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Home » American Airlines » Crazy: American Airlines Passenger Kicked Off For Putting Bag In Wrong Overhead Bin?
American Airlines

Crazy: American Airlines Passenger Kicked Off For Putting Bag In Wrong Overhead Bin?

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 8, 2023April 8, 2023 68 Comments

Kicked Off Wrong Overhead Bin

If a man really was kicked off a flight for “accidentally” using the wrong overhead bin space, I hope the flight attendant who works for American Airlines loses his job and is forever banished from the industry.

Claim: Man Kicked Off Flight For Placing Carry-On In Wrong Overhead Bin On American Airlines Flight

Here’s the claim: a man boarded AA5644, a flight which operates between Washington National (DCA) and Providence, RI (PVD). The flight was operated by PSA, which is wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines. He placed his bag in the “wrong” overhead bin, presumably in the first class bin when he was seated in economy class.

A flight attendant named Randi (or perhaps Randy) went crazy. Per another passenger onboard, the flight attendant had the man kicked off because he did not “conform and comply so he must be punished” (words of the flight attendant).

Other passengers were outraged and even the other flight attendant onboard expressed disgust over what went down. The passenger is pictured leaving the plane. From my perspective, it looks like he left voluntarily rather than being kicked off, but the claim is that he was forced to leave.

POV: youre on @AmericanAir flight watching a man get kicked off the plane for accidentally putting his bag in wrong bin

FA emphasized that he did not “conform & comply so he must be punished”

Flight 5644 do better. FIRE RANDI & apologize to this PAYING customer. pic.twitter.com/IoUqMMaj9R

— kenzie (@kenzieharms_) April 7, 2023

On Shared Overhead Bin Space

Overhead bin space is shared. You are not entitled to the space over your seat and space is allocated on a first come, first served basis. But there is one important exception.

Overhead bin space is a free-for-all only within your cabin of service. You, as a coach passenger, are not entitled to use first class cabin space, unless explicitly granted permission to do so. More overhead bin space (due to fewer seats) is one of the perks of flying first class and premium cabin passengers boarding late should be afforded overhead bin space within their cabin.

So let’s just play this scenario out. A man boarded a regional jet and is seated in the first row of economy class. The bins are full over his seat but he notices an opening in the first class section. So he puts his bag there.

The flight attendant was quite right to stop him, unless the flight was already fully boarded.

Indeed, if you board late, you must either gate check your bag or walk toward the rear of the plane until you can find space.

But courtesy matters. It sounds like this flight attendant was incredibly rude about it. Perhaps some words were exchanged and the passenger was thrown off.

Thus, this story is less about the overhead bins space itself and more about how a flight attendant talks to passengers. There’s too many rude flight attendants and being nasty to customers, especially if they are infrequent travelers and make a mistake, is wholly indefensible.

If “Randi” really did say that the passenger did not “conform and comply so he must be punished,” then I think Randi should be fired. Such a toxic attitude has no place in the skies, especially in a customer-facing service role.

CONCLUSION

You must generally use overhead bin space in your own cabin of service. The issue here is not that an American Airlines passengers was told he could not use first class overhead bin space, but how he was told. Treating customers with respect and decency is the absolute bare minimum that should be expected of a flight attendant. If this did not occur, the flight attendant should be promptly terminated.


(image: @kenzieharms/ Twitter // H/T: View From The Wing)

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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68 Comments

  1. DCAWABN Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 11:33 am

    Hard disagree on it being a free-for-all. If you’re in row 30 and I’m in row 10 and for whatever reason there’s no overhead space when I board because someone else has occupied it – and it’s abundantly clear that space is being used by someone NOT in my row – I’m absolutely going to remove it and/or inform the FA that there’s a left or unaccompanied bag on the plane.

    We’re in a shared space and there’s absolutely a social contract that you don’t infringe on the space, storage or personal, of everyone else just because you want to or because you “got there first”. That’s entitled and juvenile, at best. Putting your bag at the front of the plane so it’s “easier” for you while inconveniencing others is 100% an asshole move and I’d take joy in seeing someone’s bag left behind at the gate as a result of this. Why is it so difficult for people to be even remotely considerate of others?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 11:39 am

      Absolutely unacceptable and if I see you do that, I’m taking your bag and setting it down in the middle of the aisle. With respect, you are totally in the wrong. You are not entitled to the space over your head. It may be a dick move if row 30 takes the space over row 10 when there is space over row 30, but not if row 30 is full. In that case, you take the first space you can get within your class of service, even if it is 40 rows away.

      • Brsr Reply
        April 26, 2023 at 6:51 pm

        I’m a disabled diabetic and I have several medical bags that I must have within easy reach at all times. I can’t put them just anywhere.

