WinSea

I guess if seated in main cabin, and you don't have many luggages, its the same to me as well, I agree, I rather to hang in the lounge and board shortly before the plan departure (I usually just have one small backpack), but it does make a difference if you are in first class (first in and out, less hassle) or try to find space above you (sometimes in a full flight, the overhead space run out fast, especially a lot people don't follow the boarding rules, lol)

SamuelS

Overhead bin space.

With the removal of F closet space, if you're bag doesn't have space overhead for it, then its not pretty. The bulkhead row has to have all carry on go up overhead, plus the row 1 bins are much smaller. I have seen flights were late F boarders were struggling for space.

That said, if flying AS metal alone with no partner carrier connection, the 20-min checked bag GTY often means the bags are at carousel within a couple of minutes after getting down there.

Agree with other posters that F boarding then separate Elite boarding would be a definite enhancement, along with an announcement prior to boarding starting a la Delta which explains clearly how boarding will work, the SkyPriority vs standard lane, and which invites non-F, Elite or Special Assistance groups to remain seated initially...

ANC

yup almost every time. Start looking at row 2 for row 25 and then pause in befuddlement and ask an FA where is 25B

ANC

seat poaching and no where to store your luggage especially when in the F cabin. DYKWIA throws their stuff in F bins when they are sitting in row 15

BearX220

I wish more people understood this instead of grumbling about how many more customers are lining up for elite boarding. AS is campaigning to pick up loyalists and the better it does, the more likely AS will prosper and not fall victim to absorption by a cartel member. Take your program dilution the way you want: more 75Ks and Golds in the ranks here, or escalating PQD requirements over at the competition that leave even more customers in the dust.

When you're in that F/MVP line all by yourself and the only other customers around are random Kayakers, that's when you had better start worrying about AS.

CDKing

AS will turn into another worthless program just like the others

IceTrojan

AS F
AS 75K/Gold + AA EXP/PLT
AS MVP + AA GLD
(F boarding lane preserved for all above throughout boarding process)
Y, by rows
DL Elites

Assuming enforcement by GAs, why couldn't this process work? Seems simple enough.

I remember a time when it went like this, and it was fine even as an AA elite:
AS F
AS 75K/Gold
AS MVP + partner elites + Row 6
Y, by rows

BearX220

We're in a downward cycle but nothing lasts forever in this business.

JHIN

Yes, yes now lets get AS to implement it.

JHIN

Actually I would say this - AS IMHO is too tilted to its loyal customers vs. the high fare paying passengers. Point in case try buying an F ticket at 2 days before departure. Can be near impossible on the west coast routes why? They processed their upgrades too far out. I've been willing to pay the F class rate only to find no space. Not the 2.5 hours in coach is a big deal but AS from an investor for profit business are missing $$$ vs. Upgrading its loyalists.

TheCustomerAdvantage

I would have no problem with full price F's boarding first. I hear AS calling "anyone with a Seahawks #3 jersey can board early" and I though man that's bullpuckey! Funny how many people develop a limp during AS pre boarding My pet peeve was them forgetting to call MVP (they always cover each other and say they called MVP but they didn't) so I'd get stuck in the mad rush. Last time boarding at HNL they went from boarding F to anybody w/o a roller bag forgetting to call MVP's so I got a lot of stink eye trying to get to the gate with my roller bag! I must agree the AS boarding process has been very stressful for me especially the past few years as more than half the plane "pre boards"

pmblinn

Good grief I've never encountered so much elitist BS in my life. I've found AS boarding to be the most efficient (sorry F-ers who might have gotten their bums nudged by the masses) in the industry.

But in case I'm wrong, here's a suggestion of sorting out the boarding for 75Ks (of which I am one) in F:

First, total BIS miles.
Second, IQ.
Third, height.
Fourth, years served in the military.
Fifth, ability to name '76 Seahawks starting lineup.

Eastbay1K

How do you know AS hasn't sold most of these seats? I'm sure revenue management has it pretty close to a wash. Also, a few days out, F isn't typically much more than the Y available for sale.

ANC

It went like that for a long time then they started re wording and changing stuff. What irks me or well I find discourteous is Ive had them announce partner elites before MVPGs or lump them in with the AS Gold and 75Ks. Usually though all the preboarding announcements are within a minute time frame and sometimes I swear its maybe 30 seconds. The start F/75K....5 second pause and also our gold mileage plan members and partner elites, 5 second pause, also at this time we'd like to extend boarding to our mvp members and those seated in row 6....15 second pause....rows 15 and higher

BearX220

AS is zigging while competitors zag, and I think wisely so.

At United and Delta, loyalty has been devalued in favor of revenue and high-paying customers -- the opposite strategy. (At United you can now fly one international RT in J and earn more miles than on 20 discount economy domestic RTs. Fine for a few, but for many, the UA value proposition is no longer persuasive.) For those few big spenders who want to be fawned over because of the price of today's ticket, whether or not you ever return, UA or DL are your airlines. Go over there.

But AS sticks with a loyalty-forward FF scheme and seems to be gathering refugees from the competition, which is all to the good.

As for playing up to investors instead of customers, as you suggest -- that is half the problem in the industry right now: investors pressuring airlines to commoditize and de-feature products, driving more and more ticket-buyers to go in search of lowest price. This is stupid. The poster child for investor-driven stupidity right now is JetBlue, which has announced plans to reduce seat pitch and add fees because Wall Street keeps harping that they could be making more money. Never mind that the moves remove a lot of the rationale for choosing to fly JetBlue in the first place. Wall Street will train its sights on AAG soon enough and I pray management has the wisdom not to do similarly dumb things that drive customers away.