To think it cannot be mandatory to be asked to check in hand luggage at the gate

[NameChanger401]

I was about to board a flight today and, as often happens, an announcement was made asking passengers to come forward to check in hand luggage as flight is full and not enough space. The announcement said ‘we reiterate this is a mandatory requirement, without priority boarding group must check in hand luggage if requested’.

i usually wouldn’t mind, but today I realised I (stupidly) didn’t have a separate bag to my small suitcase. It contained items I really wouldn’t want to check in - laptop, power bank (don’t think this is allowed), valuables and medication. I therefore basically ‘hid’ away from the gate and came forward at the last minute when I thought enough people had had their bag confiscated (there was plenty of overhead space on board thankfully). However, it got me thinking if I could politely refuse (but didn’t want confrontation which is never a good idea at a boarding gate).

I’m talking about the general, not the specific. I’m not talking about a couple with twin babies, people with disabilities etc.

People do this all the fucking time. Not because they have a need, but because they’re selfish piss takers.

Check the small print. It will tell you you might need to put it in the hold.

They don’t sell more space than they have. They sell a number of tickets which (just about) matches the number of seats available. As they have run an airline for dozens of years, they calculate the amount of overhead locker space available for each flight and the average amount of luggage someone will take. It used to be absolutely fine because most people wouldn’t take the full sized overhead cases. Now that more and more of these cases are available, along with smart solutions for packing them, more people are using them. A family of four going on holiday for a week can pack 4 of these cases rather than putting luggage in the hold (which would cost them less than 30 quid for that 2k holiday they’ve bought, then they’d have 4 rucksacks stuffed full of stuff. This is why they changed the rules and made it under seat storage, because fewer people were using hold luggage.

It is only now generally a problem during the height of holiday season, or if a plane is changed and the lockers are smaller.

For all the “whataboutery” of course if you have a specific reason for needing your bag for medical or security purposes, they won’t make you put your bag on the hold. There are two hundred people to choose from, they aren’t going to pick a fight with you if you prove to them your luggage can’t go in the hold when they can move on to the next guy. This has been a thing for a long time, but happens more often now, which is why I carry one of those “backpack on your pocket” things that folds down to nothing.

Or because they are allowed to. Luckily, you can now choose to fly with an airline that allows you to guarantee your bags remain in the cabin with you. Just avoid shit airlines like BA

Some airlines do. We flew Jet2 this summer and we did this to ensure medications came with us.

How is it selfish piss taking? They aren’t doing anything beyond the constraints of the ticket they’ve purchased!

You could have taken your book.

They can yes OP, but I always just ignore it and no one has tried to wrestle my bag from me.

According to Google, of BA, Virgin and Jet2, the biggest cabin bag size is BA’s: 22x18x10 inches. I’ve seen many, many people bring much larger bags than that on. Pretty much every single flight I’ve been on, for years.

Of course people are taking the piss. That’s why I think the carriers should be stricter.

If you can go away for a holiday with just a bag no bigger than that, I applaud you. Personally I think it’s unlikely.

Yes I can, 2 weeks in a foreign hot country in a villa with a washing machine it’s pretty easy.

I learnt to travel light a long time ago.

If you politely refuse to hand over your luggage then they will politely refuse to let you board the plane.

If you can handle airports and flying im sure you can handle the extra 20 min involved in waiting for your checked bags

🤣 they are strict, that’s why they charge at the gate for oversized cabin bags.

The fact that BA actively encourage a bigger cabin bag means they know they will need to take some at the gate or the overhead lockers will be full. The shitty thing is that they don’t give people the option to pay to avoid this, unlike the more modern, progressive airlines.

I think they’re saying it’s mandatory to offer. But I’d just explain it contains my meds so I can’t.

Many airlines do this. There is only so much space in overhead lockers. A number of European airlines board by zone, won’t let you on until your zone is called (cheapest seats usually last), and if the flight is full, that usually means all wheelie bags for zone 5 passengers need to be gate checked (or you don’t fly). So you need to take out what can’t go in the hold fast at that point.

I now have colleagues who only travel with their under-seat personal item as luggage - as almost all of us have to book the cheapest seats and often have to give up our cabin wheelie bags. (There’s usually about 10-12 of us travelling on the same plane for our trips and they tend to be busy flights anyway).

But I don’t have to, that’s my point. Wouldn’t you choose to make any journey easier if you could?

This is not to say that if we HAD to check the bags for whatever reason then I’d be screaming and shouting because I wouldn’t. We know there’s a small chance they might make us check them, but as of yet that has not happened.

Not at the expense of other people's comfort, no. Which is why i just take a small backpack as carry on which goes under the seat in front

If people kept to the airline limits none of the problems would happen.

And, sorry, but I just don’t believe they charge at the gates, or at least they might do but only in the most extreme cases. I’ve queued up with hundreds, possibly thousands, of people with outsize cabin baggage and I’ve never seen it.

Which are these ‘progressive’ airlines?

How is my carry on case in the overhead locker affecting your comfort? In what way does it affect you at all?

Firstly, because I used to try and put my backpack overhead but then repeatedly got told to move it to seat in front because there wasn't space (because of people like you cramming suitcases up there). That means that not only did you get more suitcase space for your buck, you also get room to stretch out your legs. Yes, unbelievably enough you actually get punished flr travelling light.

Secondly, because its ALWAYS the people witj the carry on suitcases dicking around in the aisle holding the queue up as they haul their suitcase overhead and spend a good minute or so ferreting around for their snacks and electronics and christ knows what, while those of us using the seat in front just slip into our seats

General rule is that airports and airlines can make you do anything they want. If you don't, they will deny boarding and if they are in the wrong it will be handled after you havent been able to take your flight.

I have a backpack too..snacks, passports, headphones etc are in that. My case that is taking up all your overhead room has just my clothes for the holiday. So no I don’t get anymore legroom because I still have my backpack under the seat in front.

If leg room is a problem for you - you could always pay the extra for the extra leg room seats no?

I have no idea how you’ve come to the conclusion we get more suitcase space for our buck? The suitcase doesn’t magically grow once at any point. And usually (depending on airline) we’ve paid for the size of the case we have, which is small and therefore not more space??

You just deal with it. This day and age majority of airlines (budget and "real") only give you a small bag that goes under the seat. I refuse to pay extra for a bag that go to the overhead locker unless I really have to. You just get used to it.

I dont want extra leg room. I just want the standard leg room under the seat in front of me

So you have a suitcase AND a backpack each? 🤦‍♀️

People taking up all the space in the overhead lockers are often piss takers who are too tight to pay for hold luggage. I've frequently seen couples and families , each adult with the biggest possible cabin suitcase size who just don't care if they cause inconvenience to others. As said upthread, they're usually the people dicking around in the aisles.

If you pay for the overhead luggage, you can still bring the small bag (which is a backpack size). I try to survive with a backpack only, but if i have to buy the overhead lugagge space, i also bring a backpack🤷🏼‍♀️