The two most common complaints about airlines on Twitter – regardless of airline – are damaged checked luggage, and that an airline made someone gate check their carry on bag only to have them board and discover that overhead bins had plenty of space left. Sometimes they appear completely empty in passenger photos on Twitter! But here’s one I happened to see right as I saw down on my last United flight.
@united You made me gate check my bag and there are lots of open overhead spots like this one #customerservicefail pic.twitter.com/bgo3Adrf6X
— Beth Meyer (@bethmeyer08) April 27, 2023
On Friday I flew an old United Airlines Boeing 737 with credit card swipe beside the screens. It had the old mostly non-functional wifi (seat back entertainment wasn’t working either), and the old small overhead bins.
United boards these aircraft 40 minutes prior to departure. When I turned up at T-35 the plane was mostly boarded (we were entirely boarded with plenty of time to sit before pushing back). The remarkable thing is that 5 minutes into boarding an agent was tagging everyone’s full-sized carry-on bags for gate checking.
I walked up, she tagged my bag and told me to drop it off at the bottom of the jet bridge. While everyone else whose bag was tagged did just that, I simply walked onto the plane and found one of the dozen or so empty overhead bin spaces – in this case one that was direct across from my seat 12C.
If I’d really been unable to find bin space, my bag was already tagged! It wouldn’t have taken much time to get back to the front of the aircraft and drop it of. There was no risk to an on-time departure anyway. Here’s the thing, though.
- I suppose if everyone did this, there wouldn’t be enough space
- And there would be more passengers trying to get back to the front of the aircraft with their bags
That would mean a bit of a delay, maybe a couple of minutes? But then maybe not, given how early we were to complete boarding. Although this fella never found a seat:
On the other hand United is doing this to everyone after a certain point in boarding, so aren’t they the ones causing a problem for a lot of passengers in the first place? And my plan didn’t cause an inconvenience to anyone.
So did I make the right tactical call, just walking on board and using the overhead bin space at my seat? Or did I do something ‘wrong’ by not dropping my bag off on the jet bridge for gate checking?
I have suggested to numerous airline executives that they’ve got bags backward. The first Checked bag should be free. Carry-on bags should be charged for / elite status.They all reply that it makes sense, but they’re not going to be the first ones to implement it. The idea obviously needs to be workshopped in order to be operationalized. Maybe first bag is 30lbs or something. Maybe like United does now, It’s enforced by boarding group. So you know groups 3+ don’t get carry-ons.
Think about it – there’s logic to wanting the convenience of having your bag with you. Space is constrained. Boarding and deplaning is hectic. If half the plane checked their bag, the bonus would be on them to show up in time to check the bag. The convenience is worth paying for. I am sick of being told to gate check my bag and finding the same situation that you saw.
Interested in your thoughts on this. Maybe your megaphone can get more people interested in this.
IMO, no wrong here. I think this is one of those triangular labor issues between management, ground staff and FAs. In a perfect world, FAs would help to make sure bags are placed in the bins in the most efficient manner, GAs and other ground staff would have tools to quickly tag bags that truly don’t fit and be better at smarter at enforcing rules (whether it is obnoxiously sized bags, airline specific policies around BE, etc.), and management would not seek to reward idiotic measures like D0 which come at the consequence of customer unfriendly policies like this (i.e. they would rather tag bags early than waiting for a clear sign the bins are full).
I hate gate-checking when I’ve got my laptop in my wheelie. Because now I’ve got to crouch, unzip, etc and it’s…not elegant, and indeed likely to cause dropped electronics. Which is never good. I’m not prone to clumsiness, but in that kind of setting, things get lost and damaged easily.
If challenged, I would say that I have necessary meds (or a laptop) in my bag (which would be true).
I’ve done this before! Let the bag be tagged, wheeled my suitcase down the ramp and into the aircraft. Figured if there truly was no room, I could just wheel it back to the jetway, after pulling some meds and my tablet out for the flight.
Like you, I found plenty of space in overhead bin. Not sure why this goes on. Would be a far better idea for agents to use a hand clicker as pax walk by with their bags.
Also: one last gripe. How hard is it for folks to understand what ONE bag (also known as carryone wheelie) and ONE personal item that can fit beneath the seat in front of you means?
Imagine if every pax ignored the gate agent requests to gate check. Bins full, kettles trying to swim upstream during boarding to drop their bag in the jetway like they were instructed. Departure delays as a result. Yeah, ignore the agent. Great suggestion.
I was well that ends well, I say. But I’m glad you didn’t get caught: otherwise, you might have been beaten up and arrested for the federal offense not complying with an airline employee’s order.
