A recent incident on a Delta flight has highlighted the frustrations passengers often face with carry-on baggage policies. A passenger, who was asked to gate-check her bag due to full overhead bins, boarded the plane only to find ample space available. Expressing her frustration, she mentioned to a flight attendant that she "went to college with" Delta CEO Ed Bastian. The flight attendant retorted, "you should have kept in touch."
Melissa Perri documented the exchange on social media: “Lady behind me on this @delta flight is complaining to the stewardess because they made her check her bag and there’s a ton of room. Her husband to the stewardess: ‘you know she went to college with the CEO of Delta.’ Stewardess: ‘You should have kept in touch.’”
Despite many airlines, including Delta, installing larger overhead bins on newer aircraft models, some planes like Delta's Boeing 737-800s still lack this feature. Larger bins are beneficial for both customers and airlines by reducing checked baggage fees and minimizing delays caused by last-minute gate checks.