MEMLawGuy

Had a flight from ATL to CLT on Monday. There were gate lice everywhere. It was on a MD-88/90, so only 16 seats in F. There had to be at least 45-50 people that started pushing towards the gate when they called for pre-boards. They formed a impenetrable wall. It was so bad that the gate agent began scanning the BP's of several F passengers who were eagerly trying to push through and presumably trample the pre-boards as they made their way down the jet bridge. He must have scanned at least 4-5 BP's, but then he made them all back up and stand in a (sort of) line.

I was in F, and I could barely get up to the scanner. What a zoo!

brocklee9000

It seems like, IME, ATL is the worst for this. I've never seen a gate in the entire airport that wasn't before/during/after the preboarding. For me, a close second is LAS.
And the unfortunate thing is that, as much as I despise their behavior, I often have to muster with the lice. It's not so bad if I'm in F, because when they announcing boarding, I just politely and gently get up and make my way through the crowd. However, other times, like last Saturday evening when I was seated at the bulkhead of a 75U on a 100% full flight, I have to be just like them: join the throng when preboard is announced, start inching my way forward when F is called, and then when SP is called I have to escalate the aggression or else I won't get to put my carryon in the tiny little overhead compartment above 19DEF. It's nice to be able to have my bag close to me and after a 4 hour flight, I don't want to have to wade back to look for my bag. I just want to get off the plane like everyone else. I don't like having to become like them, but at times, it's necessary.

Indy

Remember what it was like before the airlines started playing games with seating and checked bag fees? Board first class and special needs (whatever you want to call it) followed by rows starting from the back of the plane and working forward. I don't recall there ever being a gate lice problem. Now it is a rat race for limited bin space and everything thinks they are entitled to special boarding privileges because they have some credit card or whatever. Huge mess created by the airlines.

GRALISTAIR

Recently I have found MSP to be fairly bad too

brocklee9000

I've been lucky at MSP thus far. I've either been upgraded on a regional jet at the C gates, or I've had delays and sprinted across the airport and was one of the last people on the flight.

I have a feeling that all the large DL hubs are going to become like this. I see it at JFK, ATL, and LAX. Not so much at SLC, although at times it's awful. I can imagine MSP and DTW being pretty bad, and probably SEA (if not already).

tphamBU

I swear JFK T2, especially around Gate 62, is the worst for gate lice. The gate is at an intersection of two major hallways and next to a section with a bunch of free-to-use iPads. It's crowded enough as it is, but when pre-boarding is announced, everyone gets up and just stands there. I should have taken pictures on Monday...

pleasantsn

I actually found boarding at MSP to be very well handled. We were at G14, which has the rows of tables with iPads. People just sat and waited for their zone. We were able to board with SKY and not trip over rows of gate lice. When I left MKE earlier in the day, several people had tried to board with SKY and were denied. All in all, I found DL enforcing their boarding policy quite well, and hopefully people will be less likely to rush the gate if they know they will get denied when it is not their zone.

buckeyefan

Would love fellow Flyer Talkers opinions on the current boarding process. I believe there's great room for improvement for the elite flyers. I flew from CMH to ATL last Thursday late afternoon and there were 64 folks on the upgrade list. Yikes. So the majority of those (me included) all boarded in Sky Priority which at that point is not truly a priority. If you're a platinum or diamond and not a major gate lice, you are not likely to get that OH space. This same problem occurred on the ATL - TPA flight; 54 on the upgrade list and mass boarding in Sky.
Wouldn't a process like United's be a consideration. Diamonds and Platinums could board with the FC passengers and then go down the list.

>>>>>>>

emancj

Holy! B22 ATL-SAN on DL 1567 is as infested as I've ever, ever seen...

Curious to see how this boarding process will go...

baccarat0809

Love what united is doing, similar to WN - putting up placards with the zone #'s on it.

IMO, it should be

Pre-Board (chair, cane or carseat)
360/DM/First
PM/GM
MM/Sky Team Elite+
FO/Reserve Card / Sky Team Elite
Zone 1 = no rollerboards
Zone 2-4

DeltaWings

+1. But what about the Amex Golds??

GW McLintock

Zone 1!

-J.

N639DL

That will be nearly impossible to enforce IMO. You'd have to make everyone check in w/ agent at the airport (which is one issue within itself) but then they could have another person traveling w/ them with carryons. Trust me people would do that just to get on board before other people.

MLCJ

My wife and I were in BE ATL-NRT a few weeks back and following the boarding announcement for BE, we had a hard time getting through the gate lice wall. When I said excuse me as we navigated through, I had a guy literally demand to see my boarding pass to prove we were in BE before he would step aside.

doglover

I'm sure it's been said here before, but since everyone seemingly carries on now vs. checking the problem seems insurmountable at most airports. there's very little space (and Delta is taking action to make sure there's even less by cramming in all kinds of other amenities like ipad stations), and those who want to be assured of a space for their carryon are jammed up hoping they can find space before it's gone.

so aren't all of us forced to become gate lice if we want to find space for our luggage ?

there's been many times this year where I'm one of the first to board, yet the space above my seat is already taken. if not by an FA, but by the person across from me who "boarded early". it's a game and we're all losing.