And this is why I cherish my 1K status. I only do carry-on (one bag, one backpack that fits under the seat). I prefer to have my bags under my control. Since my one bag is pretty much the maximum size, I graciously allow gate-checked bags on regionals, but if I can fit in the overhead, it stays with me. Having 1K, I know there will be overhead space when I board. Even if I drop to Platinum after this year (highly likely), I know that I’m in Group 1 and will be able to take my luggage on board.
In other words, good for you, Gary. Take advantage of the system.
Not wrong. Let the lightly traveled that do not know any better leave them at the jetbridge.
This is the way to:
1. cover their butts (gate agents and airline)
2. allow the savvy travelers to do their thing
3. FA’s do not have to be the bag police
Everybody wins!
Why do they do this?? I’m glad you were successful. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the first comment by @Sean in the future
This happened to me once. I was on my way to lead a women’s tour in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. All of daily itineraries for 20 people as well as the “Bible” of my information to lead the trip were in my carry-on bag. I had to take 3 flights to get to my destination. They wanted me to check my bag. They tagged it, and I carried it right on. When this topic came up in another forum sometime back, I mentioned this, and people said I was part of the problem. I would have been fired from my job if I had lost all of that information along the way, and wouldn’t have had a clue what to do when I got there. Sometimes you just HAVE to keep your bag with you!!
Sean, the airlines business has always been “monkey see, monkey do.” Once one airline does it, the rest will quickly adopt it. We just have to figure out how to pressure one airline to do that.
They tell you to put all your medications and jewelry and other valuables in your carry-on. Why then ask you to check it?
You are an absolute entitled a**. Crew onboard is there to monitor safety during boarding, not to worry about excess baggage issues that seem to occur frequently because every other person can’t part with “things” they can’t live without for a few hours.. You were absolutely noncompliant. There are a hundred moving parts to get an aircraft out safely and on time. Those tags are usually computer generated and tracked. It is a system designed to protect travelers & limit potential airline liability. You must be one proud SOB.
Really tired of this.
Flying FC on AA and they insisted ALL roller bags HAD to be checked.
Underwater photographer so my regulation size carry is filled with lithium ion battery lights, batteries, etc, plus laptop, tablet, 2 phones, kindle AND a bag of prescription meds.
AA and I went all 10 rounds on this with them refusing or saying I could wait for another flight.
Brought me a giant bag to basically empty my roller bag into to carry on the plane. Anyone see the stupidity in this? Now I have a loose fitting bag instead of a compact roller case?
AND, I’m in FC. Got on board, plenty of overhead space. That was my last flight on AA with them playing this game. I’ve noticed they do this in smaller regional areas. Never had this issue with them flying out of JFK or DFW.
I’ve said this before, I’ll keep saying it. When airlines can manage to stop losing checked bags, having them end up in piles next to dumpsters, or in some airline employee’s apartment, I’ll consider checking bags again. Until then, you’ll pry my (correctly sized) regular carry on and underseat roller from my cold, dead hands.
@Claude – I did not ignore or disobey the instructions of a flight attendant.
So the ramp will be looking for the bag you took on board, and if international they’re coming up to find you as there must be positive passenger bag match.
Just jerks the lot of you
You’re going to get 2 answers from people here and those answers reveal a lot about their worldview.
The strict rule-followers will say you’re wrecking the order of things and introducing chaos into systems that require people to follow the rules. They will only see selfishness, entitlement, and disregard for others in your actions.
The other set of people see foolishness and laziness in the blanket actions of United and will see efficiency in your creating exceptions that make sense (you and anybody who did the same) saving everybody on the plane the marginal time that loading and unloading more bags would require on both ends of the trip. And by “getting away with it” you’re indirectly improving your own flight experience which is probably to United’s overall advantage as well.
I suspect most people will fall pretty firmly into those 2 groups and be unlikely to change their opinions.
With regard to this:
“I have suggested to numerous airline executives that they’ve got bags backward. The first Checked bag should be free. Carry-on bags should be charged for / elite status.”
Airlines want the checked bag fee revenue stream and the airline affinity bank card revenue stream from bank cards providing a bag fee waiver of some sort. The airline execs don’t want to give that up. Also, carry-on luggage replacing checked luggage — due to the incentive provided by the airline checked bag fees — means outsourcing some of the luggage work onto customers and trying to act as a lid on costs for airline baggage handling/mishandling of checked luggage.
Even when Delta tried to provide passengers with incentives to check in bags instead of going heavy on cabin baggage, it didn’t fly well for more than just the reason of cabin baggage being more of a convenience for the customer than an equivalent amount of checked in luggage.
The gate agents will start tagging bags when the bag count reaches suggested capacity. Depending on size/style of carry on bags it is an average capacity. Or when the flight attendant notifies the gate agent to start checking bags.
