Forced to check carry on, no more room in overhead

[Kings over Queens]

We returned on Wednesday.

Leg 2 of the trip, MIA TO DEN, there was sufficient room in the overhead.

Leg 3, DEN to EWR, there was just enough room for our two bags.

Now, I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but both times, we boarded with group 2 instead of 4 that was on our pass. If I had waited, the bins would have been full, especially with the DEN>EWR flight. It seemed that half the plane was in pre-board, group 1 or group 2. We were in row 10, aisle seats, and both the middle and window seats were occupied by the time we got there.

People rag on Spirit for being a cheapo airline, but I respect their business model. If you pay for a carry on, and believe me, they charge for a carry on, you get it. You can't get on the plane with a carry on that you didn't pay for, and they don't oversell bin space. No screwing around.

I shouldn't have to fly first class, or pay an additional $50 bucks for "enhanced boarding" nor should I have to get their credit card, just to put my stupid bag in the overhead. It's very annoying and crappy customer service.

Starting to second guess picking United as the preferred airline as we now start traveling. As mentioned earlier, since EWR is our airport, United is one of the major carriers that pretty much goes everywhere we want to go.

I need to check JetBlue. I hear really good things about them.

 

[Kings over Queens]

The good news, we had an epic trip.

Loan Depot park is a great place to see a game and Miami has great cuban food. Plan to go back with my son and perhaps a few of his friends for a guys weekend, my treat.

On the other hand, Tropicana Field in St. Pete is a hole. Crappy place to see a game. Will go back after their build their new stadium.

5 days with our daughter in Denver was terrific. Such great weather, and the altitude and low humidity does wonders for our joints. We hiked miles, went to Red Rocks, Garden of the Gods. I love the Denver area.

 

[sengsational]

I don't mind a true "gate check", where you get it back on the jetway when you get off. But this new BS where they make you go to baggage claim is yet another annoyance of their business model.


The fly/drive break even started at 4 hours (30 years ago). I flew Delta last, and didn't pay to pick my seat, and I was in THE last row on 3 of 4 flights. And it's third class: struggling families with screaming kids. So either you pay for a seat (that's pretty much the same as every other seat), or you go to third class. If it's a 12 hour or less drive, I'm driving. And if rental cars are at a premium at the destination, I'll drive even farther.


On a separate note about bags checked through to baggage claim, that screws up the "skip-lagged" fliers, who take their carry on and bolt at an intermediate point in the flight. Without a guaranteed spot for a carry on, you can't count on getting off. And by the time you pay for the guaranteed carry on, you give up the financial advantage of skiplagging. I used to think "free carry on" was a good thing. Now I see it's better for the airline to offer it, then take it away at the gate.

 

[Gumby]

We always check our bags at the check in counter and have only a "personal item" onboard. It is much more enjoyable wandering through the airport without dragging luggage around.

 

[audreyh1]

We returned on Wednesday.

Leg 2 of the trip, MIA TO DEN, there was sufficient room in the overhead.

Leg 3, DEN to EWR, there was just enough room for our two bags.

Now, I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but both times, we boarded with group 2 instead of 4 that was on our pass. If I had waited, the bins would have been full, especially with the DEN>EWR flight. It seemed that half the plane was in pre-board, group 1 or group 2. We were in row 10, aisle seats, and both the middle and window seats were occupied by the time we got there.

I shouldn't have to fly first class, or pay an additional $50 bucks for "enhanced boarding" nor should I have to get their credit card, just to put my stupid bag in the overhead. It's very annoying and crappy customer service.

Starting to second guess picking United as the preferred airline as we now start traveling. As mentioned earlier, since EWR is our airport, United is one of the major carriers that pretty much goes everywhere we want to go.

I need to check JetBlue. I hear really good things about them.

If you want United as a preferred airline I strongly suggest you get at least their credit card that lets you board group 2.

Yes, by the time pre-board, group 1 and group 2 have boarded, more than half the plane has boarded. A lot of people have United loyalty status or their credit card. That’s just the way it is.

We make sure to board with group 1.

