A TikToker who complained about passengers placing their carry-on luggage in the “wrong” spot has sparked a heated online debate about etiquette at 30,000ft.
A user named eye.be.okay uploaded a video onboard a flight as other passengers make their way down the aisle with the caption: “Airplane etiquette 101: Don’t place your carry-on in row eight on your way to row 26”.
While some commenters felt that most passengers would know to place their belongings above their assigned seat, others said overhead bins should be reserved for bigger items of carry-on.
“If you only have a backpack and you know overhead bins are limited, PLEASE put your backpack under your seat like any other personal item,” said one person.
Others felt “entitled” to their one bin space, however, with numerous people stating that they would place a rucksack that could theoretically fit underneath the seat in front in the overhead locker on principle.
“I am entitled to one overhead carry-on like everyone else,” wrote one user. “I have long legs and I don’t enjoy being crowded under the seat. Overhead it is.”
“Technically, the plane should have more than enough space for everyone carrying a carry-on,” wrote another. “But people think a jacket deserves a spot!”
“Nope, I put my carry-on in the first spot I see. That way, I don’t have to carry it back and forth,” wrote a commenter, while the original poster replied: “Your convenience is not anyone else’s problem. Buy a seat closer to the front if this is a problem for you.”
The divisive issue of who is entitled to which spaces on a plane is far from purely theoretical.
In 2021, a brawl involving numerous passengers broke out on a Tunisair flight over the use of the plane’s overhead bins.
The situation degenerated into travellers fighting in the aisle, with the incident causing a five-hour delay.