    • Aaron Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 12:53 pm

      Crew store their bags in row 30 sometimes, could be theirs.

      • Aaron Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 12:54 pm

        or Row 10 etc

    • Richard Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 2:17 pm

      If I paid $1,000 to $2000 (or any price) for a 1st class seat, I would be livid if I didn’t have my overhead storage available to me because some idiot not in first class seating put their luggage in the 1st class overhead bins. I would immediately inform the FA that it needs to be removed and checked in. This is unacceptable in ALL levels.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 3:14 pm

        @Richard: I do think your expectations are reasonable. And good that you would inform FA rather than take action yourself, which could create needless drama onboard.

    • Aaron Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 4:31 pm

      Gotta agree with DCAWABN on this one.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 4:38 pm

        You do? Seriously? Can you help me understand why? I view it as presumptuously disgusting to touch someone else’s bag.

        • Aaron Reply
          April 8, 2023 at 4:59 pm

          You don’t take someone else’s space in the overhead bin above their seats. If all the seats are filled and/or the doors close and there is still space left there, by all means, put your stuff there. Otherwise, it’s not your space.

          • Matthew Klint
            April 8, 2023 at 5:15 pm

            Says who? If the space above my seat is full and the space above your seat is open, I’m taking the space above your seat (provided we are in the same cabin).

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 6:08 pm

            Nope. You can avail yourself to the space above my seat, but only if me and anyone else assigned to that row have already stowed our items there. It’s just common courtesy.

          • Matthew Klint
            April 8, 2023 at 6:10 pm

            “Common courtesy?” Says who? The airlines make clear that all overhead bin space within a cabin is shared. I don’t understand where you derive your standard from.

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 6:19 pm

            I must be real fun on flights–the row and overhead police

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 7:14 pm

            Says anyone who has it, I suppose.

            Besides, why wouldn’t someone expect the overhead bin above their seat to be for the people this that particular row?

          • chancer
            April 10, 2023 at 6:41 am

            Do you make other passengers move their bags because they didn’t know your rule that the bin directly above a seat belongs to passengers in that row and only that row? Because I’m telling you to move my fully packed Pelican yourself, just like the last person who boarded late then whined about having the space directly over his head.

          • Caity Sue
            April 25, 2023 at 5:09 pm

            It sounds to me like you might be one of those people who ask someone to move their car (on a public street) because it’s parked in front of your house. That is NOT your space. It’s nice to be able to park in front of your house, but at the end of the day, it’s a public spot. Same with overhead bins on a plane.

          • Matthew Klint
            April 25, 2023 at 6:19 pm

            That’s a very good analogy.

        • Mike Reply
          April 9, 2023 at 3:08 pm

          I’d guess most of the people disagreeing with you here, Matthew, have never had to staff a cabin. FAs have enough to deal with already; they do not need to be the luggage police. You’re spot on. Overhead in in your own class, and no guaranteed spot.

    • PolishKnight Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 9:42 pm

      This topic came up before here. I saw a jerk doing this 2 years ago and didn’t have an immediate reaction, but looking back I wish I had moved his bag over to another overhead a few rows back on the other side. He then would have had to wait for all the other passengers to disembark before searching it down.

    • CC Reply
      April 9, 2023 at 3:01 am

      Darling, when but a ticket or book a seat, you BOOK a seat. Not the space above you. Overhead space is shared space, if you don’t like something – fly with private jet or get in the overhead locker if you say “it’s your’s space”.

    • Wishamfwood Reply
      April 9, 2023 at 8:04 am

      Honestly if you even touched my bag I’d be annoyed. If you removed it from the bin you’d get knocked tf out though.

      • PolishKnight Reply
        April 9, 2023 at 3:12 pm

        “Honestly if you even touched my bag I’d be annoyed. If you removed it from the bin you’d get knocked tf out though.”

        All the more reason for someone whose so persnickety about their private property to locate it in a bin CLOSE to them where they can see it (wink.)

    • Phillip Lindstedt Reply
      April 23, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      I traveled 1 million miles with Delta before I retired. I have seen the row 30 guy put their carry-on in row 10 scenario. Many times. Usually it’s so that Mr Row 30 can run up the isle to deplane ahead of the 20 rows front of him. Not really good etiquette. I have also seen coach passengers put carry-on in first class bins. More often than not the first class passengers alerts the stewardess and they store it with the flight crew carry-on. Without incident. Obviously that unreasonable Randi is a dick head and should be fired.

  2. lars Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 12:12 pm

    I’m feeling the James Brown haircut though.

  3. Brandon Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 12:44 pm

    This is why I wanted more information about the story yesterday. There are enough entitled FA’s to believe there might be more to the story.