 

[Aerides]

We were in row 10, aisle seats, and both the middle and window seats were occupied by the time we got there.

As much as I like a front/forward row seat, getting in the higher rows means a lot more spaces to find for your bag. Often row 10 is full with bags, because everyone going to row 20+ has already bunged theirs on the way to their seat. So a row further back has a higher likelihood of room in the bin.

 

[audreyh1]

As much as I like a front/forward row seat, getting in the higher rows means a lot more spaces to find for your bag. Often row 10 is full with bags, because everyone going to row 20+ has already bunged theirs on the way to their seat. So a row further back has a higher likelihood of room in the bin.

They have more legroom up there which is why they paid extra for those seats. They key is to get earlier boarding if you need overhead bin space.

 

[pc95]

This has probably been written is some variation. These days with airlines and carry-on bin space, boarding order is important to reduce risk of bag check-in onboard if you like to use carry-on. On top of purchasing economy plus, at the airport before your flight, you must queue in line earlier to maximize your group-line order (for instance be near the front of United group 2). This means generally initiating getting in line ~ 5-10 min before the United Attendants start boarding process announcements. The more you pay the airline, the better your're treated like many other services.

 

[Aerides]

They have more legroom up there which is why they paid extra for those seats. They key is to get earlier boarding if you need overhead bin space.

Yes I know how it works, but you can't always get earlier boarding without some status.

Just wanted to point out the benefit of a "regular" row if getting an overhead slot is the priority.

 

[5Miler]

DGF and I always check our luggage and have a small back pack to carry on the aircraft. We also have elected to fly first class if the flight is over 2 hours - our choice. Just returned from London via Delta/Virgin Air Delta One /Upper Class and my pitiful little back pack had it's own overhead bin as did all the other seats in our section.

I'm now 70 years old and only travel by air 2 or 3 times per year. If it's 2 hours or less we try to use a companion ticket and get by but prefer to upgrade if possible. We don't have an earthshaking amount of money but we prefer to spend it on travel so First Class is really inconsequential in the long run. The money we spend on it will not change our life.

I remember fighting the overhead bin wars 30 years ago as a younger manager. I placed my briefcase (my only carryon article) in the overhead bin and a flight attendant asked me to place it under the seat in front of me so people carrying multiple insanely huge carryon bags could have the space. I politely refused. I do not wish to fight any onboard wars at this point in my life. I imagine today if I refused a flight attendant request they might call the police on me to be removed from the plane. Times aren't what they used to be.

 

[GhostofTomJoad]

Forced to check your carry-on. If it's worth it to you, I'd complain to the FAA.
The old USAir screwed me over good, more than once. I was absolutely livid. So, along with a promise to myself never to fly on USAir again, I promised myself that I would never again volunteer to get bumped.... Because the airline will give you "compensation," but then they make it impossible to USE it. And the FAA just lets them get away with that junk.

 

[Shardo]

US (nightm)Air did that to me once, told us at the gate that overheads were full, had to gate all check carry ons.
All kinds of overhead room once we got on.

Bye bye US NightmAir!

 

[upupandaway]

Well I'm writing this from a United 787 right now. I can tell you the overheads go to 1k, Global travel, active servicemen and women, persons with disabilities, parents with small children and group 1. This is for almost all full domestic flights on united. Half way through group 2 is about when they run out. They also now have an app to click a button on each person with a bag and stop before they hit the max to allow for people that put their personal items in the overhead thus taking up more space. The full flight to Brussels I'm currently on had enough room for everyone but 15 passengers according to pre-boarding announcement.

 

[maestro]

W#@rked as a software architect on a flight operations endeavor for a few years, and it's all about 'weights and balances'. It's not just about 'overhead bins'. It's about seat capacity filled, fuel weight, 'cargo' weight (that you don't know about) already loaded. Flight plan and weather are also other variables to fly and load the plane. Sorry for your inconvenience, but I'd say "no big deal" if I have to pick up my 'overhead' bag at carousel. Peace.

 

[Gonz]

Years ago I checked all bags going to Hawaii and was bumped at DFW. Luggage left for Honolulu while I'm scheduled for flight the next morning and checking into hotel overnight.

