AIBU - Etiquette disembarking plane

[planeetiquette]

I recently flew into LA, the flight was jam packed and the overhead lockers filled up quickly so the flight attendants took bags off people and put them wherever they could find space in the lockers.

I was in an aisle seat, and had a connecting flight, so when the seatbelt sign went off I stood up like everyone else, got my carry on out of the overhead locker and waited to disembark.

That's when an American lady from the row in front of me turned to me and said she needed to get past me to get to her luggage and then bring it backto her place in the queue.

I said sorry, that's not going to work as the aisle is really narrow and filled with luggage right now, it'd be best if you sat down and waited until some people have disembarked so there's more space.

She got angry and said "Fine, if you don't move I'm going to BLOCK the aisle. We'll get the flight attendants involved"

It wasn't just her, there was also a group of men in front who needed their luggage from the back of the plane as well and they backed her up (!)

After such a long flight I was over it, and said in my most calm but firm voice:

"Guys, waiting is a fact of life, you're just going to have to sit and wait.

"Your luggage is down the back of the plane. I'm sorry but that's not my fault. This is a very narrow space and I don't know what you want me to do."

In the end the flight attendants never got involved, as someone behind me passed luggage over my head to the lady and the men.

At the time I thought I was in the right (I fly a lot for work). But the more I think about it, is that just how they do it in the US? If you're "ahead" in the rows, you retain the right to get off first even if you're not prepared? If that's the case, I understand why she was angry.

This 😂

You were blocking the aisle.
YABU

@planeetiquette bollocks! Not being touched other than an elbow jut....

Do you not travel by plane a lot......

But your OP said - your emphasis:

That's when an American lady from the row in front of me turned to me and said she needed to get past me to get to her luggage and then bring it backto her place in the queue.

Your OP suggested you were more shocked and irritated by the suggestion that she wanted to pass you and return to her place in the queue.

Now you're saying you didn't want her to pass you and be "squished". Regardless of where she ended up having attempted to retrieve her luggage.

So what is your AIBU? That you wouldn't let her pass you? Or you wouldn't let her pass and return?

But she really didn't want to be touched, so she stood in the aisle waiting to disembark 🤔

The trouble is that no one's in a good and tolerant mood at the end of a long haul flight. I'd have just let them go ahead with whatever manoeuvres they wanted to make. Obviously when the doors opened I'd just start moving forward not waiting for them to come back or anything.

It's all of it. The whole thing was just so unneccessary in such a small space and I'm glad I stood my ground.

@planeetiquette if you're glad you stood your ground, why ask for validation?

So odd!

@planeetiquette the whole thing may have been unnecessary to you, but you don't get to dictate what order people deplane just because you have your bag in the aisle.

I like to stand up as soon as the seatbelt sign is off as well. Its nice to stretch my legs and have a bit more space. In your scenario I would have done the very British thing of not saying anything, but not making a huge effort to move my belongings and hoping she could squish past that way. Also I would feel a bit sorry for her as it isn't her fault her belongings ended up at the back of the plane. It's an absolute faff when it happens and if you miss your row in the plane, you sometimes end up having to wait until the passengers needing assistance get off, so it could add a long time to your wait.

Yes I think you've hit the nail on the head that it was the way she asked that was the problem (very similar to your cousins)

We experienced something similar. An announcement was made asking passengers to let those with connecting flights disembark first. Half the plane lined up, and there seemed to be little movement. The announcement was repeated, noting that it was unlikely that everyone standing in the aisles had a connecting flight. About a third of them sat back down.

Assholes be assholes.

Surely she had a right to fetch her luggage? It wasn't her fault it was at the back. Why should she be unable to fetch it just because you had chosen to stand up way before you could conceivably leave the plane?

This thread reminded me of one of my major pet peeves when it comes to my fellow plane passengers (upthread quite aptly described as gorillas).
I mean the ones that jump up as soon as the belt sign is switched off and then push forward down the isle from the rows behind as if they have some sort of priority. Having to actually ask them to stop and let me get out of my seat is a common occurrence unfortunately.
A little courtesy and consideration goes a long way.
Signed - frequent flier, familiar with the joy of tight connections 😂

I think there is a huge issue now with people taking the piss by bringing in what seems to me to be obviously oversized carry-ons. These take up so much space that there is not room for those who boarded later, (not necessarily late) have no choice but to put theirs far from their seats. I think adds to the general chaos involved in disembarking.

I swear, on one flight, one guy boarded with a carry-on that was almost as big as my checked suitcase.

Really! You were rude. How much would it inconvenience you to let her through.

whenever I fly, I sit back and let everyone off first and then take a stress free calm exit. And guess what? We all end up at the same place, at the same time, but My blood pressure is a lot lower

I think you were rude, and clearly could have moved back into your seat (with your luggage) for the second it took the other passenger to go past.

If they have hold luggage to collect, it makes no difference. I remember finding which carousel to go to and lo and behold my suitcase was on the belt.

I would have thought the British were hotter on queuing than Americans. I've never heard of anyone getting to hold their place in the queue when they move out of it like that.

Not read it all but I probably would have let her past to get her luggage but then moved into her spot so I could get off the plane quicker. Would have been hoping that her bag was really far down the plane so she wouldn't get back to me before everyone started getting off. And if she had I'd just be nice and say I hope you don't mind I've got a connecting flight.

I agree with you OP . She should have sat down and waited to get her luggage

Why should OP get to be able to get her luggage and then stand there in the way of everyone else wanting to get theirs?
Said in the OP I think where it was a case of putting your luggage as and where .
So not their fault if theirs was past Blocky Mcblockerson?!

You were wrong , you should have let her past to get her bag.

There’s no “place in the queue” - she needed to sit down and wait if her luggage was at the back.