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If there’s one window seat left, and an early boarder wants it but the other early border in that row says it’s saved, doesn’t the person have to give it up to the early boarder? </p>
<p>Unless the seat is being saved for a child or physically/developmentally needy companion, I don’t think pax should be able to block seats. If able-bodied adult companion couldn’t get to the airport early enough to get in the SW queue, then it’s the tardy able-bodied adult companion’s problem.</p>
<p>Ok, I give!! I’m sitting on an AA flight right now to DFW - where I don’t have status. I’m in Econ Plus but am one row ahead of Econ. Someone could step over me in Econ Plus but not in Econ. You’re all right!! </p>
<p>“I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the whole pink tagged bag thing. People bring a carry on that’s actually too big to be a carry on and they load it in a separate compartment and then you pick it up on the ramp as you exit the plane. The problem is, a crowd forms waiting for those bags and other people can’t get out because they are stuck behind that group. And that group doesn’t pay the fees for checking and they don’t have to wait for their bags at a luggage carousel. Why did the airlines start doing that???”</p>
<p>This has gone on for years - nothing new at all. But it’s not that people are bringing full size suitcases through security to the gate. It is that there isn’t enough room for latecomer carry-on bags so they need to gate check the last X number. But if there’s a line preventing exiting pax, that’s very poor FA mgt. there’s no reason they can’t line up the pax waiting for bags along the sides and have the other pax exit as normal. </p>
<p>Edit - literally as I’m typing this, the woman across the aisle turned her legs so that the window guy could step over her :-). See?? </p>
<p>First, Business, and Economy Plus classes are experiences I will only dream of unless I am upgraded. My spouse was once upgraded to Business on the first (1 hour) flight of a transcontinental journey. The other six hours were unpleasant, but that one hour was bliss (so I heard).</p>
<p>On the airlines I fly, pink-tag bags are only brought to the ramp or jetway for Barbie-jets w Barbie-sized overhead bins. </p>
<p>On planes w normal sized overhead bins, gate-checked bags end up being delivered in baggage claim.</p>
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<p>Default should be armrest down, middle seat passenger gets priority for use.</p>
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<p>It didn’t help us. We were in Norway for 12 days in January. Our luggage never left home airport. Through some unfortunate typo in baggage search paper, they were looking for it at wrong airports and couldn’t locate it. As we were returning home, I went back to the airline and pointed out the possible typo and had them search again. We just picked up the luggage when we arrived.</p>
<p>I’m noticing the gate checking a lot these days, whenever the flight is full (which is most times). Plenty of people jump up when gate checking is requested, so I think some people use it to avoid checked bag fees.</p>
<p>This phenomena of gate-checking bags in new to me. I don’t fly as much as I once did. After noticing the plethora of “bin-sized” bags that folks were hauling throughout the airport last year, I purchased a new bag that specifically fit the dimensions posted by the airlines. Well, what a surprise to learn on my most recent trip that my wheeled bag nevertheless would not fit in the overhead bin. I was a bit put off because the clerk at the gate and the dadgum flight attendant waived me through to the plane with no problem, my bag clearly in view. Well, I am no dummy and trying to be considerate, I attempted to fit the bag in the bin only for a moment before turning to the flight attendant, who retrieved it for “gate checking.” No need to hold up everyone else.</p>
<p>I subsequently learned that this is a problem specifically on the “regional jets.” My bag would have easily fit on a standard sized airplane. What’s the point? Shouldn’t the airline have told me that beforehand?</p>
<p>By the way, this week I had to de-board a flight because the arm-rest broke. It just snapped off when I sat down. No spare part available at the airport and no empty seats on my flight. When the airport mechanic arrived with a roll of duct tape, the passengers laughed their heads off. The duct tape was just for “barricading” the empty seat. The mechanic said that they would have the part and fix the seat at the destination airport. Wonderful. NOT. Well, at least my airline compensated me and profusely apologized. Getting home 3 hours later wasn’t the end of the world. Also, the mechanic told me that broken arm-rests happen all of the time on the regional jets.</p>
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Barbie-jets</p>
<p>Never heard the term “Barbie-jets” before. Now I am imagining them all painted bubble-gum pink. :D</p>
<p>Or “vomit comets.”</p>
<p>There may not actually be Barbie planes, but there are Hello Kitty ones!!</p>
<p><a href=“http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/”>http://evakitty.evaair.com/en/</a></p>
<p>Just curious-- middle person gets to use both armrests, window and aisle person get to use only one. Why?</p>
<p>I’ve seen the Hello Kitty ones-- cute!</p>
<p>Please don’t talk about Hello Kitty as I am very traumatized by this.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-hello-kitty-in-los-angeles-not-a-cat-20140826-column.html#page=1”>Hello Kitty is not a cat, plus more reveals before her L.A. tour;
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I’m not sure why. But as a once in every ten years flyer, I had the middle seat on the way to our destination, and I guess I didn’t realize that you have to stake your territory early, and did not have an armrest. I was terribly uncomfortable. But then I am a person who uses armrests whenever I sit in a hard upright seat (car, doctor’s office, our kitchen table, restaurant).</p>
<p>On the way home I had a window seat, and didn’t mind not having the armrest because I could lean against the window/plane.</p>
<p>An aisle seat would also be uncomfortable without the use of armrests.</p>
<p>When seated and someone wishes to ‘pass’ I’ll either get up - if seated in an aisle seat - or simply curl my legs up and twist sideways in the seat to clear the passage. I’ve also been known to stand up in the seat to let someone pass. It seems to be much better to stay out of the aisles, if at all possible, during the boarding process.</p>
<p>As for carry on luggage…I used to do a transatlantic flight with children (starting at age 2.5) every other year. We always had a several changes of clothing (nothing like spilled soda - or wine - to make one unhappy), several days worth of socks and undies, basic toiletries and several other clothing items in our carry on luggage. It saved us on many an occasion. Seems that our luggage prefers destinations other than the ones we book on a sadly regular basis. </p>
<p>Aww, the hello kitty planes look adorable! I hope my daughters never see them though - or else it will be their life’s ambition to ride in one!</p>