Chill, folks

69 comments

Baggage space.
- They have intentionally broken the boarding system in order to get people to pay for upgrades just to get that baggage space. During covid they boarded from the back of the plane to the front, and it was gloriously efficient.
  
  Literally a shittier boarding process because it’s more profitable that way. Freeeee market! 📈📈📈
  
  Back to front boarding is not that great, you want window to aisle boarding.
- Learned that the hard way.
- At least for Delta, they'll book your carry-on for free. So there's that.
  
  I think every airline who gives you a free carry-on will check it at the gate for you for free. In fact, they'll often beg you to do so. But at that point you're losing the benefits of carry-on baggage like access to your stuff during layovers, getting to skip baggage claim, and no chance for them to lose your stuff.

You ever have your whole trip get fucked up because you checked your bag and they lost it? I have.
Also, by queuing up like that, you get dibs on limited overhead luggage space - 15 minutes in a queue is 30-45 minutes you don't have to wait waiting for your baggage to arrive in Baggage Claim because you decided to not be one of those losers waiting for "reserved seats".
It's a good travel strategy to save time and energy later.
- You also don't have to arrive over 45 minutes early just to check your bag.
- I bring 1 carry-on and 1 personal. If I have to pay, there's a bigger problem.
  
  Right and getting on the plane last likely means you'll be checking that carry on at the gate.
  
  On a return trip you can just put your stuff in a box and mail it home.
  Edit: Unless you live in one of those countries where putting a box in a vicinity of a home counts as delivery.
- It also saves the checked bags fee that most airlines have these days.

Nothing to do with my seat. I'll die before I end up having to check bags.
Keep sitting amateur.
- I feel the complete opposite!
  It stresses me out to feel encumbered on a plane. I don't mind waiting at a carousel for a while to get my luggage if it means I can board with nothing but headphones and an overpriced pretzel.
  If they lose my bags, I'll get them back eventually. It's not like they don't have stores at [insert destination].
  
  Depends on what's in your carry-on. They don't have acid stores (yet, well maybe in Portland) so I'll be damned if my ten sheets are getting checked and stolen. Or my take-daily-or-die meds. Or my laptop that would be a huge clusterfuck to restore from backup.
  Imagine flying in 1 day for a wedding and they lose your checked bag with the bridesmaid dress or fitted suit. Happens all the time.
  So yeah, although stores do exist, I'm standing as soon as possible because I want to make sure not to cause myself extreme extended stress due to lost luggage.
  
  Time is money
- I always pack as light as possible. IDC if I have to wear the same 3 pairs of pants for 2 weeks. Undies are what really matter and they're small and easy to roll
  
  At home I won't wear a pair of pants for more than a day (unless I was only out for like, 3 hours)
  But traveling? 1 pair of pants per week, and underwear is generally 0.5 pairs a day, as in I'll wear it for like, 2 days if I can. But if I've been super active I will not be doing that.
- I travel a lot and taking your bags with you on the plane is just inefficient as fuck. Sure, you're out of the airport 5 minutes quicker, but you also have to take that shit everywhere with you. I consider you the amateur traveller.
  
  Oh God I have to wear a back pack and have all my electronics on hand at all times!
  
  Everywhere where? Inside the airport? What's the big deal? Because once you're out of the airport, you still have to carry all your bags, regardless of whether they were checked or not.

As they other two comments said, it's for the overhead baggage space. Airlines need to start enforcing passengers to use their correct/allotted baggage space.
- Or bring back gate check for overhead bags.
  
  They've done that on every flight I've been on in the past like 5 years. They start by asking for volunteers, then start yoinking people's bags as they board.

Hadn't flown in like a decade. I was in group 4 and by the time I got on the plane, there was almost no space left in the overhead bins. I only needed space for a backpack, it was a tight fit. There were still at least 2 groups left plus anyone who arrived at the gate last minute.
So yeah, you better believe I'm gonna be first in my group, put my bag away and relax while the rest take 20 minutes to file in because it's a very complex process...
True they will check your bag if it doesn't fit, that adds a delay in leaving and as others say, increases risk of things going wrong (misrouting, theft).
- So fkn dumb. Just have markers on the floor outside, where everyone needs to stand respective to their seat and have them go in in 3 or 6 waves, one for outer, middle and inner seat each. So much less headache for everyone and so much faster.
- Do you guys not just put your hand luggage under the seat?

