What's Your Take on Airline Etiquette

[crashbb]

Next May my husband and I are traveling for a month to the US with only ONE suitcase. I pack a tux for hubby and a nice dress for myself because Victoria and Albert's have a dress code. I pack so much clothes my husband is always complaining (you may guess how many undies I pack )
Still I manage to fly home with everything clean and washed. I'm always stunned seeing others packed like mules on the airport. For carry on I have one special little suitcase for my lap top, ten mobile phones and my medicine.
I really wish the airlines would refuse the big carry ons some people try to jam into the luggage bin overhead.

You have TEN mobile phones??

 

[TDC Nala]

As long as I'm allowed to carry the stuff onboard without paying for it, I'm taking on as much as I can. If the suitcase does not exceed size regulations, under the current system I will resist any attempt to urge me to check it and pay the luggage fee (or gate check on a flight where the overhead bins are not full)

Of course there are a number of things that should never be placed in checked luggage - valuable items (like musical instruments), prescription medications, personal electronics, computers, etc. There's just too much of a chance that these items will disappear before they reach their destination.

 

[kandb]

My sister was on a flight recently and said out loud "I smell someone's feet" , she turned around and a lady had her shoes off and feet partially out in the aisle. I think the lady did put her shoes back on, but come on, your not in your living room, your in a public place. People are Gross! Linda

 

[Disneyadore]

You have TEN mobile phones??

Pssst I'm an ATA. (Anonymous telephone addicted)
I'm looking for a meeting in Orlando.
And yes we do have ten telephones but we need them for our work. In Europe the system works different. For example I have a Vodaphone card for Belgium but for Germany I need another Vodaphone card. Every country has his own providers and roaming is very expensive. So we have cards for various countries. Of course not alone for telephone but also for Internet.

 

[TSMIII]

I really think there should be a fee for every bag brought to the airport. You get a personal item, that fits beneath the seat gratis. Then, for checked bags you get charged $25. For carryon bags, that need to be stored in the bins, you are charged $15, maybe $10. It's getting to the point of ridiculousness. The stuff that people are bringing onboard with them lately is completely out of hand. I try to get seats in front of the wing. My issue is that many times I have had to find a different bin simply because those around me are taken. Why? Those in the seats behind me have put their bags further to the front. Now, I can't say for sure if that is because they are just plain rude or if it's a case of those behind them taking the spaces so they now have to move their bags further down.
But, when you overhear a mother chatting with her dh at the airport about how they 'beat the system' by carrying on all their stuff, rather than check any bags..and then you see the huge bags each of them have, it boggles the mind. One family of four had....a huge carryon bag (at the limit or even larger), a huge tote bag for each person, and two shopping bags from WDW. I couldn't beleive that they were allowed to board with all that stuff. And to think I was worried about my underseat backpack and my smaller than regulation rolling duffle.

With the prevailing sense of entitlement nowadays, I think we are going to continue to see a lack of airline etiquette. Everyone thinks they're being nice and all....but their needs seem to come befoe everyone elses. It's that 'you first...right after me' mentality.

ITA, except I'd reverse your proposal...I'd charge $50 for anything carried on that is not going beneath the seat and $15 for checked baggage.

I'd want to modify behavior such that people are encouraged to carry on less. This would result in overall better flow through security, in the terminal and throughout the boarding/unboarding process.

With some rare exceptions, most everyone should be able to pack light enough, in a small enough bag, to get everything they will need in-flight, as well as their valuables (electronics, medications, jewelry, etc.), beneath the seat.

But if you absolutely MUST have all of your other belongings with you, for whatever reason, then you certainly still could, within the limits for overhead storage items, but it would cost you - and not just a token cost but one that would essentially have you "policing" yourself by asking yourself the question... "Is it really worth it to me to pay $50 to bring everything onboard with me?"

But that's just me, YMMV

 

[bavaria]

CATSA currently permits for flights from Canada TO the US only 1 purse (A4 size) and one carry style laptop bag with laptop, plus a long list of other items. No rolling laptop bags, no rolling suitcases, and no rucksacks as carry on.

