Big Bang Theory star and real-life neuroscientist Mayim Bialik had some serious Twitter beef with United Airlines earlier this week when the actress claimed she had a boarding gate slammed in her face and was denied entry on her flight from Houston.
“To the United Airlines flight attendant who shut the boarding gate in my face, I made my connecting flight in Houston.” Bialik wrote on Twitter. “You said there were plenty of open seats. When you saw my carry-on suitcase you said there was no room and shut the door on my face.”
The issue came down to Bialik’s bag. Airline staff claimed the luggage wouldn’t fit on the aircraft because there was no more room for carry-ons, despite Bialik’s claims that five other passengers were permitted to take their luggage following the incident.
“Why couldn’t my little suitcase somehow fit?” the star Tweeted. “Maybe the first class seat I was supposed to sit in could have held it and I would have gladly sat in all of the open seats anywhere on that plane.”
Clearly still upset by the ordeal, Mayim took to Instagram to slam the airline once more.
“As [airline staff] turned me away, you let 5 other people on from my connecting flight because I had a carry on suitcase. They can carry ons too,” Bialik wrote in her Instagram post. “I understand everything was shut but that lady stewardess didn’t have to shut the boarding door like she did in my face without even saying she was sorry… maybe she hates The Big Bang Theory…”
United Airlines spoke to Fox News, simply stating “We were able to get Ms Bialik on the next flight to Los Angeles and we are reviewing what happened with our team in Houston.”
How to ensure your carry-on luggage makes it on the plane
Travelling with un-checked luggage saves a whole lot of time and hassle, but when it comes to overhead lockers, it’s a free-for-all.
Just because you’re seated in 10A for example, doesn’t mean that the locker above your head belongs to you, and if you arrive and it’s full, it’s your responsibility to find some free space.
The best way to ensure you carry-on luggage makes it on the plane is to get to the gate early and line up first. This way, you’ll be one of the first on the plane and have first pick of locker space.
A lot of airlines have quite rigid rules about the size and weight of carry-on, so it’s important to know how much you can bring on to avoid having to check your luggage or worse – bin some of your gear.