[FDOS]

I’d be interested in opinions on this scenario.

Travelling on a full fare ‘C’ class ticket, you are sitting in the last row of business class on an A320, which is literally sold out in all classes. You boarded early, to find space in the overhead for a computer bag, with a very expensive laptop and a second hand luggage with a delicate piece of teaching equipment – this is within the agreed hand luggage allowance – you are relying on this equipment to fulfill an engagement with a client and wish it to keep it in as controlled a space as possible on public transport.

Just before the doors close, a family of 4 board, to occupy 1A-1F, with roll aboard cases and other hand luggage The cabin crew member wakes you up (you’ve flown overnight on a narrow body and are very tired) to ask if you mind your hand luggage being removed down to the floor under your seat, to accommodate the family’s luggage (which seems to be more than the allowance).

What do you say?

Just to close the circle, the cabin crew subsequently discovered one and a half empty overhead bins halfway down the business class cabin, and this solved the problem. I’m interested in perspectives on what service level people expect on a very expensive ticket, after all it is no passengers fault that the airline removed storage cupboards, crammed seats in and created a situation where there is not enough space for everyon’e hand luggage.

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PatJordan

[MartynSinclair]

Cabin Crew deciding their overnight bags also need to fill the club overhead bins causes additional limitations on space. The ONLY reason I try to board first when travelling club is to fit my bag carefully in the bin overhead my seat.

I think the price of the ticket is irrelevant, the problem is caused by gate staff not enforcing cabin baggage rules.

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BPP, PatJordan, LuganoPirate

[CathayLoyalist2]

Based on FDOS´s post I would have politely declined i.e.expensive equipment etc. Like FDOS on all flights I board early to ensure locker space is available above my seat. On short haul essential. With all these types of requests it is down to how the question is asked and how the response is framed. Had I had just had a rucksack maybe less of an issue just so long as said rucksack wasn´t put in a locker half way down the plane. What has irritated me is usually economy passengers sticking their bags in business class lockers!!

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Montysaurus, Catalina, BPP, PatJordan, LuganoPirate, ASK1945, FinnKZ229

[GivingupBA]

Personally I always do what cabin crew ask me to do whether I like it or not. I am sure they have good reasons for asking.

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PatJordan

[esselle]

Given the circumstances outlined by FDOS I would politely decline.

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Montysaurus, openfly, PatJordan, LuganoPirate, ASK1945, Mark

[SimonRowberry]

Hi,

I come across the same issue when seated in Row 1. I travel with a small, purpose-built camera rollbag with equipment in it that would cost around £10k to replace. Yes, it is insured, but some of the pieces would not easily be replaceable. Like FDOS, I always aim to board as soon as possible, so I can stow this valuable gear in the overhead.

On several occasions (including last night on AY), I have not been able to be early on board, and people were ignoring the label on the first row bin that said “reserved for first row” (or something similar) and stowing their bags there anyway. It can be incredibly frustrating as the crew have to place the bag wherever there is a free locker, which can be several rows behind.

The worst I saw was on an AY flight a while back (which didn’t directly affect me, but was still the height of ignorance). I was in 1A and the guy in 2A boarded after me and used the overhead marked for Front Row use only. As I say, this didn’t affect me as, for once, I was totally hand baggage free. However, an elderly lady then boarded, who had a clear disability and mobility issues. She was in 1C and had a single roll bag. I helped her try to get her bag into the overhead, but it was already full with the guy in 2A’s gear. I asked if he wouldn’t ming please moving it back to the bin above his seat, so the lady could access it. His response was to tell both me and the lady to “Foxtrot Oscar” because, as he put it, :”My Company has paid a lot for this flight and I’ll do what I want.” In the end, the cabin crew told him to move it.

I had a few choice words with him once we had disembarked in Helsinki……

There are some very entitled idiots out there!

Safe travels,

Simon

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Montysaurus, BPP, PatJordan, LuganoPirate, Jacob, esselle, ASK1945

[Flyboy18]

From a crew perspective we try to spread our bags out throughout the aircraft. If you have a better suggestion, please let me know.

