These new bins are game changers. United is slowly turning over their fleet to have these and they are fabulous. The last two times we’ve flown we were on equipment with those giant bins. Wonderful!
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There is nothing in those identical, perfectly sized bags on the right. No one overpacking, no sweater shoved in at the last minute, nothing purchased at the airport.
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I hope you never have ‘your’ bin space taken by the extra life vests, oxygen, electrical equipment, etc.
Last time I flew United I was in the very last row and all those bins were unavailable. The woman in the second to last row was trying to get a bag overhead and they told her to put it under her feet. Except that she had a dog, which she’d paid $250 to bring along, who needed to go under her MIDDLE seat. The Flight Attendant very kindly found a new seat for the guy on the aisle (who was thrilled) and the lady got both seats. Not sure the guy in the window seat was as thrilled.
I actually thought the FA had closed a lot of the bins before they were full. I could have played tetris and gotten a few more things overhead.
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Moving this away from baggage issues (assume that’s OK) and asking has anyone tried calling an airline recently? It’s crazy!!! I had an issue that couldn’t be resolved online and had to call Delta. My issue was related to using Skymiles. I spent 27 minutes on hold before talking to someone who told me I had to talk to a Skymiles person. Another 20 minutes–finally got to Skymiles. I had a horrible connection and could barely hear the person. The customer service person told me she was working from home. OK, but get a better connection. I guess I shouldn’t complain because she made reservations for me, but it seems like the wait times were really unreasonable. I’m assuming airlines are cutting back on customer service.
We try to use the chat feature whenever possible (vs. calling). It also provides a written history of the answer. It obviously depends on how complicated the question is.
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I tried the chat feature–my question was too complicated.
I filed a complaint with United, and they say you can call to check on status. I called at least a couple of times, and after extended hold they would say they couldn’t check on it or they had to call or message someone else and I had to hold a long time while they did so. Very frustrating, but nothing “beats” Verizon when it comes to bad service calls.
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Uber has a leg up on everyone else. There isn’t a customer service number! And very limited “complaint” options to choose from in the app. Just terrible.
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Recently I used the chat feature with Hawaiian Air (they cancelled my flight & made a change and didn’t tell me) and that took almost 40 minutes to complete - still easier than waiting on the phone, and I had a written transcript for back up.
Looks like United flight attendants enforcing carry-on rules in SFO as a job action. Daughter is off to make a preso at P’ton and they made her check her poster tube; she opted to keep her roll-aboard so she’d have clothes. She said a guy in front of her in Business had three bags: small softside briefcase, roll-aboard, and suit bag. They made him check the suit bag at the gate.
Flight was not full.
That’s because Alaskans bring big moose antlers onto the plane.
I aways check my luggage and carry something that can be stowed under the seat so I hardly if ever use the overhead bin. One time my husband wanted to put his carryon in the overhead bin but the bin above us was full and closed …and we had 2 seats assigned to that bin. I see lots of people board and put their carryon in on any empty bin, not necessarily the ones close to their seats.
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Some airlines reserve the bins for Economy Plus (United) or its equivalent (Delta whatever) for passengers flying that “class”. Many of those passengers board a little earlier, so it’s probably less of an issue for them, but it does seem to help a bit in preserving overhead space for those passengers and linking bins to seats.
I’m always a bit confounded when I board in an early group, am seated in the first 12-15 rows, and the space over my seat has been taken – because I can’t figure out who took it. A mystery!
We are always in domestic economy plus and we are always in UA group 2. But group 2 now has become the largest boarding group and I refuse to stand in line waiting because most often I do not use overhead bins so we are the last ones in group 2 to board. As you said, sometimes I still find the bins over our seats used. People who have UA cc and have group 2 boarding put their bags in any available empty bins even though they sit all the way in the back.
Same here. I have a nylon zip carry on I refer to as a “shape shifter” that I always put under the seat. It easily fits a toiletry bag, a change of clothes, something to sleep in, an iPad, and a few more necessities.
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My wife and I just returned from a 3 week trip to Europe and we each had one backpack that was the appropriate size to be allowed as a carry on. Our tickets were cheap and we were not allowed a checked bag. Additionally, we have Global Entry so are very against checking a bag in any case, as I see no point to wait at the baggage carousel since we are through the passport control line very quickly.
On the flight home there was no space in the overhead so I rearranged someone’s bags as they put it in incorrectly so it was taking up too much space. It seems there is adequate space if folks would put the bags in properly and use common sense when putting things in the overhead bins. Those that are on first seem to think they can take absolutely as much room as they want and put coats, etc beside their luggage instead of on top of it.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have made a deal for Alaska Airlines to acquire Hawaiian Airlines.
I was going to post that. It stinks.
As usual, Dominic Gates’ reporting doesn’t disappoint:
Interesting how Alaska will handle the Airbus fleet…
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Rather strange deal for Alaska.
Indeed. Still a bargain compared to the recent Rover sale! 
We were flying out of Honolulu recently, and my husband joked how the dude on the tail of our Alaska plane was staring at the pretty lady on the tail of the Hawaiian plane parked at a gate across from ours… it was a sign. 