goodwill from UA, either, not even a few miles for my trouble.

Next time I am making it clear that other peoples' bags are not going under the seat in front of me. I like the upthread poster's suggestion: just stick it in the aisle and wait for the FA to deal with it.

drewguy

I agree in general, but here's the scenario I've encountered all too often when sitting bulkhead (which I believe 8B is) - overhead space is already limited either because FAs have bags there, there's emergency equipment, or perhaps the other two pax already took the space over 8ABC. Because it's bulkhead, there's no place to put the bag.

s0ssos

That's why I don't choose the bulkhead if I know I may not board early (like connecting) and have stuff.
It just isn't your spot to use. Period.

gcashin

Putting a bag under someone else's seat is a very inconsiderate move. Very disappointing to hear that the FA's decided to reward such behavior with an upgrade under any scenario.

qukslvr619

Its possible that 8B, could have had status, but there was no one else listed on the upgrade list and there were two open seats in F

The issue with me, was that I bought 3 seats, so I could only add one companion. My one son was young enough that he could have been a lap-child, but the issue was trying to separate the PNR would have left one kid in Y which wouldn't have worked either.

So I'm not really that upset about it from that perspective, because rules were rules, but just to pull someone up to F just for blocking someone's legroom kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I'm sure GA could have figured out a solution, even so far as selling me an upgrade for a 3rd seat if it was an option so not necessarily looking for a hand out.

FLYMSY

txaggiemiles

This story is so confusing. First there was nobody on the list and 19/20 seats filled, now there appears to have been at least one person on the list (OP) and two seats.

I get the basic tenets of the story that someone in 8B put a bag under their own seat, and when 9C (not B ?!) complained, the FA decided to publicly shame the complainer and reward the offender. That is odd -

Is it possible that 9B was actually empty and 9C was being unreasonable in the FAs eyes so in response the FA gave 8B a free upgrade, since there was one seat left open up front after the door closed?

qukslvr619

txaggiemiles

Got it. Ya I still don't understand the upgrade list and open seats or whatever on the flight but agree it isn't likely important to the story.

That is strange behavior by the FA imo and a reasonable request by 9C. Did you hear 9C ask 8B to remove the bag?

Aussienarelle

I am confused.

I thought you were meant to put your items under the seat in front of you, at least according to all announcements I have ever heard on planes, so is this not correct?

We have two incidents (admittedly not a huge sample) where the FA actively seemed to indicate the items do not go under the seat in front of you but under another seat.

Personally I would not want my items where they could be kicked/rifled through/items stolen, but it does look like on a United flight any under seat storage can be used by anyone?

[FA upgrading at will - may be time to start the bribes. jk (kind of)]

ExplorerWannabe

Which is why I don't select bulkhead seats. I've been assigned them involuntarily and when that happens, I deal with it but it's flipping arrogant to make her problem someone else's by taking THEIR storage space. I have turned down upgrades to avoid bulkhead seats (admittedly on short flights on planes like CRJs and ERJs). I like the idea of putting the offending bag in the aisle and letting the FA deal with it.

ExplorerWannabe

You are. The offender in this case placed her bag under the seat next to her, i.e., the space that someone behind her was supposed to use for HIS stuff.

drewguy

To be clear, I wasn't offering this as a justification for putting the seat under the seat behind. I was responding to the question "were the overhead bins full" and saying that IME they quite often are for bulkhead, and the seat in front option isn't available either. That creates a bad situation that apparently Ms 8B resolved in a poor way.