S/O carry on etiquette

[Genie+]

I always recline ASAP and slowly. Then leave it like that until landing or told otherwise. My favorite part of flying is napping the whole time so I can close my eyes and be near the next destination before opening them again.

 

[jimmymc]

If it’s an airline that doesn’t allow carry ons unless you pay (frontier, spirit) and you didn’t pay for it then it goes under your seat.

If you’re on an airline that allows carry ons or you paid for a carry on you should be allowed to use the overhead bin and give yourself leg space.

On budget airlines where you pay for bags, they usually have everyone who's paid board first. So once you're getting on, there are theoretically no more rollerbags that have to go up top, so I usually put my bag up there. I've also never seen it more than half full on Spirit or Frontier.

 

[disney-inspired]

I always recline ASAP and slowly. Then leave it like that until landing or told otherwise. My favorite part of flying is napping the whole time so I can close my eyes and be near the next destination before opening them again.

For me, the recline is so negligible that I don't feel a difference if I recline or don't. I'm doing a redeye tomorrow and purchases this to help because I can fall asleep but the head bobbing is what wakes me up. It should fit around the bendable parts of the headrest.
Image is linked in case anyone wants one.

 

[jimmymc]

If I'm checking a bag anyway, then I specifically pack as little as possible carry-on, and I will try to put my bag overhead. I will also look for a small spot where there's no way a suitcase is fitting, and wait until all the seats near me are full.

If you're showing up 2 minutes before the door closes with a carry-on you have the gate check, then sorry, you should've gotten there earlier. Gate checking also really isn't the end of the world.

 

[Genie+]

For me, the recline is so negligible that I don't feel a difference if I recline or don't. I'm doing a redeye tomorrow and purchases this to help because I can fall asleep but the head bobbing is what wakes me up. It should fit around the bendable parts of the headrest.
Image is linked in case anyone wants one.
View attachment 784480

DH swears by his neck pillow. I just lay kinda on my side at 45 degree angle and off to sleepyville never neverland.
Oops Bad choice of words for flying.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I don't need more foot space, I need knee space. I swear the airlines just don't get that, or streight-up don't care. I am average size and DD is 5'2". She just about took a guy's head off one time because he reclined and knocked the seat into HER knees!

Oooh - guess I better not get into the "Recline/don't recline" debate though. That's OT here and sure to be devisive. After all, there are two kinds of people, those who believe you should not recline, and those who are completely wrong.

100%

 

[sam_gordon]

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I always CHECK my bag, then bring on a backpack with things I will want on the plane or can't live without should the bag get lost, and that goes under the seat so I have easy access to it. I DO NOT USE the overhead bin because I just don't want to be part of the problem. IMHO, if everyone else did this, flights would depart on time - but no, we get far too many people carrying overstuffed rollers onto the plane, that then take FOR-EV-ER to get crammed into the overhead, then take a second FOR-EV-ER to get dislodged when we land, not to mention people getting clocked in the head, or dude clogging up the aisle because their bag ended up rows away from their actual seat, and, gosh darnit, they are just far too important to wait until everyone else is off the plane before retrieving their bag.

God bless the flight attendants - I am pretty sure I would lose it on a daily basis watching all that go down every flight.

I'm a big proponent of having enough stuff with you for the first 24 hours. Assume your checked bag gets "misdirected".

When I'm travelling with family, the carry on fits enough for multiple people for a single day. When I'm traveling by myself, the carry on fits enough for me for a week. No, why should I check a bag when I'm entitled (because it's included in the airline's fare) to the space?

Not having to check a bag means also not having to wait at baggage claim. And I've had waits ranging from 10 minutes to over an hour.

And no, I do not believe the reason flights are late are because people are bringing bags (referencing your bolded).

 

[sam_gordon]

For me, the recline is so negligible that I don't feel a difference if I recline or don't.

This is me also. I very rarely recline. But you better believe if I'm doing a redeye, I'm reclining. I'm 5'9". I don't think I've EVER had a reclined seat hit me in the knees. And the physics don't make sense either. As you recline, as the head of the seat goes back, the bottom of the seat either stays where it is or goes forward. The bottom of the seat CAN'T go "back". If it did, you wouldn't be reclining.

 

[Moliphino]

This is me also. I very rarely recline. But you better believe if I'm doing a redeye, I'm reclining. I'm 5'9". I don't think I've EVER had a reclined seat hit me in the knees. And the physics don't make sense either. As you recline, as the head of the seat goes back, the bottom of the seat either stays where it is or goes forward. The bottom of the seat CAN'T go "back". If it did, you wouldn't be reclining.

The whole seatback goes back, aside from the pivot point at the bottom. Airline seats (in coach at least) don't do the slide forward and recline. I've had someone repeatedly slam the seat into my knee when I was sitting with my legs crossed (one time I can forgive, but if you hit something stop trying to recline, please!).

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

This is me also. I very rarely recline. But you better believe if I'm doing a redeye, I'm reclining. I'm 5'9". I don't think I've EVER had a reclined seat hit me in the knees. And the physics don't make sense either. As you recline, as the head of the seat goes back, the bottom of the seat either stays where it is or goes forward. The bottom of the seat CAN'T go "back". If it did, you wouldn't be reclining.