Canadian carriers already had a weight limit for carry on; it will be interesting to see how this plays out as I think that many may be surprised that they can survive with those limits. My usual carry on fits those limits.

The US is the only country with those large carry on sizes permitted, and as airlines continue to look for ways to cut costs I expect that carry on limits will eventually become more in line with the rest of the world.

 

[bicker]

Make the overhead compartments smaller, and put a credit card thingy on the latch. $50 per compartment, just big enough to fit a regulation-sized carry-on without straps, without wheels and without exterior brackets. Hard-sided so that you can't slip an extra inch in and still close the cover.

 

[eliza61]

As long as I'm allowed to carry the stuff onboard without paying for it, I'm taking on as much as I can. If the suitcase does not exceed size regulations, under the current system I will resist any attempt to urge me to check it and pay the luggage fee (or gate check on a flight where the overhead bins are not full)

.

And that's where the fun begins, LOL. Maybe the regulations need to be extended to specify what exactly constitutes what. for example coming back from WDW, you always see people with 4 or 5 shopping bags of stuff plus a carryon or back pack. So are they taking up more space and now the poor flight attendant is left trying to force the overhead compartment shut.

Now they're trying to avoid fees and take every thing on board with them but the bottom line is the space in the cabin is finite. Or I've seen carryon's stuffed to the point that one good stiff wind and that suckers blowing.

So the question does becomes, is this the point where we say the heck with the other passengers (etiquette) in order to not pay a baggage check?

TSMII

That would be an excellent suggestion. Like I said before, I'm a comfort gal. I send Christmas cards to skycaps and valet parking attendants. I'm checking every thing in order not to have to lug stuff on board with me. I swear I did not fly any where when my kids where little because no ways was I schlepping diaper bags

 

[TDC Nala]

That's what it would take for me to change the behavior I am currently displaying (traveling with a rolling suitcase within current US carryon size regulations) - change the regulations. As long as it's kosher for me to do so according to the airline, I'm bringing aboard some type of luggage (either a rollaboard or a duffel) to go in the overhead and avoiding checking luggage. Not talking about six plastic bags full of crap - just the backpack with the computer for under the seat, and the rollaboard.

Just knowing that some other passengers who don't bring aboard suitcases are frustrated with those of us who do because I might take a few extra seconds getting the thing down from the overhead isn't going to do it.

 

[keishashadow]

Last 2 times i flew AirTran (both sold out flights) @ the departure gate they kept making announcements, offering to check carryon baggage free for anybody who cared to take advantage

Out of MCO, on return flights, the number & shape of overstuffed bags (typically a large plastic retail WDW bag that the stores use to place merchandise) that I've seen people blithely carry on w/o a peep from the FAs is astounding & apparently the reason the free baggage check was offered.

 

[goofy4tink]

That's what it would take for me to change the behavior I am currently displaying (traveling with a rolling suitcase within current US carryon size regulations) - change the regulations. As long as it's kosher for me to do so according to the airline, I'm bringing aboard some type of luggage (either a rollaboard or a duffel) to go in the overhead and avoiding checking luggage. Not talking about six plastic bags full of crap - just the backpack with the computer for under the seat, and the rollaboard.

Just knowing that some other passengers who don't bring aboard suitcases are frustrated with those of us who do because I might take a few extra seconds getting the thing down from the overhead isn't going to do it.

Have to agree. I'm pretty sure you're like me...got that correctly sized rolling duffle, I don't roll it on board though. I carry it by it's handle. Then, as I approach my row, it's in my hand, ready to go up into the overhead bin. There are people all around me, still getting stuff put away, trying to decide which seat they are going to sit in by the time my bag is in the overhead, tote under the seat and my seat belt is fastened. It takes me about 3 seconds longer to stow that bag overhead than it would if I didn't have it.
It takes up one spot..fits in perfectly, wheels in first. Any coat I might have goes right on top of it.

But, that's only a very small percentage of us. The vast majority of travelers are trying to bring a ton of stuff on board with them in order to avoid those fees. But, they refuse to pack any lighter. Go figure.

 

[jshuff1]

i say they should come back with the food