Originally Posted by
StevieTopSiders
More annoying is the 40min baggage cutoff. I've made the cutoff by <5min at a few smaller airports where security is a non-issue, and on a flight from IND on Sunday, they actually paged the gate agents to come check someone's bag, because the check-in agents had already left their post.
Smaller Airports don't have separate agents for check-in, gate and airplane operations. They check you in, ARE the Gate Agents AND do the necessary work boarding the aircraft. Then they move back out front to assist with the arriving passengers. The cutoff allows then to move from one post to the next. If they called for a check-in agent, s/he probably had to leave the gate and return.
James