You have no right to the overhead bin by your plane seat if someone else got there first, travel influencer says

• A travel expert sought to lay to the etiquette around overhead bins on planes.
• He says the bin directly above your seat doesn't actually belong to you.
• You're not supposed to move someone else's bags if they're already in there, he said.

A travel expert sought to lay down some etiquette around overhead bins on planes, arguing that a lot of people get it wrong.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall, who goes by the name Harmony on TikTok where he has 150,000 followers, is a former federal security officer who is now a "passenger rights advocate."

In a recent video he listed some rules he said people should follow when using an overhead locker.

"The overhead space right above the seat that you paid for on the plane? Yeah, it don't belong to you," he said.

"Right now, we have an image in our head that doesn't exist."

Most people assume they have a right to the locker right above them, but Harmon-Marshall said they don't.

There aren't official rules that dictate who gets to use which bins, leaving it open to interpretation and argument.

Some airlines — like Delta — sell guaranteed overhead storage as a perk. And cabin crew can intervene to settle individual disputes.

In his video, Harmon-Marshall said: "When you get to your seat on the plane, the seat that you paid for, and you look in that overhead bin and you find other items there, that's not your time to take somebody else's bag out."

"Trying to rearrange, talk about, oh, I'm sitting here. That's not how this works," he said.

Overhead bin space is "first come, first serve," Harmon-Marshall explained, which is why paying to board a plane quicker can have its advantages.

"People really don't understand or they think that they automatically get that spot," he said. "You don't get that spot. You're going to find yourself getting in trouble if you try to rearrange bags that's not yours."

While many find it annoying to see that their locker is full when they get to their plane seat, Harmon-Marshall seems to be right.

In 2022, the travel editor of lifestyle publication InsideHook, Lindsay Rogers, wrote in an op-ed that the rules about overhead bins are clear: "Overhead storage is available on a first-come, first-served basis."

"So while it may be annoying, particularly when someone has room above their own seat and still, for reasons unclear, has opted for yours, or when you're invariably forced to check your carry-on because there's no more space on the aircraft, you aren't entitled to anything," Rogers wrote.

"Further, it is never, ever okay to move someone else's bag."

Rearranging bags and finding enough space for everyone's luggage is the flight attendant's job, Harmon-Marshall said.

He recommended looking for a spot to put your bags as soon as you board, and not to worry if it's above your seat or not.

"When you get on a plane, I mean soon as you walk on, your antenna should be scanning every freaking row to find a spot to put your bag," he said. "Once you see a spot, get it."

Harmon-Marshall explained his opinion further in a post on his blog, Gate Access.

"This policy allows airlines to maximize the usage of available space and accommodate as many passengers as possible, leaving passengers to the game of chance, hoping space is left for their carry-on," he wrote.

He added that it's more important to focus on finding a spot instead of trying to keep your bags together with the luggage of people you're traveling with.

If overhead bin space runs out, flight attendants will start gate-checking luggage, Harmon-Marshall said.

"This means your bag will be taken at the gate and placed in the cargo hold of the aircraft," he said. "You'll retrieve it immediately out on the jet bridge or at baggage claim, just like checked luggage. The good news? This service is usually free of charge."

Even if you do grab a spot, there's no guarantee your bag won't be removed anyway.

The crew may need to make space for their own luggage, safety equipment, or to make room for passengers with special circumstances, Harmon-Marshall explained. Typically, small items like rucksacks and laptop bags will be taken out first.

"Remember, the cabin crew has the final say on luggage placement for safety and convenience," he said.

To save yourself the hassle, cabin crew told Condé Nast Traveller that items such as jackets and purses shouldn't be stored in the overhead lockers until boarding is done.

"Of course we all want to be comfortable and stretch out, but hold on to your personal items until boarding is completed," Karina Kay, a Las Vegas-based flight attendant told the outlet. "Give others with larger carry-ons a chance to place their baggage, then place yours in the surrounding space."