Carrying on is becoming more and more common these days. Every flight I’m on they’re always asking for volunteers to check your bag to its final destination and no one ever wants to, of course. Yet the more who carry on the less they seem to know so today’s lesson from The Angry Traveler will be how to carry on and stow your luggage once you’re on the plane.
First the rules: you’re allowed one carry on and one personal item. Let’s be clear, ONLY ONE of each. This is a federal regulation. The exception is if you’re flying first class or an airline employee or just happen to be lucky enough that you slide in under the radar. A word of caution: be very careful about your laptop bag. While deemed a personal item they vary in size and you have to catch your ground crew on a good day.
When boarding ONLY larger roller board bags are stowed in the overhead bins. These go in wheels or handles first. Not sideways.
ALWAYS place your roller board bag in the overhead bin at YOUR assigned seat. Do not stow it at the front of the plane. That’s someone else’s seat and you’re taking their overhead bin space. This is a common courtesy not to mention common sense!
NEVER place your personal item in the overhead bin. It goes under the seat in front of you. Period! It doesn’t matter how tall you are. Your legs bend. When backpacks, purses, coats or computer bags are placed up there it causes someone else’s bag not fit and they have to check their bag or worse, stow it further toward the back of the plane where they’re not seated, resulting in delays in deplaning. Again, common courtesy and common sense. I won’t even mention that the flight attendant goes over this process a multitude of times during the boarding process DO NOT IGNORE HER!!!
ALWAYS stow your luggage quickly. Scope out where YOUR overhead bin is located as you enter the plane. Do not delay others bc you’re not sure what you’re doing. We have connecting flights and when departure is delayed or you take someone else’s bin space causing them to have to stow their luggage in the back of the plane and the wait for it that’s NOT COOL!
Better yet, there’s an app called Seat Guru you can download if you’re not sure where your seat is located. It gives all kinds of information about the seats on the planes and is very helpful.
Finally, be cognizant of the people sitting in the middle and window seats. As an aisle seated person either grab your luggage, step back, let the others out and trade places or get their bag down so they can place it in their seat or at their feet to expedite deplaning so connecting flights won’t be missed.
TheAngryTraveler.com 