Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

What added entertainment equipment? Seriously. It sure doesn’t take up space under a seat.

There are planes that had entertainment added during a particular timeframe that required a reasonably sized metal box under the seat that ate into the storage space. The most modern planes now do not have this as equipment has gotten smaller but there sure are a heck of a lot of planes still flying around with these.

Anonymous wrote:I flew a ton and don’t remember that. Roller suitcases were also not a thing. Travelpro had some of the first ones, but it wasn’t quite that long ago. Garment bags were very common

Late 80s/early 90s very much were, at least if you had money. Back then, flight was more expensive.

THE HISTORY OF ROLLING LUGGAGE
https://travelpro.com/blogs/the-travelpro-blog/the-history-of-rollingluggage

A SUMMATION OF WHEELED SUITCASE HISTORY:
- In 1970, Bernard D. Sadow innovated a traditional suitcase on wheels attached to a long strap.
- In 1972, Sadow patented his invention as the Rolling Luggage.
- In 1987, Robert Plath updated Sadow’s design by placing the suitcase vertically, attaching two wheels and building a retractable handle.
- In 1989, demand for Plath's trademarked Rollaboard® became so high he moved operations from his garage to a warehouse.
- In 1991, Plath retired from the airline to pursue Travelpro, the parent company of his Rollaboard® product, full-time.

I flew a ton and don’t remember that. Roller suitcases were also not a thing. Travelpro had some of the first ones, but it wasn’t quite that long ago. Garment bags were very common

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

Yes, I’m in my 50s and was flying back in the days of TWA, ValueJet and Continental.

Okay, thanks. And for part two?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

Yes, I’m in my 50s and was flying back in the days of TWA, ValueJet and Continental.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

My father was an airline pilot. My first plane ride was in 1968. (I know...) I remember a lot of things about the "old days" of aviation....one movie that played at the front, sometimes you could see the screen, sometimes not. Smoking sections. Friendly stewards/stewardesses. VERY LONG flights (planes are faster now but routes can be longer). Rollerboards weren't even really a thing until the mid/late 90s for the most part, they were invented in the late 80s and didn't become ubiquitous until years later. (remember garment bags? That was the standard carry on before that)

TL;DR No, they didn't.

Rollerboard? What is this?

It's, like, a skateboard but made of rollerblades welded to a cutting board. Very popular in 1994, the newest thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

I can’t remember back then. Can you?

I mean ... have you met the premise of this thread? I'm trying to knit back together the fraying strands of memory before I begin an inevitable slide into dementia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

My father was an airline pilot. My first plane ride was in 1968. (I know...) I remember a lot of things about the "old days" of aviation....one movie that played at the front, sometimes you could see the screen, sometimes not. Smoking sections. Friendly stewards/stewardesses. VERY LONG flights (planes are faster now but routes can be longer). Rollerboards weren't even really a thing until the mid/late 90s for the most part, they were invented in the late 80s and didn't become ubiquitous until years later. (remember garment bags? That was the standard carry on before that)

TL;DR No, they didn't.

Rollerboard? What is this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

I can’t remember back then. Can you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?

My father was an airline pilot. My first plane ride was in 1968. (I know...) I remember a lot of things about the "old days" of aviation....one movie that played at the front, sometimes you could see the screen, sometimes not. Smoking sections. Friendly stewards/stewardesses. VERY LONG flights (planes are faster now but routes can be longer). Rollerboards weren't even really a thing until the mid/late 90s for the most part, they were invented in the late 80s and didn't become ubiquitous until years later. (remember garment bags? That was the standard carry on before that)

TL;DR No, they didn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

I flew Delta a lot at that time in the US. You definitely used to be able to fit rollers under the seats.

For decades I worked for an airline that designed its own seating layouts and seats (rare these days) and spent a lot of time looking at everyone else’s seats and planes on my various factory visits. You were probably flying in the 80s and 90s to get this arrangement, and I’m sure it feels more recent because I can think of a few planes that would have accommodated this through 2010ish. But you would have been on nearly-retired, 40 year old planes at that point and flying pretty specific routes.

On the bright side, I can also tell you what kinds of things we found under that carpet and how often those seats were cleaned if that would make you happier about the tradeoffs between then and now.

OP here, not the person to whom you were responding, but that is the timeframe I was thinking about -- decades ago.

I think it's incorrect to say this never happened, but as you note, it was a long time ago. That fits with what I remember, as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

I flew Delta a lot at that time in the US. You definitely used to be able to fit rollers under the seats.

For decades I worked for an airline that designed its own seating layouts and seats (rare these days) and spent a lot of time looking at everyone else’s seats and planes on my various factory visits. You were probably flying in the 80s and 90s to get this arrangement, and I’m sure it feels more recent because I can think of a few planes that would have accommodated this through 2010ish. But you would have been on nearly-retired, 40 year old planes at that point and flying pretty specific routes.

On the bright side, I can also tell you what kinds of things we found under that carpet and how often those seats were cleaned if that would make you happier about the tradeoffs between then and now.

Anonymous wrote:A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

This. Emphasis on tiny. The normal ones never fit under an economy seat on a major US airline.

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

What added entertainment equipment? Seriously. It sure doesn’t take up space under a seat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't remember underseat space ever holding a normal roll on. Soft sided bags and back packs are about all they can handle. No doubt the space has gotten tighter given the entertainment equipment they've added.

OP here. I just think I remember -- maybe 30 years ago? I'm in my 50s now -- that I was a little puzzled by why the flight attendants would direct you to put the larger bag up overhead and the smaller at your feet. My small-ish roller fir just fine under the seat in front of me, and that way I didn't have to lift something heavy.

I do believe I was flying a lot in Canada at the time, so that may be it.

A very tiny roller would fit under the seat. Think of a roller the size used for computer bags now. Normal carryon rollers, including EU size rollers, never fit.

Were you flying back in the 1980s, and if you were, did you ever try to fit it?