If you are early or they are not going to board next flight for a bit, they will often let you deplane. Sometimes they will announce it, other times you can request it. Gate agents need to know you are deplaning...then before they even start pre-boarding, you just show your ID and they let you back on first.
With 45 min I have gotten off, grabbed a to go bite and hopped back on before boarding, but it is tight.
I have had flights where we were early and they threw us all off to do a crew change....same deal, you board before the pre boarders.
Either way, you have your choice of seats to move to. You just can't take an exit row if you were a pre-boarder on you first flight...but no one is really checking at the point!
Last edited by PAX62; Mar 17, 2019 at 11:38 pm