Round here the cabin bag size is stringently enforced - both when you enter the “departure area” and then again at the gate. If you somehow manage to make it to the gate with a bag too big - it is taken from you, and you are charged a gate check fee (which the budget carriers in particular enforce)
I have never yet seen a seat that I can fit a bag under - no matter how small the bag, and have at the same time never had a problem finding space for my bag overhead - it’s never been more that two seats infront / behind.
What are you all doing wrong?
And BTW - there’s no way in hell that I’m leaving my bag so far in front that I can’t see it.
There was precisely one time that we checked in and carried on a little more than 100kg of carryon baggage - because our international flight arrived late and the domestic plane was waiting for us…in that case, the fight attendant helped us to stow appropriately
At both ends of my trip last weekend, I walked laps around the baggage carousel until my luggage appeared. Afterall, I had just been sitting motionless for 3+ hours, so why would I want to stand motionless for 10-15 minutes waiting for my bag to appear?
My pet peeve are the jackasses who sit there, completely unaware that the plane has landed. Sure, there’s no sense in jumping up ready to sprint out of the plane the moment the seat belt sign does out when you’re way in back, but at least get ready when the line starts to move.
You see these people just sitting, then when it line gets to their row, then then get up, block the isles and have to go around to the twelve different overhead bins to get out all their different crap.
This is why I love Southwest (I fly every week). You line up by number. You board and grab whatever seat you want. If you are a frequent flyer like I am, wifi is free.
Now, the first few rows do NOT have an overhead compartment that can handle 3 rolling suitcases - you have to either be first or keep on walking (or check your luggage for free). That sometimes causes some conflict.
Unlike Bouncer, my issues with fellow travelers has no distinct demographic. I don’t mind kids - I wear a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I have dealt with crying babies, drunks (the Vegas run), asshole business travelers, small/weak people who can’t get their bag overhead, etc.
If I am going to rant - if you make the TSA Pre line - then learn how to do it. You don’t take off your shoes, you just dump your bags onto the conveyor belt, and you MOVE. Drives me crazy when my fast lane is slower due to idiots. How the hell did you make TSA Pre without having a clue about air travel?
I think they put random people in when the regular line is long. The TSA guys and gals have to spend all their time telling people to leave their laptops, liquids, and shoes where they are and keep moving. Maybe it will improve over time. Still, TSA pre-check is a great advancement and I would never say it’s slower than the regular line.
My last trip was on United which uses WILMA seating. it worked great, especially if you were at the window. And they let people flying together go with the one in the earliest zone.
I usually sit in the back, and I rarely see people around me grab backs stowed up front.
But Southwest is far superior, especially given that you can get a good position with either a small fee or by being with it enough to get your boarding pass exactly 24 hours ahead. It is a shame that they’ve become the high price carrier, though.
I am convinced this is because people are anxious both to see if their bag actually arrived, and to keep all you other thieves on the plane or at the terminal from leaving with their luggage!
I’m not taking sides, it’s just that there’s some innate belief that there is a massive baggage theft ring working most major airports or something and that someone will scamper off with your luggage if you’re not all up on it. Hell I’ve watched people flip out at baggage agents who were moving items off the carousel so it didn’t continue to circle forever and a day because they thought the agent was a thief cleverly disguised in polyester slacks and a logo’d vest.
It’s something tourists tend to stress over. You can see the FF’ers standing back from the scrimmage line with either a smirk or a resigned look on their face. I tend to wander off and go to the restroom or even outside for a moment because even though my bag is tagged as “SUPER EXTRA PRIORITY DOUBLE EXTRA NINJA ELITE!!!11ELEVENTY!!” that fucker will be dead last every time.
No such exemption exists in Houston at this time. I asked for a bloody Mary and the guy was all: “Sir, this is Texas. It’s Sunday before noon. Can’t do it”. I just looked at him with a “Savages!, you people are savages!” expression on my face. :eek:
And then I retreated to the safety of the United Lounge away from the unwashed masses, teething infants and furriners.
Regards,
-Bouncer-
PS: Seriously, I hate Houston. It’s Hot. It’s muggy, and the airport design is stupid and named after a living dude. WTF is THAT all about?
We don’t have domestic flights here…so we’re always in duty free when everyone is crowding the baggage claim - by the time we’re done, the crowd has thinned.
Anyways - round here, the carousel is under camera surveillance
Heh, at SJU they used to actually check your tag vs. your claim stub as late as the late 00’s at the AA terminal. As it is, baggage claim at SJU is still withing the “ticketed passengers only” perimeter so it will have to be stolen by a fellow passenger or an employee.
These gate-rushing people with a Sultan’s worth of carry on baggage are the same people who are wildly surprised when it comes time to pay at a grocery store or coffee shop.
Then again the whole world should run on the TSA pre screened system. If you can show you have the ability to anticipate what is going to happen next in a routine person-to-person interaction and act accordingly, then you get to go to the front of the line with all the other smart people. If you stop at the end of an escalator, stop in a doorway, don’t have your money ready when paying, or anything of that nature, cattle call line for you.
I can’t agree with that, because I often am that jackass. It’s pretty unpleasant climbing over people when they’re all in panic mode, fretting that if they let you out to get your stuff you might get ahead of them in the line. I just relax and read my book or whatever a little longer.
Sometimes when there’s a long delay for the stairs to come out, it’s amusing to see how long people will stand there (or even be awkwardly crouching under one of the overheads because there isn’t room in the aisle), before they chill the fuck out and sit down.
I normally only have one bag in the overhead so I don’t take too long to get out, but I’m not bothered by people who have to fish out many bags ahead of me. We’ve been flying for hours, I can wait a few seconds, and I’m sure it’s a PITA to try to grab many bags while everyone is cramming into the aisle.
I know the rule now, but my dumb ass has no idea how it ended up in the TSA Pre line last time. And I feel bad, because I am an expert at moving through the regular line. However most countries I fly in don’t have TSA Pre, and I never applied for it, and normally within the USA I am accompanied by a foreign national.
Last time I flew out of DTW, Delta, business class, long-haul, alone, checking in at our secret preferred accounts room right next to the security line, they stamped TSA Pre on my boarding pass, and I simply went where the line handler sent me. I honestly didn’t even know what TSA Pre was at the time (February, this year).
And, yeah, I suppose the others thought I was an idiot, but they were polite and educated me quickly. Now I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get TSA Pre next time I’m back home. And knowing myself, I’ll have the same attitude as you, and call the people who don’t know how to go through the line the first time idiots.
I guess it’s good that you are self aware at least, then? :rolleyes:
There are two acceptable ways to get off a plane.
Move. As quickly as possible, get your stuff and get ready and move off the plane without delaying the people behind you.
Wait. Let everyone else off, even the people behind you while you wait in your seat. When everyone else is off the plane, then you can leisurely collect your stuff and leave at your own pace.
Anything else means you’re doing it wrong.
Parents of young kids often go with the second option. I do sometimes for that reason. I also went that route when I had a sprained ankle. There’s nothing wrong with being slower than everyone else. But there is something wrong with slowing everyone else down.
Well I said that tongue in cheek as I’ve never slowed down anyone; my walking pace is a sight to behold.
But what I’m saying is, I disagree that we should be raging about someone costing us a precious 7 seconds or whatever. Why the mad panic to get off the plane? Just calm down.
