Originally Posted by
Carpboy823
I think that's my main problem with MSP, though it's certainly not unique to there either - they cluster departures in close proximity to each other. Gate announcements get confused, not enough seating, gate lice, etc.
That can be a problem in ATL also. Recently flew through there and the JNB flight was right next to a LHR flight, which had a flight to NRT (I believe) on the other side of it. The GA for the LHR flight tried to get the JNB and NRT GAs to announce the city the announcement was for, but to no avail. The JNB GA would announce that was begining pre-boarding, and everyone would go rushing to the gate for LHR. The GA for LHR would then again announce that the pre-announcement was only for JNB, to which the JNB GA would make an announcement and then would continue doing the same thing. Finally the LHR GA announced that unless it contained the words LONDON - HEATHROW in the announcement, that it was not for this flight and to not come up to the gate. The JNB finished and then the NRT (or wherever it was to) started right up. Again not caring that the announcements are heard by passengers for both gates.
It was the biggest cluster ****. Agents should always use the name of the city in the announcement IMO. Having two 777s and a 767 loading at the same time doesn't work otherwise since gate numbers are meaningless to most people.