My husband's knees hit just above the height of the hinge where the seat back reclines. It's not the bottom of the seat that's the issue, they're fixed in place. Those metal hinges I just referenced will jab him just under the kneecap and he's been in real pain before when someone reclines without warning. So what he'll generally do is try to stretch his legs out as far in front of him as he can under the seat. It's uncomfortable but he manages.

If you're taking a redeye, I think that's a different story, I thought it was generally accepted that everyone reclines on those. Has that changed? We choose not to take them for that reason.

 

[amcnj]

I usually need the leg room and it is tough to put anything under the seat in front of me. I am often in an exit row or bulkhead type seat and they don’t always have anywhere to put a bag underneath. On my last flight the floor under the seat in front of me had small metal rods /tracks on either side of my foot space, which barely allowed my feet to fit there. The other two seats in my row had at least double the underneath space that I had.

 

[sam_gordon]

The whole seatback goes back, aside from the pivot point at the bottom. Airline seats (in coach at least) don't do the slide forward and recline. I've had someone repeatedly slam the seat into my knee when I was sitting with my legs crossed (one time I can forgive, but if you hit something stop trying to recline, please!).

But if the whole seatback goes back, you're not reclining. I think the last time I measured (approximately), the top of the seat moved back about 4". The bottom of the seat moves back 0". Which should mean the middle of the seat is 2". So the where the knees are should be ~1".

 

[china mom]

I agree. At that point just check a bag. I can’t imagine checking in, going through security, walking all the way to your gate with the amount of stuff people bring onto the plane.

My in laws are guilty of this. If it’s allowed they are taking it and filling it to the maximum size/weight allowed. Then she wonders why she’s so stressed come travel day. Look at all of the crap you have!! Just taking them to the airport is a nightmare.

Checking a bag is not a good option for us. we fly standby and sometimes have to abandon our plans and go home. A checked bag really messes that up.

 

[bookgirl]

Everyone gets a chance for one bin space and gets one under seat space (except the bulkhead). How you choose to use/not use/divide that is up to you. I've done both. Brought on a carryon for up top and had a bag for the foot well space as well as put my backpack up top so I could stretch out my legs. (I don't have a problem being separated from my backpack as long as it is close enough that I can see it and I usually just keep my phone and book/ipad in my hands)

What gets me is the person who puts more than one thing up top, that is super annoying.

Or the passenger who thinks they get the space under their actual seat (behind their feet). Bulkhead passengers are known to try this as they often board early. Though I or a family member has had this happen further back as well. I have literally taken someone's stuff out of my (foot) area and handed it back to them, while they looked at me like I was crazy. That's just tacky.

 

[BrianL]

I generally try to travel with only a backpack. Yup, that's right. When I take a 3 day trip to the World, that's all I need - shorts & t-shirts! Now, on the way back I might have one of the ubiquitous Disney shopping bags that are the official luggage of MCO, but typically I can still fit it all under the seat. If not, I will place one in the overhead, but I still travel light.

I really don't understand why they can't just demarcate the overhead bins to correspond to a seat. It seems like there is enough room to do that, but they would have to be strict about your stuff fitting in your slot. But they should be anywya - the things people try to pass off as "carry-ons" these days are ridiculous.

 

[sam_gordon]

Or the passenger who thinks they get the space under their actual seat (behind their feet). Bulkhead passengers are known to try this as they often board early.

Which brings up another question... do bulkhead passengers get TWO spots in the overhead since they don't have a seat in front of them?

I really don't understand why they can't just demarcate the overhead bins to correspond to a seat. It seems like there is enough room to do that, but they would have to be strict about your stuff fitting in your slot. But they should be anywya - the things people try to pass off as "carry-ons" these days are ridiculous.

MANY planes (especially the smaller ones) don't have enough bin space for one per seat.

 

[bookgirl]

With most airlines treating the over head bins as privileged access now there’s absolutely no reason space is running out. Unless they’re overselling somehow.

The number of overheads may match up to the rows BUT often the first few bins have crew luggage and items as well as emergency equipment like first aid kits and the AED, which means that there will never be a match for seats to bin space.

 

[BrianL]

Which brings up another question... do bulkhead passengers get TWO spots in the overhead since they don't have a seat in front of them?

MANY planes (especially the smaller ones) don't have enough bin space for one per seat.

Well, they'd have to size teh bags accordingly, as in much smaller than is current allowed.

 

[Genie+]

I remember not that long ago the flight attendants would go down the overhead bins and making sure all the carryons were on there side. This was enough for all bags to fit. Somehow that’s changed.

 

[Moliphino]

But if the whole seatback goes back, you're not reclining. I think the last time I measured (approximately), the top of the seat moved back about 4". The bottom of the seat moves back 0". Which should mean the middle of the seat is 2". So the where the knees are should be ~1".

Yes... that's the whole seatback going back. It rotates, so the distance back isn't uniform the whole way, but the whole thing moves aside from the pivot point.