Originally Posted by
danielonn
The reason they added the extra 10 minutes is to ensure families, infrequent travelers etc. know where the gate is and will have extra time to get onboard if necessary. In reality for most FT members you can show up at the real boarding time or final call 10 minutes before the doors close. If you are in the lounge they will announce the time before boarding starts.
Sometimes with a gate change this is a good time to check the Flight Information Displays and go to the next gate as it gives 10 extra minutes to go to the new gate. I usually allow myself 25-30 minutes before the actual boarding time just in case the gate or concourse changes.
Most SCs do not make boarding announcements except perhaps for TATL/TPAC flights in airports that don't have many such flights and for particularly delayed flights.
Leaving 25-30 minutes before boarding is scheduled to start seems like extreme overkill. It's hard to imagine an airport where this would be necessary or prudent except if the SC is before security. Even if you're using the "wrong" SC in ATL, 25-30 minutes to get from any SC to any DL gate is more than sufficient except perhaps for kettles with mobility problems.