    • Aaron Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 12:52 pm

      What is not happening on planes these days?? OOC behavior since the unconstitutional mandates.

      • Aaron Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        Stop posting this nonsense under my name, LOL.

        • Aaron Reply
          April 8, 2023 at 6:12 pm

          What nonsense?

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 7:15 pm

            The usual unrelated nonsense that you usually post about, LOL, or whatever name you are using this month (besides mine).

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 7:27 pm

            LALF comments stay lit

          • Matthew Klint
            April 8, 2023 at 8:31 pm

            To the new Aaron: game over. Use a different name.

  4. Roland Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    Matthew, won’t you ever get tired this?!

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 1:26 pm

      I do, but my readers do not!

      • Stafford Lang Reply
        April 13, 2023 at 5:36 pm

        The main problem with the use of overhead space is the over sized bags and the grocery bags, coats, pocketbooks, and other “under the seat” items that take up space in the overhead space for bags. Not a good idea to touch anyone’s property without their permission. FA should be involved by not allowing passengers to take up space reserved for carry on baggage.

  5. John Dogas Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 1:29 pm

    This type of thing is why I hold flight attendants of the US Airlines in very low regard. They often instigate situations with passengers and abuse their authority over flight safety when a passenger complains about poor service or exercises his or her rights as a passenger. Flight attendants chose to enforce mask mandates and caused thousands of passengers to be removed from flights or even arrested when they could have ignored enforcing an illegitimate policy. They have no problem ignoring airline policy and no problem taking unauthorized breaks, not doing their jobs, and abusing non rev rules. They could have done the same for mask mandates.

    Just because someone puts a bag in one cabin does not mean he or she should be kicked off the plane. It’s excessive and unjust.

    I’m not going to comment on the picture of the flight attendant because it is self explanatory. The U.S. airlines have the worst batch of the population as flight attendants while MENA, Asian, and European Airlines tend to have the best ones of the population. The North Korean flight attendants provide better service than most of the U.S. airlines.

    • Aaron Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      This. There needs to be more pride and decorum. National pride doesn’t equal white supremacy. Other countries are proud to represent, ours isn’t. I get there isn’t a lot to be proud of right now but we need to focus on the positions. Overall aviation CX really needs an overhaul from the ground up. Tasers aren’t the vibe.

      • Aaron Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 6:30 pm

        positives*, the LGBTQ+xyz wants us focusing on the positions

        • Aaron Reply
          April 8, 2023 at 7:21 pm

          2 more posts from LOL under my name.

          “National pride doesn’t equal white supremacy.”

          Recycling Laura Loomer talking points, are we? Throw in a dig at queer people, and you have a typical post by the person who was using LOL recently as their name on here.

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 7:25 pm

            I identify as an Aaron. That’s how it works. Also I don’t know Laura Loomer but The Atlantic wrote a piece on nationalism and patriotism. Patriotism is national pride. It’s allowed.

          • Aaron
            April 8, 2023 at 8:36 pm

            Whatever you say, LOL.

  6. Jan Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 2:03 pm

    Another reminder that Sara Nelson wants these guys armed with tasers.

  7. Wayne Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 2:08 pm

    For those who abuse carry-on luggage protocols and cop an attitude, let them stay on the plane, but send their bag on another flight.

  8. Dave Edwards Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 2:21 pm

    The residual effort of the guy he met last night not giving him a reach around. After a few too many Bud Lights.

    • UA-NYC Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 4:50 pm

      You seem bizarrely obsessed with this. Maybe a bit too much in common with this guy.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Craig_scandal

      And/or this one

      https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna74182

  9. John Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 3:13 pm

    Bins fill quickly because people are allowed to bring massive amounts of luggage onboard. The rules on size limits are clear and they are not followed and rarely enforced.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 3:13 pm

      You are certainly correct.

    • chancer Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 7:45 pm

      Not when it’s commuter aircraft in which case bin space is tight to begin with.

      Had a flight on an Embraer 175 also AA a few years ago. Boarded after most of the other passengers and the bins near my seat in the first row of economy were full. Meanwhile the ones in FC were at least half empty. Put my rollaboard in an adjacent FC bin, and also my personal item because the person in the aisle seat had taken the underseat space in front of me. An FA came over and said I couldn’t use the bins to which I responded they’re mostly empty. She warned I would need to remove my things if any passengers needed the space. Of course I would but I knew there was no chance the other half of first class was going to suddenly show up.

      Point is, you’re not automatically getting ejected by putting your bag in a first class bin when flying in coach, but there has to be space up front. And you can’t put your bag there the moment you board just for the sake of convenience. I’m sure that kind of thing is enough to tick off an FA whether or not the passenger gives them any attitude.

  10. David Miller Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 3:33 pm

    Just ANOTHER reason NOT to fly American Airlines.