If people start taking checked bags on board several things happen. No space and now it causes a jam in the aisle trying to get the bag back to the front (possible delay). Flight attendants hold the bags in the back gally and now runs the risk of mistaking bags (passengers bags get mistakes and sent to the wrong destination & possible delays). Ramp agents are now looking for bags that have been taken on the plane (possible delay and can cause weight and balance issues. The pilot has to know where the weight of items are going for proper flight/take off/landing/fuel). The more people that take their checked carry on onboard the more of a risk all on this causes.
Is it a perfect system? No. But I do suggest calling your airline and offering your suggestions. And remember the airline employees are just doing their jobs.
Yes, YTA here. Rules, regulations, and policies are all out in place for a reason. Whether or not you agree with them does not matter. By buying a ticket, you’re agreeing to follow the rules. Not following the rules comes with repercussions.
There are always exceptions, such as medications and the like. You do not, however, get to be an entitled Karen and not follow the rules just because you think you know better than a company that’s been doing this longer than you’ve been alive.
I can only hope you get thrown off the next flight you try this on.
@GUWonder – the policy just flips so the revenue *should remain* the same. Maybe the credit card benefits would be more valuable if you came with a carry on for everyone in your party (same as checked bag benefit). It could potentially apply with the early boarding “main 1 and above free carry on bags” otherwise, your ticket would have to show that you paid for the carryon. (Main 2&3) – obviously that part needs workshopping
Claude – you’re mumbling. Take the Flight Attendant’s cock out of your mouth and try again.
As much as I fly, which is almost every week or every other week, I’ve never seen a situation like this. Typically all bins are full before we even complete boarding. I fly American, so maybe it’s different. But there’s always that guy in group six that rolls through and throws his stuff up in first class. It’s hilarious to watch the flight attendant go and just pull it out and set it on the ground.
The narcissist has spoken… Gary is too important to follow the rules like the rest of us.
I’d say as a typical, self centered me first, typical entitled air travel company sponsored frequent flyer jerk you were wrong. You were lucky you made it past the crew standing at the door. There are crew members who would’ve stopped you and they would’ve well been within their duties to do so.
ATC, on his knees with Claude.
Gary, I’ve only had to get check once, but I feel dumb that I didn’t do what you did. Of course when I got on board there was plenty of space.
Don’t jerk me around be because you’re too lazy or to lacking in communication tools to see if they’re really is no space.
Wow, I’m surprised by some of the responses, not because they disagree with taking the bag on the plane but the vulgarity. Feel free to disagree and state your opinion but vulgarity is just not warranted. Must we degrade into an even more uncivilized society?
As a former gate agent , the commuter would tell us when to start checking bags.
It was just an estimation. Sometimes bins are full because many people use them for backpacks and coats. In my opinion its not recommended you take bag on the aircraft. . If everyone did this it would most definitely cause a delay. This is why you see everyone standing in boarding area anxiously waiting to board and get overhead space near their seat.
You should be added to the no fly list, endangering the lives of fellow passengers by not following the GA’s order. Every kettle should do as you suggest and just maybe they will fix the broken model they currently use.
/s
Two thumbs up to ATC,Claude,Domino ,Dave, and Rem
@youareajerk – indeed you are.
@claude – and you are being rude, obnoxious and insulting. Thus we can freely tell you you’re an a**hat.
I’ve heard gate agents say if you do what you did, they will come on board and find your bag. Is there any type of check that shows that checked bags are actually loaded? My guess not and gate agents who say that are just trying to scare people. I would have done the same as you.
The fact that we have commenters siding with corporations over individuals is funny. I think @DavidDeltaPlat’s explanation of how everyone wins makes sense. @Christian, I don’t find Gary to be a narcissist but for the sake of argument does it take a narcissist to know one?
They are getting more and more aggressive about the gate checking.The other half of it is when they say you have to gate check because your bag won’t fit in the bin, when it’s a connecting flight, and it fit just fine on the previous flight on an identical aircraft type.
According to federal law, you are required to obey crew member instructions.
But you were not yet on board, so in my view you are not in violation of federal law.
If I was part of the crew, I still would have kicked you off the flight
If its a manual check bag, then it would only be an issue if the flight was be audited and they counted the carry-ons when unloading. I saw them do this once at a regional, and they would not explain to me.
Lately, they seem so happy that I am checking the stroller, and my son and I are travelling together, not having issues with checked bags.
It’s not a question of right or wrong. It’s a question of efficiency. Flight attendants and gate agents are looking at what the overhead situation is and how many passengers are boarding and guessing when they’ll run out. Then it becomes an issue of the time it takes to take care of everything to be ready for departure.
At the end of the day, that’s all they care about, not profits or revenue (at least in general).
Try to game the system basically means you only care about yourself and say “as long as I get what I want, that’s fine no matter the cost to my fellow passengers”.
