Repooc17

Every flight is pretty much full these days, and it's totally selfish to be putting smaller items in the overhead...leaving little to no spaces for later boarding passengers' large carryons. No one is saying that is a DYKWIA move, the DYKWIA part is using their status as somehow that is okay.

People can't even place their carryons correctly. For those planes with wider and deeper bins where you can put carryon luggage on the side like a book in a book case, even after demonstration from the GA, and repeated instructions from FA, people still cannot place them correctly.

jsloan

Unless you’re going to outlaw cabin-size bags entirely, no narrowbody aircraft, save maybe the C500, has enough room for everyone to put even a single bag in the bins. If your bag is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, that’s where it belongs. If your only concern is that you don’t want to pay to check it, they’ll be happy to check it at the gate for no charge. Some airlines will even allow you to board early if you do this, although (a) not UA and (b) I don’t know why you’d want to board early if you don’t have a bag that needs to go into the overhead.

If, after everyone has boarded, there’s room for your small bag in the overhead, go for it.

The idea that each passenger has some sort of dedicated overhead bin allotment is pure fantasy. They’re shared space. In fact, it is demonstrably untrue that each passenger has a “right” to put a bag in the overhead, because if each passenger tries to exercise that right, the bins won’t close.

lincolnjkc

Even the CR5 can run out of space in the right circumstances.

It's been made clear for years (decades?) that your primary storage location is under the seat in front of you and that bins are a finite and shared resource. Fill under the seat first then things that don't fit go in the overhead. Putting a small object in the bin when you have space under the seat is IMO an "rolling eyes infraction" on the DYKWIA scale (ranging from infractions, e.g. parking tickets, through felonies -- screaming at an agent, literally asking "Do you know who I am?"). I'm 6' rarely put things in the bin (stuck in a bulkhead or traveling with extra stuff that UA's CoC excludes liability for if in checked luggage). An aggravating factor, however would be throwing out status as an excuse. One trick for leg-room improvement without squatting on bin space: After takeoff move the bag behind your knees or to the aircraft sidewall... then you have plenty of legroom and quick access to your bag if you want to.

KabAir

I never carry anything on other than my backpack, so I’ve always felt I could put my backpack in the bin because that’s my “one carryon bag”. In fact I always felt I was MORE entitled to the space in some ways because I’m taking less of it up than most other passengers.

But after reading the recent comments here I’m apparently not entitled to do this and am being selfish. So my apologies, and from now on I’ll just start putting my backpack in a rollaboard and putting that in the bin. Then I guess no one will be mad at me or ask me to move my bag under my seat. No skin off my back.

porciuscato

Me too. And maybe I'll get the biggest damn rollaboard allowed.

zombietooth

There is only enough room in the overheads for 2/3 of the pax to stow rollaboards so, yes the overheads should be reserved for rollaboards or larger bags. I am 6' 3" and always stow my backpack under the seat, whether I have a rollaboard or not, and it isn't uncomfortable IMO. I never fly in anything less than E+ though, so maybe it would be worse in the back.

hotscot

I try to only have a small backpack that holds laptop, kindle, phone, wallet, snacks etc. Easy to put on the floor and I have access to everything. I try to be considerate if and when.
(Crying babies don't trouble me.)

However re. overhead...in my opinion I have as much 'right' to use it as any other passenger and should not be penalized for having smaller, manageable luggage.
I have never been instructed not to use it.

People will have different opinions.

mander

I assure you that at 6'3" it is uncomfortable, at least in my experience, to have a backpack underneath the seat in front of you in a non-E+ seat. And many of my UX flights have no E+ seats so my knees are pushing into the back of the seat in front of me unless I can use the underseat space for my legs.

prestonh

I understand this at 6'1. So I place my backpack underneath my legs during flight so my legs can extend underneath the seat. Problem solved

Aussienarelle

About six months ago a FA made me remove my laptop bag from the overhead, it was taking a sliver of space in the overhead as I placed it right at the edge and I told her I did not want to put it under the seat in front of me as people put their feet there and drinks are spilled, etc.. She told me i had no choice..

Ever since then it goes in a carryon. Usually only thing in the carryon. It takes up more room in the overhead bin than I need but I do not want my laptop bag on the floor due to the lack of hygiene (why people have bare feet on the floor baffles me) and the chance of someone spilling a drink and it getting wet. It is also highly unusual that I want to use the laptop during the flight - there are the odd times but for the most part it is safely tucked away in the overhead.

VegasGambler

When I have just a single small carryon, I put it in the bin, every time. I've never had a problem with it but I would be happy to stand up for myself should a FA insist. I have just as much right to use the bin as anyone else.

uanj

This is an interesting thread. I don't mean to offend anyone but it seems like people who don't check bags and carry on only want those who do check bags to leave as much space overhead for themselves. Someone like VegasGambler has taken the time to check his luggage and requires less than average OHB space seems not to deserve ANY overhead space in the eyes of some. Does not seem fair.

Totally separate note, I thought UA had redesigned the bins so that all new planes and retrofits can take one standard rollaboard per passenger in the OHB?

I have never heard from anyone at United that only rollaboards can go in the OHB or have first priority over anything else. There are some awfully big backpacks out there and my rolling computer bag ain't small. The FA announcements are about "smaller items" and coats going in last.

zombietooth

I always check bags, so don't count me as someone who wants all of my stuff in carry-on so I can avoid baggage delays. I just always put my backpack under the seat because I feel like it might help others who have larger carry-ons and need the space. I don't need the space. On the other hand, I can't remember any FAs forcing someone to remove a smaller bag from the OH and put it under the seat. So I really don't think this is a widespread problem.

AeRoSpaceman

This right here! Right after takeoff I pull my backpack with my laptop back towards my seat. This gives me my full legroom without any issues and don't even know it is there. Upon decent I put it back under the seat in front of me.

Aussienarelle

As someone who experienced this recently, once it happens and you try to stand up for yourself but do not want to be removed from a flight for not obeying crew member instructions you never want to risk it again, or at least I do not. It happened to me. Admittedly I am just one person so not certain how widespread it, but the post started off with someone with a similar experience and others have also commented so presumably widespread enough amongst FTers.