Originally Posted by senor hamachi
One question: It seems like you are often pushing it with boarding at last call. Have you ever missed a plane, or had to do the walk of shame after holding up a departure where the other passengers know it was you that held it up?
While it's true that I've never been keen to "hurry up and sit down" in an airline seat, over the course of 3,192 flights so far, I have only had to do the
Walk of Shame twice.
Once, I was sitting right there in the boarding area chatting with a friend. Suddenly I heard the jetway bell start ringing and hey! There was the jetway moving back from the plane! Talk about adrenaline rush! That was back in 1979 on an Alaska flight to Ketchikan and the AS gate agent was kind enough to reattach the jetway and let me on board. I doubt that would happen these days. Good thing I was in First Class or I would have gotten the full glare from all those coach passengers.
The other time I was traveling as a non-rev (of all passengers!) when I accidently boarded a Western Airlines flight to Albuquerque when I was supposed to be on a flight to Los Angeles. They had to lower the aft stairway and I assure you I got the full glare as I trudged back through coach and down the stairway. I felt those eyes on my back all the way across the tarmac and into the terminal.
Otherwise, though I've often been amongst the last to board, I've been completely within the time limits on my 3,190 other flights. This is especially true these days with the more rigid boarding rules.