How many of you have sat on a plane while the final group boards and easily finds places for all of their carryons? Now, how many of you have sat on a plane, waiting to depart, as flight attendants frantically gate check bag after bag? Frequent fliers know the second scenario is way more likely, and much more frustrating. The introduction of bag fees several years ago, plus the general increase of plane tickets, has led to a situation where no one wants to pay $50 round trip to check their bag.

So I’m going to go out on a limb here. When you check in, take a look at your boarding pass. If you are in the final boarding group, check your bag. It will make things way less stressful for you (and everyone else on the plane!) if when you board you just sit down in your seat, as opposed to getting on the plane, fighting your way to the back for the last spot in the overhead bin, realizing it’s full, then fighting your way back to the front so the flight attendant can check it.

If you’re concerned about cost (which is the main reason non- frequent fliers don’t check their bags), there are a few ways to check your bag for reduced cost or free. Most (if not all) of the legacy carriers have a credit card that allows one free checked bag. Often if you pay online, prior to arriving at the airport, you can get a reduced rate. And of course, one option is to fly carriers (like Southwest) that don’t charge for checked bags. (Seriously—if you are a non-frequent flier on Southwest, CHECK YOUR BAG!! There is NO reason not to.)

I know what you’re going to say. “Road Warriorette doesn’t understand! She gets to board first and never has trouble finding room for her bags!” But I get it, I do! Checking your bag will just make things way easier for you if you are in the final boarding group. And if everyone does it, it will be way easier for the whole plane.

For those of you on a budget, who are never going to check your bag unless it’s free, please, PLEASE make sure that it fits in the overhead bin space! Also, as a commenter mentioned below, make sure you put your smaller carry-on under the seat in front of you. If everyone did that it would also save a TON of room.

Readers, what do you think? Should people in the last boarding group pre-emptively check their bags?

A while back, I did a couple of polls about whether it’s rude to recline your seat while flying. It was pretty well split—some people thought it was super rude and others thought it was mostly okay. In the past, I’ve always been of the mind that it’s perfectly fine to recline as long as you do it slowly, and don’t do it during meal service. Well, after my recent flying experience, I’ve had a change of heart.

A few weeks ago, I was flying home from Charlotte. I had some work that needed to be done, so I got out my laptop. Just as I set it on the tray (but before I opened it), the guy in front of me threw back his seat. Had my laptop been open, he would have broken it. I tried to open it, but couldn’t get it up enough to see the screen, and so gave up.

It’s not that I think that reclining your seat is always rude. In fact, I still think it’s not rude in most cases. However, unless there are extenuating circumstances, I don’t plan to recline anymore. I just don’t want to cut into someone’s space that much. (Of course, if the seat behind me is the exit row, well, I’m totally reclining.) I think people who have a medical condition should definitely recline as needed. I also think that anyone who reclines should do it slowly and mindfully, and try very hard not to just throw their seat back.

Anyone agree? Disagree? Had a change of heart as well?

My own over-stuffed travel purse

You’ve probably seen it happen–someone walking down the aisle of an airplane, totally focused on what’s ahead of them, and completely unaware that they are hitting everyone already seated with their bag. This past week, the woman in front of me on our normal sized Super 80 (so not a small plane with a smaller aisle) was pushing her rollaboard in front of her and had her large purse on her shoulder. As she was walking by a group of people already seated, she literally hit a woman in the face with her purse. Obviously, she wasn’t trying to be rude, she was just completely oblivious.

My recommendation: don’t keep your purse or briefcase on your shoulder—hold the straps in your hand. Then either pull or carry your rollaboard, depending on how narrow the aisle is. It’s not as comfortable this way, but at least you have more control over where your bags go. And you’re more likely to avoid hitting someone in the face.

My younger sister came to visit us last week. When we picked her up at the airport, our first question, as always, was, “So how was your flight?”

She paused. “Well…… it was fine.”

Hardly a ringing endorsement. When I questioned her further, she said that the person she sat next to was clearly not a frequent flier. She seemed okay, if tense, during most of the flight. But when it was time to get disembark, she started to get agitated. My sister, who was sitting in the aisle, stood up to stretch her legs. But as she was in row 14, she was politely waiting for the people in front of her to leave. But the woman next to her started literally pushing my sister, saying, “Go! Go! Aren’t you going to go??” My sister answered that she was waiting for the people in front of them. The woman responded to this by pushing my sister back against her seat, squeezing in front of her into the aisle, and then shoving her way through the aisle-full of people. Um, wow.

Friends, that is not how to handle things. My opinion is that the only time it is borderline okay to not wait for the people in front of you to de-plane is if you have a connecting flight, and are going to miss your flight if you don’t leave quickly. Or if you have a medical condition. Other than that, you need to wait your turn. Since I usually prefer the window seat, I will just stay seated until it’s my turn–no need to stress myself and the person next to me out! It’s just a few more minutes, so be polite to your fellow travelers and wait your turn.