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PatJordan

[Flyboy18]

As crew we don’t know how much you paid for your ticket or what expensive items you have in your bags. Just explain that the item is expensive or fragile and pretty much all crew will move on to find another solution. The removal of storage cupboards? Not sure what you are on about there…I can only speak for Heathrow and all/most small airbuses have wardrobes, but these do have weight limits. As crew, baggage is the biggest pain for us. Ground staff that have been out sourced rarely enforce baggage restrictions and thus leave us to be the bad guy. We can only do what we can with what we have. While it’s no fault of the passenger, it’s also no fault of the crew. But we all know where the fault lies!

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Montysaurus, PatJordan, Luc Jones, FinnKZ229, Jacob, SimonRowberry

[dutchyankee]

FDOS for me as long as your carry on luggage was in the bins above your seat (which I assume was the case) then you would be perfectly in your rights to decline. If your bags on the other hand were in the bin above row 1, then I would have moved my bags as requested. Luckily a solution was found. But fully agree with other posts regarding ‘entitled’ passengers and/or travellers using Business Lockers that are in economy. Some airlines are very good at policing this (LO, LX, AF) but BA is quite poor about this. Similar to the use of the toilet in front but that’s a different topic.

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Montysaurus, PatJordan, SimonRowberry

[AlanOrton1]

IMHO, I don’t think ticket price is relevant.

I tend to agree with the announcements you often get on US domestic flights – ‘place your larger piece in the overhead locker and the smaller piece under the seat in front of you’.

If everyone approached hand luggage like this I think there would be a lot less stress in regards to rushing to board first and pax arguments. But this would naturally need to be a uniform policy and cabin crew to rigorously enforce.

Last short haul flight I had pax place an item of their hand luggage under their seat (not the seat in front of them) so in my foot space. Same happened to my wife on a flight Sunday evening (row 12).
Hopefully not a trend of entitlement where people think it’s fine to do this so they get more foot space at the expense of the pax behind them!

I also tend to avoid row 1 due to the lack of under seat storage space.

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Montysaurus, PatJordan, CheerUp, Flyboy18, SimonRowberry

[DavidSmith2]

This is such a tricky one isn’t it. Saying ‘no’ is perfectly reasonable. Saying ‘yes’ is very helpful and polite. As CathayLoyalist said, I think the way it is put can make a difference… as can my mood at the time, and the items involved. Sometimes I have said yes, sometimes no. The main issue, IMHO, is the failure of check in and bording staff to stop passengers bringing on more than they should. And the second issue is the attitude of the other passengers involved.

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PatJordan, SimonRowberry

[MartynSinclair]

I always think of Cedric Statherby’s suggestion about excess cabin baggage (years ago).

Charge for all cabin baggage and the problem will soon go away… (and I would not complain even when travelling in business)…

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PatJordan, Flyboy18

[Senator]

The situation with carry-on is getting a lot worse across most carriers I fly. I will be honest and say that I always have two pieces: a briefcase and my roller bag. It’s not uncommon for me to be away in the US for a week with carry-on only as I may visit four to five cities in one week. Dreading the wait five times, I optimize for carry-on.

Whilst I sympathize with FDOS I am not sure an entitlement system based upon price or status is enforceable onboard by the crew. I for one, regard the free seat in European business/Club as an excellent place for storage. I am uncertain if a piece of luggage would be at a greater chance of damage under the seat compared to overhead. I am not an expert.

What I notice is that real problem is not the amount sometimes, but how selfishly we pack our stuff onboard. I was almost dead last onboard Air France CDG-AMS last week, seated in 1C. It was a madness, and I was late due to late inbound from JFK. My bag was ultimately stored in the cockpit (don’t ask), but as I put my laptop overhead I realized it would have fit if we, the passengers, would take 5 seconds to organize ourselves. Quite frankly, it starts with us doing our bit.

However, I recognize we may have different expectations. I do my outmost to do my part by packing the overhead lockers properly.

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dutchyankee, PatJordan, Flyboy18

[Inquisitive]

I would have said no; and might not been politely.

However the post from the crew member is valid. Modern aircraft has enough space at the front section wardrobe and for crew luggage, but those also could be full.

A good airline crew normally treat all passengers equally. I have seen crew members trying to accommodate luggage in other locations including economy section in SQ and United. That said there shall be some control on number of carry on luggage although I am guilty of carrying 2 carry on almost always and I board early to get the space.

1 user thanked author for this post.

PatJordan

[cwoodward]

I would decline and also complain to the flight manager
Roll on cases belong in the hold on busy flights

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PatJordan

[Author]

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