Hunted by all types, but only caught by the fittest and the swiftest: overhead space.

Overhead space has become something revered by all passengers. As airlines began fully booking flights, the struggle to find enough overhead space became REAL. There is nothing worse than boarding the plane with your roller bag, only to find it doesn’t fit in the seemingly always shrinking overhead compartments. As I said in my previous post, I usually board the plane first. This means I get to oversee people using, and more importantly misusing the overhead space. Here are a few rules that I think should be followed when regarding overhead space on airplanes:

1. Get your essentials out of your bag before you board the plane. This will allow you to put your bag up, sit down, buckle up, and not have to hold up the boarding process because you forgot your KitKat and travel pillow overhead.
2. On a similar note, act quickly. There is a whole line of people behind you who are holding their bags, overheating as they yell at their screaming children to quiet down, and they can’t move until you do. Don’t be that person that holds everyone up.
3. You don’t have to put your luggage in your specific overhead space. So grab it while you can… it’s never easy to back track and push you’re way back up the aisle to use that overhead compartment you passed.
4. If it fits under your seat, put it under your seat.
5. If the compartment is deep enough put your bag in lengthwise to save room.
6. Be aware of your surroundings. I have seen too many people whack their neighbor with their luggage as they put it into the overhead compartment. Ouch.
7. Help your neighbors. If you see an old lady or gentlemen struggling to lift their luggage up, be a good citizen and HELP THEM.
8. Lastly, if you’re cheap-o depot and bring an extra big carry on bag because you don’t want to pay the $25 to check it, (I don’t judge you), plane-side check your bag before you get on the plane. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit. I took physics in high school… so I’d know. And if you don’t want to plane-side check your bag… learn a new and more efficient way to pack! [Packing tutorial coming soon!]