The result of charging for checked bags.
More people carry on as much as they can to avoid extra fees, so we get crowds standing at the gate and blocking the walking areas because they all want to be close to first in their boarding group to put their stuff in the overhead bin.
Special fuck you to the people that refuse to stow stuff under the seat, thereby taking up even more bin space with giant purses, backpacks, coats, etc.
- Regarding your stow under the seat comment... I'm a tall dude. I'm cramped enough as is so I'm not putting crap under the seat in front of me as it's the only place I can stretch out. I also check my suitcase virtually everytime.
  I do however bring on a carry-on relatively small backpack with my laptop. I put it in the overhead bin... not under the seat. I don't feel guilty at all. All the other people bringing the biggest ass suitcase possible, along with a backpack and maybe a purse too... they're the ones hogging space, not me with my one backpack in overhead. Seats are crammed enough. You wanna be angry, be mad at the airlines making seats so small and being bag charge crazy.
  
  As another tall guy, I don't really understand.
  My backpack fits under the seat, but it has no impact on what my legs can do, because that's not where the bottleneck is. I don't think legs bend that way to be able to use that space under the seat. My thighs end up wedged between my seat back and the seat in front of me, and they can't really point towards the floor there.
  At the same time, there is absolutely zero chance I am letting my backpack with my laptop out of my sight. The airport already made sure I pulled it out and showed everyone that I am carrying an expensive device. If it's my device, then I paid too much to just shove it in a shared bin with strangers' stuff for a few hours. If it's my work device, then I'm not willing to risk any delay in getting my work done, because that's terribly inconvenient for me.
  
  Not sure why you felt the need to reply…people are allowed 2 carry on bags, one goes overhead and the other under the seat. If you’ve got just one, you’re game for either IMO.
  Yeah, I’m over 6’, yet somehow I manage to stuff a satchel or my coat under the coach seat and not be the dick taking up all the bin space, but I dunno…maybe I’m the asshole for thinking other people are dicks for being selfish. Nobody seems to feel guilty. I mean, we can blame the airline for being greedy bastards for charging per bag driving the issue, but the same could be said about the customer who just looks for a low price thereby motivating the problem in the first place.

I've always thought it was completely rediculous that airlines charge a premium to board the plane sooner, like yea sure you wanna spend extra money to be on the cramped plane for a LONGER period of time? lol. Edit: I read some of the other comments mentioning getting dibs on overhead space and yea, if you're carrying on you bags that would make sense.

Airlines overbook almost every flight. That means if you're not in that line, you have a good chance of getting booted off the flight. It has happened to me a couple times.
They normally give you a voucher to compensate you for the trouble that can be used on a future flight. They will typically try to rebook you (at no cost) the same day if they can arrange it.
- You must be American
  
  Have flown at least twice a year for two decades and never even heard of an airline overbooking a flight.
  The EU would tear you a new arsehole if you tried to sell something that doesn't exist
- Can you tell us which airline you are talking about? Never been booted out of anything.
  
  They will usually announce that they are overbooked and ask over the local section intercom if anyone is willing to take the next flight. You can actually get cash out of it if nobody else wants to go later, sometimes more than you paid for your ticket. Plus a free ticket for the next flight.
  If you're not lined up (or late) and the plane is already full, then they can't seat you and you'll have to take a later flight by default.
  https://wanderwisdom.com/transportation/why-do-airlines-always-overbook-their-flight
  
  United

Unless you're flying Southwest. That shit is a free for all
- I was reading about them, it sounded like they had a "boarding group" for each individual seat? But do they say "groups 1 through 60" or something?
  
  Each ticket assigns you a boarding group, A through C, say. Each boarding group has 60 people in it. When your boarding group is called (alphabetical order) you line up in order at the gate next to a sign that has your number on it. Passengers 1 - 30 of that group board, then when the last person gets on, 31 - 60 board. Everyone gets to choose their own seat, meaning the later you board the more likely you're going to be in the back in a center (not aisle or window) seat, so boarding slows down tremendously by the last few boarding groups.

You queue for overhead space so some damned Karen doesn't hog an entire bin with their carryon, purse and jacket.
- *the karens queue so they can put their carryon, purse, 4 bags of duty free and washbag all separately in the overhead locker, only to be told by the cabin crew that everything but the carryon has to go under the seat in front of them when you arrive with your one carryon
  
  The whole process of people trying to bring too much and be reprimanded gets old on large scale, every. Fucking.time. as well
  Sometimes shit goes though 🤙

This makes sense for Southwest, though. Absolute free for all.

69 comments