Originally Posted by
fordan
They do this anyways. Danger of lining up early is they'll see a line and join it ignoring the preferred designation, especially at those gates where you can get to the preferred lane from the side without seeing the sign.
The gate areas are so terribly narrow and crowded with chairs and other structures that the throng of boarders makes it nearly impossible to access the Preferred Lane once boarding has begun; which was one of the intended benefits of the Preferred Lane.
The "we're going to begin boarding soon" announcement at T-15 minutes is effectively a "On your mark, get set" call that triggers everyone in the gate area to instantly form a disorganized mass, blocking both lanes. I sincerely wish they would do away with this announcement and just start boarding at the prescribed time with short, concise messages like "First class may now board", "Zone 3 may now board", etc.