Airline passenger sparks heated debate about 'rarely enforced' baggage policy on flight

Posting in the "r/delta" Reddit forum with the title, "Another rant about carry-ons and personal items," the user wrote to others, "Seriously, why have a 'rule' about one carry-on and one personal item when it's rarely enforced."

The user added, "I watch[ed] a person with two, what I would call, large roll bags and no personal items put both rollers in an overhead bin while an FA [flight attendant] watched him do it."

The user then added, "[Since] I paid to check my bag, I figured I'd put my backpack above my seat and the same FA [then] tells me that I can't do that."

The person continued, "I mention to the FA that we just watched a person put two rollers in the overhead and why is that OK. The FA ignores me, moves on."

Reddit users took to the comments section to speculate about the actions of the traveler with two suitcases, plus bag policy habits. 

"Just from a personal experience, I once was asked about my two roller bags and my backpack as I was going to my seat," said one user. 

Another user pointed out other issues: "Let's talk about the real problem: baggage fees. This is why everyone uses a carry-on now. Which in turn makes boarding and deplaning take waaaay longer."

One snarky user told the original poster, "Maybe you shouldn't be trying to police others, and [instead] should put your personal item under the seat in front of you where it [belongs]."

"I'm [a member of a] flight crew who frequently travels as a passenger on commercial airliners," claimed one user.

The person continued, "Rule of thumb is that if I'm not in uniform, I'm not allowed to bring more than the standard bag allowance for any passenger, whether crew or not."

Said another person on Reddit, "If I only have one item, that's my carry-on regardless of size, and I'm definitely putting it in the overhead and not under the seat in front of me."

Former flight attendant and etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore of Florida told Fox News Digital the flight attendant may have been in the wrong in the case in question. 

"I'm not sure why this passenger was not allowed to put her backpack in the overhead bin. That's perfectly acceptable unless the bins are full," said Whitmore.