Airline Baggage Etiquette 101

by  Amanda Black | Jul 19, 2013
Traveler with luggage
Traveler with luggage / champlifezy@gmail.com/iStock

Ninety-nine percent of the time I travel with just a carry-on. It's convenient, saves me money and time on both ends of my trip (checking in and skipping baggage claim). But one of my biggest travel pet peeves is when people don't know the rules to carrying-on, namely the in-flight etiquette. So, I'm breaking it down for you so you can avoid those evil glances from your fellow seatmates on your next flight. Here's the ultimate guide to carry-on etiquette...

1. Keep Your Bag Close

When you first board the plane, keep your bag close to you. Whether you've got a backpack, a roller, or a duffle, the worst thing you can do to those passengers that are already seated is bash them across the head or knees or roll over their toes.

2. Park it Nearby

Truth: No one likes when you stow your carry-on in the front of the plane when you're seated all the way in the back. It's unfair to those who (ahem, responsibly) planned ahead and picked seats up front. Your bin selection causes a chain reaction of people needing to place their bags further and further away from their seat. In the end, everyone is delayed at the end of the flight.

3. Know the Limits

There are size measurements for carry-on luggage for a reason. But, without fail, there's always some poor shmuck on my flight that tries to push the limits, just in case the rules of gravity don't apply to him. While I'm all for trying to get something for free, this benefits no one: Upon realizing your giant bag doesn't actually fit in the minuscule overhead bin, you have to disrupt the entire boarding process by going against traffic in the already narrow aisle (read: it is not meant to be a two-way street) to check your bag.

4. Be a Good Samaritan

If you're an able-bodied human being and some little old lady – or anyone, for that matter – looks like they're having trouble lifting their bag into the overhead bin, lend a helping hand! Don't just watch and think to yourself, 'Hm, they look like they're struggling...'

5. Leave it Alone

Don't move someone else's bag. This should go without saying, but I've seen my bag moved multiple times without any attempt to find its rightful owner. Which brings me to my other point: Don't ask to move someone else's bag. It's there for a reason. I also cringe when people place their large roll bag on top of smaller items (my backpack) – effectively breaking anything in it of value (my laptop).

6. Unload Beforehand

Don't be 'that guy' who gets up 10 times on a 30 minute flight because he keeps forgetting to take something out from his bag in the overhead compartment. Somehow, this person always ends up sitting by the window and disrupting everyone around them. So, in an effort to streamline things, just plan what you want to keep under your seat and make sure it's in your smaller bag before you board.

7. Keep Your Coat

Airline travel during winter can be tumultuous for many reasons; there are cancellations, delays, and the weather can change things at a moment's notice. And then there's the state of the overhead bins during cold weather spells. Sure, I'm going to be traveling with a big puffy coat, but that doesn't mean I'm going to shove it above my seat – those bins are already small, but to occupy that space with something that compresses when I sit down on it, seems wrong. Leave all that space in the overhead bins for luggage and bigger items, folks.

8. Remember Spatial Reasoning

You remember Geometry class, right? Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but just remember this: If your bag can fit in lengthwise (wheels in first), you'll be leaving a lot more space for other items than if you put your bag in horizontally. By stowing it sideways, you're asking for someone to move your bag (#5) or place their smaller belongings in the bins to occupy the otherwise unusable space (#7).

9. Don't Rely on the Flight Attendants

I think people forget why flight attendants are on planes. Above all, a flight attendant's job is to keep everyone safe. They're not our personal servants. In other words, don't expect them to help you lift your bag into the overhead bin. Sure, they may step in to help if you're having trouble or are holding everyone up, but they have plenty of other things to do before takeoff.

10. Don't Crowd the Aisle

Unless you can get your bag up in a second or two, don't just stand in the aisle with your luggage waiting for someone to take pity on you (see #4). Step out of the aisle, into your seat, and wait for a break in the line of people boarding. Not only will this save everyone time, it will also cut down on the number of angry passengers looking to get to their seats.

Did we forget any etiquette rules? Tell us what annoys you when people don't know how to properly carry-on.

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