  11. Arthur Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 4:05 pm

    I wonder if we are missing something. Could the FA have already told the man not to put his bag in the first class bins and he did it anyway? Throwing him off seems like overkill, but I also want FAs to enforce the FC bins for FC passengers only rule.

  12. Randi Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 4:52 pm

    You left out a whole bunch of stuff.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 8, 2023 at 4:52 pm

      Fill us in, Randi.

      • Randi Reply
        April 8, 2023 at 6:18 pm

        I maneuvered him into an empty row and administered a delicate and surprising hand job. He tried to get out, but there was no point.

  13. Tim Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 5:18 pm

    Is everyone oblivious to how obnoxious and entitled a growing segment of air travelers have become? Articles like this just make things worse. Horribly bad behavior on flights really escalated after everyone gave United so much grief for dragging that asshole down the aisle and off the flight. Flight attendants should be given cattle prods and idiots writing travel columns should stop defending bad behavior by passengers.

  14. Janet Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 8:01 pm

    So glad I never get involved in bin drama as I put my backpack in front of me under the seat.

    • chancer Reply
      April 10, 2023 at 6:20 am

      Where do you put your backpack if the person next to you has already taken your underseat space? That’s what happened to me in the window seat, first row behind FC where there’s only one seat on the left side in front a 2 seat economy row. Drama can come any time in the air, especially when other passengers are both selfish and stupid.

  15. CHRIS Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    The prissy shit-eating grin from Peaches the FA says it all

  16. James Reply
    April 8, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    I’m a first class passenger. It’s not uncommon for boarding to be nearly complete and the first class bins are only 3/4 or even 1/2 full. Flight attendants regularly bring bags forward from the last few economy passengers to board and use space left in the first class bins. If the first cabin is fully or even almost fully seated and there’s space left for multiple bags I would be PISSED if an economy passenger was told there was no room for their bag vs putting it in available space up front. If 1-2 first class passengers haven’t boarded yet and half the bins up there are empty who the hell cares!

  17. Rick Banzhoff Reply
    April 9, 2023 at 3:05 am

    Yet another reason not to fly AA. American is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel. If these attendants hate their jobs so much, quit. We certainly won’t miss you.

  18. Loretta Jackson Reply
    April 9, 2023 at 6:55 am

    Is this FA part of the group that does school shootings?

  19. ed lewis Reply
    April 9, 2023 at 8:04 am

    Off subject. RJ’s no matter the plane are and were a horrible answer to a bad question, “how can we serve PVD in the cheapest way possible, while at the same time fake the customer into thinking they are flying AA (UA,DL,AS)? The better answer was to negotiate an acceptable contract with labor, existing labor, to fly the aircraft at minimum to breakeven.

  20. Mark Reply
    April 9, 2023 at 8:48 am

    Not convinced this is the whole story. If it is, verbatim as reported, the FA should not be flying.
    Whatever the on board provocation, regardless of whether crew are having an “off day” a basic standard of service and respect should be shown at all times (it’s possible to even encourage a smile from WizzAir FAs as their A300s are hacking across Europe’s skies between airports most people have never heard of……….well, some of the time!)
    As for overhead bin space: subject to availability within a pax ‘cabin of service’ and only stored elsewhere if cabin crew advise/instruct.

  21. Tony N Reply
    April 10, 2023 at 10:25 am

    Bad flight attendant just like bad cop.

  22. Scott Reply
    April 11, 2023 at 6:43 pm

    Why is the space above my seat first come first serve but my seat isn’t?
    Don’t tell me I have an assigned seat but I need to hurry up and get on board as fast as possible just to make sure I have somewhere to put my bag when I get on the plane.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 11, 2023 at 7:02 pm

      Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. And what if you have the aisle and the people in the window and middle seat take all the space? You going to object to that too?

  23. Bob Reply
    April 25, 2023 at 5:37 pm

    Ok. I am retired and do not have a lot of money, but I am going to fly first class because I am old. I was boarding one time and a guy in the back dropped his carry on in the storage above me. The others were full in first class so I had to place mine somewhere back in coach. When we landed, I could not get to my bag as people were blocking the aisle. I was pissed because I paid for first class and could not get off first.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 25, 2023 at 6:18 pm

      In this case, you have every right to be upset. I am angry about this too.This is very unfair to you, a first class passenger and I want to be clear I don’t condone such behavior, only that overhead bin space within a cabin of service is fair game.

  24. MB Reply
    April 26, 2023 at 10:17 am

    I’m appalled but not surprised by the racist undertones in several of the comments. “Got that James Brown thing going on ….”? What the f..k does THAT have to do with anything? AH’s come in all colors, ages and gender, not the least of which are the people who make these racist references. Grow up!

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