"I don't think there'll be space in the overhead bin for your bag..."

Checking a bag is great. Nice not to have to lug your stuff all around the airport, especially if you have any connecting flights.

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

Checking a bag is great. Nice not to have to lug your stuff all around the airport, especially if you have any connecting flights.

Checking a bag is a cardinal sin for the frequent flier, and one of the reasons for this is precisely the connecting flight.

If your first flight is late or canceled, your bag is waiting at your side and you can adapt. If your bag is checked, you open up a world of logistical hurt.

Never check a bag if you can help it.

United 1k! That's great!

Polka Pleez wrote:

[quote]Bring Back the 880 wrote:

Checking a bag is a cardinal sin for the frequent flier, and one of the reasons for this is precisely the connecting flight.

If your first flight is late or canceled, your bag is waiting at your side and you can adapt. If your bag is checked, you open up a world of logistical hurt.

Never check a bag if you can help it.

If that is an issue, maybe it's better to travel lighter and fit your essentials into your personal item (like a briefcase) that can stow under the seat in front of you. Fighting over overhead space is something I don't like to do.

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

If that is an issue, maybe it's better to travel lighter and fit your essentials into your personal item (like a briefcase) that can stow under the seat in front of you. Fighting over overhead space is something I don't like to do.

As but one example, I consider a one-day set of spare clothing an essential. Have you ever seen a grown man carry clothing in a briefcase?

Besides, I don't normally have to fight over overhead bin space anyway, and I didn't have to tonight, either. A casual review of my original post would confirm that too much baggage in the overhead bin was the exact opposite of my actual problem.

Airline logic is not meant to be understood by the traveler. I will never understand why they refuse to allow you to carry a suit in a suit bag folded in half sitting on your lap. Or God forbid resting on top of your carryon not bothering anyone. Instead they demand you to check it. So it forces you to wear it for business trips.

Are your initials T.F., perchance?

Polka Pleez wrote:

I'm a United 1K flier but I didn't have any Star Alliance alternatives tonight.

That wouldn't have done squat for you on an Star Alliance flight. You'd be in coach just like you were on KLM.

Over on the gate attendants forum they are bragging about the cool stuff they were able to steal by forcing you to check your bag.

Do you have one of those enormous carryon bags that barely fit into the overhead? Or is it like a small backpack or something?

Polka Pleez wrote:

Anyway, I'm sitting in my seat now and half - I kid you not - half the overhead is free. So now I have the pleasure of hanging around at baggage claim like a clown all because some attendant struggles with basic math & probability.

Discus.

You are an elitist prick. You make boarding and exiting a plane miserable for the rest of us. Waiting for every person to pull their overstuffed bag out of overhead is insufferable. Why they allow this boggles my mind.

Maybe you should force the flight attendant to apologize to you for causing you any extra ten minutes of wait time at the baggage corral. We all know you are too special to wait.

How about space under the seats?

Frommeled wrote:

You are an elitist prick. You make boarding and exiting a plane miserable for the rest of us. Waiting for every person to pull their overstuffed bag out of overhead is insufferable. Why they allow this boggles my mind.

For the rest of us? As if the majority of people who get on a plane DON'T put something in the overhead, while only some wacky fringe minority does? You clearly don't travel by plane enough to even qualify to have an informed opinion here. If you don't want to wait on me and my bag for 1.5 seconds when getting off the plane, get a seat in front of me. Otherwise piss off.

Besides, I'm pretty sure I get my slim, lightweight roller bag in and out of the overhead faster than the handling time the baggage guys take to toss a checked bag from carousel to truck, truck to loading ramp, and loading ramp to plane when loading the bags. Ergo, your grand solution holds up your plane trip longer than mine does. How's your boggled mind now?

yes_indeed wrote:

Polka Pleez wrote:

I'm a United 1K flier but I didn't have any Star Alliance alternatives tonight.

That wouldn't have done squat for you on an Star Alliance flight. You'd be in coach just like you were on KLM.

Not necessarily. During times when a plane has been near capacity in economy, I've been bumped up to business class because of my Star Alliance status. It's not a guarantee by any means, but my chances are definitely higher than the probability of getting the same with Skyteam (i.e. zero, in my case).

You should have told her to fvck off. You got what you deserved.

Once I had this suggested to me, so I slimply slid my bag in the appartatus that checks the size. Was you bag bigger than 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 in?

Polka Pleez wrote:

Just got on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to the U.K. and the gate attendant insists she has to check my bag because the plane is getting full. Mind you, I'm at the front of the economy class line, so maybe one-third of the plane has boarded at this point.

Discus.

Good. Even you were technically abiding by the rules, the rest of us will revel in the fact that someone finally got punished for all the carry-on abuse in the world.

At least you didn't have to stand the full length of your flight as many do during rush hour here on the commuter trains and from what I hear on those Irish planes. Ha, ha.

The problem is, in my opinion, that airlines have decided they can make a lot more money herding people as if they were cattle from one airport to the next. Ah, to be back when a direct flight meant non-stop and when the seat in front of you didn't hit you in the butt as you turned to get to the window seat.

Mass transportation via airlines is now on par with travel by bus, don't you think? Just terrible.

I believe prices are way too low and airline travel should be geared much more towards the business class than the tourist.

I hate flying and only do so if there is no other choice, meaning car or in my case a 25 foot RV with full toilet, shower and kingsized bed.

Have not checked a bag in 10 years. Not being a prude/arrogant, but for gods sake, carry it on. Worst thing that can happen is a gate check, without having to pay for checked bag. Roll the dice, having to wait an extra half hour for checked bag is ridiculous. Man up people, you throw it down for a race, yet you coward out for overhead space?