You're never entitled to overhead bin space on a plane in economy, former flight attendant says

17.01.2024 - 19:45 / insider.com

We've all been there. Waiting among masses of people to board a flight in economy, all angling for the same thing — an overhead bin to store belongings. Miss out and risk an even worse scenario: having to check your bag.

But according to former flight attendant Shawn Kathleen, overhead bin space is a luxury, not a guarantee.

Economy tickets don't guarantee passengers any overhead bin space, she said on the Jtrain podcast hosted by comedian Jared Freid.

Freid recently interviewed the former flight attendant, who runs the Instagram account Passenger Shaming, a profile with 1.4 million followers that shares annoying traveler behaviors in the air.

Freid asked Kathleen about the most annoying things people do on flights.

She said her biggest pet peeve was how passengers often feel entitled to overhead bin space, from attempting to slide their suitcase in the first-class cabin to stuffing other belongings into the limited space.

"Everyone is going to hate to hear this, but a ticket does not entitle you to any overhead bin space," Kathleen said on the podcast. "You're buying a ticket for a seat that gets you from A to B."

This comment followed Freid's explanation of how he uses overhead bins to store his backpack and his suitcase.

"I understand they say, 'backpacks under the seats,' but I think if you can get it up there, let's get it out of the way," he added.

But Kathleen said passengers aren't supposed to use the overhead bin space for anything aside from their luggage, from backpacks to jackets.

So next time you board a flight with an economy ticket, don't assume you'll have room to store your luggage in the cabin.

"If you get overhead bin space, that's just a bonus," Kathleen said.

Kathleen and Freid didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Kathleen is not the first to tackle this topic.

According to Condé Nast Traveler, unless you're in first class or another premium class, airline tickets typically don't include the guarantee of storing carry-on luggage. Overhead bins are otherwise always first come, first serve.

Business Insider previously reported on a travel influencer's viral opinion that overhead bins don't belong to any one passenger either, even if it's above your seat, and passengers should never move bags that are already there.

The bottom line is, if you want to ensure you have overhead bin space, your best options are to book a premium ticket, or pay for an upgrade to board early for easier access to one.