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.

OP might be overweight?

Regardless what the etiquette is (although it’s perfectly normal in my experience for people to help each other out by passing bags to each other) you sound like an absolute prat

If you had spoken to me in that patronising manner I would have deliberately went slower to make you even more delayed

How many other's on that flight besides to OP have a connecting flight. How hard is that to understand.

Lots of others would have connecting flights, doesn't make OP any more special.

You should have moved for her instead of blocking the aisle

If my bag is ever taken off me I try to get it in a bin ahead of me for this very reason

I mean, I wouldn’t have bothered to try and get back to my bag like that in her shoes, but I also would have let her past if I were you. Big drama about nothing.

Flight attendant here. You're the unreasonable one.

If I have a short connection, I'm only concerned about catching my flight. That's why I always reserve a seat in the front aisles in economy. I think most people feel the same.

So? Still doesn't make you any special. The world doesn't revolve around you. Regular long distance flier here myself ;) give take.

You sound horrendous. I've flown regularly all my life and have quite literally never come across someone who hasn't said 'Sure, no worries'.

If people hadn't got up from their seats to stand in the aisle she'd have been able to get her luggage and return to her seat. Perfectly normal thing to do. Not her fault her luggage was put elsewhere, why did you even think you had the right to manage the queueing etiquette of other people. Honestly it smacks of being a jobsworth and it wasn't even your job.

I am with you, OP. If her luggage was within 10 feet or so and kind nearby passengers would hand it over to her, fair enough but if she was going to have to inconvenience and push past everyone in the aisle for half a plane's length or more (and was then intending to return to place, doing same again) then she was very unreasonable (and in my frequent flyer experience, once the seatbelts are off, the aisle is full). For those who think getting off the plane quickly is unnecessary for a connection, even if one is not catching another flight, lots of us are travelling on to other parts of the country that day which take many hours to reach, involving different forms of public transport, so delays can make it impossible to reach the destination that day. I rue the day oversized cabin baggage was ever allowed but it is a good moneymaker for airlines so they will continue to allow it.

Wow! Sorry bit.youre really being unreasonable. You're alright but don't care about anyone else!!!

If someone wanted to go backwards in the queue I'd have no problem whatsoever helping them do so. I'm happy to be one place further forward.

She wouldn't be getting back past me to come in front though!

Every flight Ivebeen on recently disembarka in order from front to middle/back, (and from back to middle if both doors are open) so YWBU to block the people in front of you from getting off first yes. It wasnt their fault their bags were moved elsewhere and they might have been in just as much of a rush as you

Nowhere did I say I was special, and if you are a regular long-distance flyer, you know the majority of people collect their luggage once it is safe to do so. Nobody listens to the announcement about sitting in your seat until the row in front has cleared.

😂 you can doubt me all you like, I don't really give a toot. No ones going to listen to some random banshee either bossing them around about bag collection and departing from the plane either especially after a long flight.

We missed our connecting flight coming back from Thailand, same airline only left 50 minutes between flights, it happens.

Surely as a frequent business flyer you have amassed enough loyalty points / Avios to upgrade out of Economy, OP?

I've missed connections and had very tight connections that I have only just made in large airports where it takes ages to get from one gate to the next. It's all very stressful and people are often rude and focussed on themselves.

I think the ridiculously large roll on cases that are allowed as cabin baggage are a big problem. If you are not one of the first half to board, by the time you get to your seat in economy you are lucky if you can fit a light jacket in a locker anywhere near your seat never mind a small back pack or carry on bag. So you will get people needing to move up and down the aisle for their bags. I know lots of people who won't check bags after a bad experience and I understand that as I have had luggage delayed and not make connctions, it's a pain. Presumably a solution is to limit the size of carry on bags as so many people just take the mickey or at least take the maximum allowable size. I don't see much enforcement of the rules that are already there either. So many times I see people with a massive roll on case, a back pack and a large handbag, how is that within the rules? I could grumble on forever as I hate flying and airports so much........

I have been on flights that have been delayed and the cabin crew have read out specific flight numbers and said people trying to make those connections should get priority disembarking. I think that's fair though I don't know if everyone else respects that. I wait if I'm not rushing for a connection. OP says she did have a connection.

I quite liked the plane disembarking they used around the Covid times. One row at a time, starting from front and/or back depending on which door(s) were used. No one stood up until the row in front were going. Flight crew monitored it. It just seems much more efficient and ended up being a lot quicker.

That said - I do think that when there are connections and the plane has landed late they should call for all those with connections leaving within a certain amount of time to be able to disembark first.

However, if a plane has landed on time, or early, then really the connection time should be sufficient to allow normal disembarking to happen and not need people to rush their way off. The airlines shouldn't allow people to book connections that aren't feasible without being the first person off the plane.