We have spoken with Delta three times. We are delta gold or platinum, I forget, , and all they will say is sorry, it's out of our hands...you now are flying Air France. When we contacted Air France, they were sorry, but can only seat us closer to the front by 8 rows.
As I stated w booked through the delta site leaving from Atlanta. A couple of months in, we were changed to Detroit.
When confronted about the connection, there was very little response other than, "I think you can make it." If it's next door, sure, if not...
I have taken out my black running shoes and am prepared to race through the airport,

Joethekay, yes, we are. That's our regular route to see grandkids and we know the Detroit drill. I'm used to gate check there and don't have a problem. I have tried to find the international gate online for Air France. This time tomorrow it will be done, so I will let it go and learn my lesson... It won't happen again.

We fly Delta all the time and it varies greatly as to the heigth and width of the overhead compartments. My DH is 6'3" tall and used to be able to lift our carryon easily into the overhead compartments on all the planes. However, he now has to really work to get things into the overheads on some of the newer wide body planes. He is frequently asked by other passengers if he can help them with their luggage and he is shocked by the weight some people think is okay for the overhead. I rarely see the flight attendants help lift luggage anymore and I am sure some of those compartments are just too high for them and also would assume their backs cannot take the strain anymore than ours can. I say if you are not sure you can lift the luggage you should check it.

Where is the 45 min connection? In CDG? It's hard to tell.

What are the flight numbers in and out for the 45 min connection time? If you provide those, we can tell you which terminals you will arrive and depart from. If you need to switch terminals, you are very likely SOL.

I've never seen an incidence where someone who has difficulty getting their bag in the overhead has not received assistance from an attendant or another passenger. I hope I never do. We all know the plane is not leaving until the bag gets stowed, so if common courtesy is not enough of a reason to help, our own self-interest is.

If I'm reading this right, then the OP is gate-checking the bag at BHM on a smaller plane. That means she will have to wait at DTW for that bag to be offloaded so she can take it to the Air France gate. That will REALLY cut into the short 45-minute connection. She and her bag will be together, but they stand little chance of making the flight. Check the bag all the way through.

I think your default assumption has to be that you are on your own. No one else is obligated to lift your bags up and down like that. That's not the job of the flight attendants or the other passengers. If you can't manage it yourself, then check the bags. That's what an airline's baggage handlers are there for.

Back in the early 1990's I wanted to apply to be a flight attendant and there was a height requirement. I was too short to apply. I always assumed that it was in case they needed to help with luggage.

well said clevelandbrown.

Do you have any idea how many flight attendants are out on medical leave because of people NOT checking their bags and expecting them to lift them up? My personal favorites are seniors and people in wheelchairs(no disabled but just wanted a ride folks) that pack well over 50 pounds in their carryons,have more than the two bags allowed and expect us to lift them.
If I sound upset, I am .I cannot begin to verbalize how many folks (both male and female) that are out with back surgeries,shoulder problems,etc.from trying to lift the carryon luggage of the traveling public.

Sorry but my motto is: you pack it,you lift it!

Also-The flight attendant height requirement for hiring was not for doing luggage.

dutyfree: Anyone who crams 50 lbs in his/her carry on deserves to throw their back out. Mine seldom weighs more than about 22 lbs.

dutyfree, I totally agree with you. I have some close friends who are flight attendants on overseas flights and they express exactly the same views as you do.

I am short and not very strong. It is annoying, but I often check a bag that would fit in the overhead since I believe if I can't lift and store it, I should check.

I do see other passengers assisting others getting bags into bins, but often it is because the bag owner appears likely to drop it on another passenger's head. The only time I see flight attendants handling bags is in first class or to turn them so the bin door can close

dutyfree, you are absolutely right!!!!! Spot on!!! As a very frequent flier, I am often amazed and the amount of "stuff" people carry onto the plane and assume it can be stowed in the overhead bins. I always check and have a very small tote bag with me as a carry on. I really don't mind waiting at the carousel for my bag(s). They are large, so I don't have much choice...

With 32 replies I am surprised to find that no one has given the obvious answer.

Put the bag under the seat in front of you. Of course I'm sure I know what the response to that suggestion is going to be.

Of course putting it under the seat in front of you is an excellent idea;however, I've seldom seen a bag that was intended for overhead bins actually fit under the seat. Sometimes it's all I can manage to get my 18" Sac bag to fit. The answer is as dutyfree stated " you pack it, you lift it".

Because carryon luggage weighing 20-25 lbs. (as stated in the Original Post here) isn't going to fit there?

25lb of gold can easily fit under the seat.

Well if I ever travel with 25 lbs of gold, I'll not try to put it in the overhead.

Now you are getting into the how much space in the overhead bins is there for each passenger. In fact there is not enough space for every passenger to fit a 22" carry-on.

If each passenger used their proportional amount of the overhead space, I venture to say that in fact it would not be more space than is under the seat. Perhaps dutyfree can comment on that.

So if YOUR bag won't fit under the seat, we are now into the WHO should get to use a disproportionate amount of overhead space vs. another passenger? LOL

My carry-on will in fact fit under the seat quite easily and as rkkwan has pointed out, weight has nothing to do with it. Duhhh.

I would really love to see the airlines do away with overhead bins completely. All it takes is one airline CEO brave enough to do it first as happened with smoking on planes.

I view overhead bins as a serious health hazard. If anyone has ever experienced real turbulence on a flight and seen overhead bins popping open and stuff flying all around the cabin they would understand why.

What weight has to do with it (duh) is that most people are packing clothes, shoes, personal items for travel in that carry-on bag, so a typical size for that weight would be a 21-22" roller bag. Which does not fit under the seat.