This is something that, in my experience anyway, not many travelers think about. How many times have you finally gotten into your seat on the plane, put your stuff where you want it, and settled in with your book and headphones, when suddenly you are jerked backward because the person behind you is using your seat back as their personal handle? Most people don’t even realize that every time they touch the seat in front of them, it moves. If they grab it and use it to support them while they sit down, the person in front of it feels it. If they elbow it while moving their stuff, it’s similar to the kid kicking your seat during a movie. There is often an empty seat nearby that you can use to help yourself balance as you maneuver into your row, maybe in the middle of the row in front of you, or next to you. Use that seat, not the one with the napping person in it.

That is all. Thank you.

With all of the new fees for checked luggage, there has been a lot of emphasis on travel blogs and websites on packing lighter. I talk about how to pack lighter all the time! It’s more efficient, less trouble, and saves room so you can carry-on. People who travel often are usually pretty adept at navigating the carry-on. And others need a little help. Some people loathe the idea of paying to check luggage so much that they will carry-on no matter what. And when I say no matter what, I mean they will try to make any size, overstuffed with who knows what, misshapen bag fit into an overhead bin. This can have so many consequences,  including other people’s bags not fitting, needing help lifting an overweight bag, and bags falling out of a bin and hitting someone.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when bringing a carry-on:

1. Know your airline’s guidelines. All major airlines have the size and weight restrictions for carry-ons on their website. If your bag is too big, they may make you check it. Also, there are slightly different size requirements for international carriers vs. American carriers, so make sure your bag works for your continent as well.
2. Make sure you can lift your bag. There is no reason for you to expect other people to help you put your bag in the overhead bins. You may be surrounded by senior citizens who can’t help you, or you may be lucky and have someone strong next to you. Also, some flight attendants are not prohibited from helping customers put bags up. You just never know, so it’s better to assume you have to do it yourself.
3. Listen to instructions on where to put your bag. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. On many American Airlines planes, standard sized rollerboards fit wheels first on the D-E-F side of the plane. On other airlines, a standard sized rollerboard will only fit sideways, and there are no instructions given. On one airline, the bags had to go in handles first. If there are instructions given, please follow them; they are given to you for a reason. If you put your bag in the way it is supposed to be, more bags will be able to fit.
4. Only put your large bag in the overhead. Put your purse or briefcase under the seat in front of you, until you know for sure there will be room. Also, don’t put your jacket in a bin unless it’s going on top of or in front of your bag. Again, we’re trying to make room for everyone.
5. Put your bag in the bin as close to your seat as possible. If you are sitting in row 25, and there is no room over 25 and there is room over 23, that’s one thing. But if you’re sitting in row 25 and you put your bag over row 8, that is just rude. If everyone did that then the people in the front of the plane will have no room for their bags. And there is almost always room at the back of the plane.
6. Don’t make it your plan to gate check. I have been reading about people who knowingly bring their too-big bag onto a plane, assuming that the flight attendants will make them gate-check and they won’t have to pay the fees. Wow. If you bring a normal sized carry-on that you are happy to bring on the plane or gate-check, that is one thing. But gaming the system just seems wrong. If you are bringing too much stuff, check your bag. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring less stuff. Don’t slow everyone else down because you’re trying to save $20.

This is the list for now, but you know that if I come up with more I will pass them on. The bottom line is, try to be considerate of others. Take up your allotted space and try not to infringe upon the space of others. Try to be as efficient as possible so you don’t make everyone late. And please, for goodness’ sake, don’t hit anyone with your bag. I’ve been there, it is not awesome. Good luck.

You know when you read something and think, “It’s like they are inside my brain.” Well, that’s how I feel about this list of plane etiquette rules from CheapOAir. Throughout the whole list, I was nodding and saying, “Yep. That’s right. Oh heck yes!! You tell ‘em!!” etc. So, I would like everyone who flies, ever, to read this list. Like right now. And print it out and carry it with you, so that when someone is disobeying the rules you can hand it to them. Okay, maybe not, but they are great rules!!

My favorite is number 3–”Seat Grabber.”  When you are standing up to go somewhere, please don’t grab the seat in front of you for balance. Someone is in that seat!! Most people, it seems, simply don’t think about this. Grab your own seat if you need help!

Also, I would add to number 5, “Carry-on Craziness.” If you are sitting in row 29, please don’t just throw your overhead above row 10. If you do, that means that the person sitting in row 10 will not have a space for their bag and will have to check it. If you are sitting in row 29, and there is no room over 29 but there is room over, say, 27, that is different. But don’t put your bag over a different row without at least checking your row first. Okay, stepping off soapbox now.