Luckily I always fly first class. We are the third group to board as now most airlines board active and retired military second, which I appreciate. It doesn’t make sense to me that when I try to trade my seat in first class with a soldiers seat in coach, I am told I’m not allowed to do this. I guess there are rules and regulations that must be followed so I dont let this bother me anymore. Before boarding I always notice people with atleast two bjg bags are standing right by the boarding area. Now I know why they are so insistent to hurry up and board. One passengers carry ons’ completely take up an entire bin. I always thought these were frugal people, too cheap to check a bag. After hundreds of flights and getting to know the flight attendants I’ve learned these people are just selfish. The airlines policy on carry on, I’ve always been told, one bag and one personal item. I carry a purse and a small backpack, the size of a booksack. The bin I use is the one over my seat and I barely take up half. My seat mate uses the other half. Once both of us are seated the flight attendant closes the bin. You would not believe how many late boarders open the bin above my seat and try to squeeze his/her oversized bag in with our bags. The flight attendant always comes up and takes the bag to have it placed in some outside compartment under the plane. If the passenger objects more than once about this, he or she are escorted off the plane. I’ve seen this happen many times and it still leaves me bewildered as to why anyone would do this. I’m a million miler flyer on two airlines and my luggage did not make it to my destination only one time. That’s one checked bag problem over the course of over two million miles. If I had to pay to check a bag I would. If I could not afford to check my bag I wouldn’t fly. I believe you get what you pay for and are treated as such. If you get upset because you choose to carry on 2 roller or bigger bags and you need a lot of overhead bin space, I would think about flying first class. Life’s too short to fret about carry on baggage.
Agree with others here Gary. So everyone should follow the rules, except you right? That’s what you are saying. Imagine if everyone ignored the agent checking their bag, and took their bags on the plane. But you’re special, right?! Seriously, your attitude of self-entitlement is obnoxious at the least. Do you ignore the seat belt signs too?
Certainly the FA standing at the plane’s door will know the overhead space status and would likely turn you away if there’s no room. Somehow WN mandates things…
The cabin crew and gate agent both have electronic devices to chat with each other in real time. The FA can tell the agent approx. how much space is left or when to start checking bags. Of course, one needs to account for the customers that have already boarded but are still waiting on the jetway with bags. And both employees have to not be distracted with other duties to actually SEE the messages from the others ok their device.
BUT, Gary, you’re an entitled dufus for thinking you can ignore the employees’ instructions. You are a customer, not an owner of the company. You don’t make the rules. I wish they had removed you from the aircraft, just because. You must be a pleasure to sit next to.
The moment u enter the gate 4 a UA flt, unending din from PA annoucements about checking bags begins.
Gary is special, however. There’s no doubt he is a significantly more experienced traveler both in personal miles flown, as well as knowledge of the ins and outs of airline operations, than any of the other passengers who were told to gate check the bags. And it turns out Gary was right. There was enough space onboard.
We all pull stunts like this in all areas of life when we know we attain a special level of expertise, so please spare me the lecture about how nobody is special. That’s just a phrase that grade school teachers invented to placate their kids, and it’s a phrase mindlessly repeated from the unintellectual cohorts of adult society. If you are special and you know it, flaunt it. “Entitlement” has a negative connotation but sometimes it’s correct and proper.
Analogies never work. Seatbelt signs are for others’ safety. I challenge you to tell me it was unsafe for Gary to bring his bag on board.
Not unless they have walked down the entire aisle and opened every closed bin and have a doctorate in topology and have performed all the calculations necessary to determine whether it is in fact physically impossible to stow another bag.
If FAs turned people away when there’s no room, then there would never be people walking back up the aisle to check their bag that the gate agent didn’t ask them to check.
What airlines should do is making checking a bag $10 per bag. When boarding status/elites get space. If you are infrequent flyer and there is no space then you pay $50 or $75 to have your bag checked at gate because this is where delays come from.
This would drive more people to check bags or at least ensure they can fit under seat. Airlines can notify you on boarding pass that there is a chance there will be no space so we are offering you to check all bags but if you have carryon it MUST fit in front of you. By charging a reasonable rate for checked bags, people would be more inclined to check them. By telling status flyers you are guaranteed space on plane or we gate check for free you are taking care of your valued customer. It’s too much of a free for all now.
Private Pilot – and I’d have sued you, you little Nazi POS.
AA refuses to let anyone onboard a CRJ with a roller board… Even if it fits in the overhead then they wreck your bag..BAD VER BAD POLICY!!!
What if you have a medical mobility scooter with a spare lithium ion battery. These are forbidden in checked luggage. They must be carried in the cabin. And/or you have lifesaving medicine that you must carry with you. Or you have a CPAP rhat you must carry with you.
Sorry, but there are some passengers who have carry-ons they can’t gate check