I learned from this.


Now I travel with a legal size wheeled backpack styled carry on and day pack everywhere I go in the world.
Never had an issue but always keep my important things like Ipad,deodorant/soap/toothpaste, and rolled up change of clothes in day pack that will fit under seat.
If I have to check in carryon I'm ok. It's just clothing and pair of shoes with additional personal items that's easy to replace if lost.


One time I came close to having my carry on checked in at security. Was a couple of pounds above weight limit. They allowed us to wear more clothing to lower carry on weight and put heavy items in day pck. Some countries aren't this nice so I began packing an 80 pound travel scale that weighs 4 ounces.

 

[foxcreek9]

We flew Finn Air this summer, my wife and I have identical luggage and this was the second flight (leg) of the trip. First flight, smaller plane, no issues. Second flight I have BP scanned and wait (and wait) for wife, look around the corner and she is being charged $60 for oversized bag! The same bag we flew 4 finn air flights the year before with no issues. I suspect someone was trying to make a quota, but making a scene does no good.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I learned when I arrived in Tokyo and a bin came around the carousel with a sign saying, “Mr. Galaxyboy and his boss please come to the baggage office.” Yep, our bags were in Chicago.

 

[hopefullyoneday]

Happens to us all the time as the flight attendants are useless. We usually have to check our bags at the gate because they says that the flight attendants tell them the overheads are full. As we board the plane and head to our seats we walk by empty overhead bins and bins with carry-ons in them sideways or purses in the bins. The flight attendants are just lazy and don't want to do their jobs.

 

[athena53]

The flight attendants are just lazy and don't want to do their jobs.

In defense of the flight attendants... from what I've read they don't get paid their hourly rate till the plane takes off. There have also been cases in which the flight attendants were denied WC coverage for injuries sustained hefting someone's bag into the bin (you know how big those "carry-ons" can get) because it didn't happen during work hours. Crappy, but that's how it works.

It's the gate agents who don't want to slow down boarding by enforcing the regulations before people even get on the plane.

Remember the brief period when airlines tried to make the TSA put a barrier over the conveyor entrance with a square cutout that let only regulation-size carry-ons through? It wasn't the TSA's job to enforce that airline's baggage size restrictions but it was pretty effective.

 

[Gumby]

The airlines could eliminate all the overhead bin anxiety and line jockeying, along with much of the bad behavior aboard planes, by requiring that everyone check their bags at the ticket counter. Let people have a purse, briefcase or small daypack as a personal item to carry medications and other such vital items. It would make boarding much quicker as well; just walk in the plane, sit down and go.

 

[jollystomper]

The airlines could eliminate all the overhead bin anxiety and line jockeying, along with much of the bad behavior aboard planes, by requiring that everyone check their bags at the ticket counter. Let people have a purse, briefcase or small daypack as a personal item to carry medications and other such vital items. It would make boarding much quicker as well; just walk in the plane, sit down and go.

If everyone actually had no more than a single carry on for the overhead bin, I do not think there would be a problem. However, I observe more than a few people putting multiple items in the overhead and this contributes to the problem. The attendants may catch a few folks, but they are usually too busy to monitor this.

 

[audreyh1]

Airlines made this problem worse when they started charging for checked baggage.

 

[Gumby]

Airlines made this problem worse when they started charging for checked baggage.

I think they should stop that practice and just raise the ticket prices if necessary.

 

[audreyh1]

I think they should stop that practice and just raise the ticket prices if necessary.

Considering that they check all this carry-on for free once they decide bins will be full and how much it slows down the boarding process, they would probably save money.

 

[FlaMariner]

Airlines made this problem worse when they started charging for checked baggage.

Southwest does not charge for checked luggage and I do not understand it but folks still haul their stuff onboard....seems to not matter. People have to have their stuff with them.

We like to play the "how do I not pay for checked bags on Delta" game.....We lug our bag to the gate and when they announce that they will need to check luggage for free because no room overhead we gladly surrender our bag and enjoy getting one on Delta. LOL. works every time.