Originally Posted by
nacho
I can't remember what is what but we were anxious to get off and when everyone had their bags and stuff ready this woman was blocking everyone's way to get out just to let people who weren't in a hurry to take their time to take their bags from the overhead lockers (they were still sitting down when people were trying to get off the plane - that's why I'm annoyed). ...
The commonly accepted practice is for passengers to allow those closer to the door (toward the front of the plane) to disembark first - row by row. If the passenger chooses to stay seated, it is OK to pass. But in most cases, pushing past other passengers is not the accepted practice.
If the plane has arrived late and you are in real risk of missing your next flight, politely asking may work -- but generally, once people have gotten up, the aisle is too congested or this to work (without the FAs making an announcement}.
Originally Posted by
nacho
The problem is that I don't know if UA will rebook us for free when we misconnect due to issues like this.
If you miss a connection due to not being able to get to the gate on time, UA will attempt to rebook you on the next flight (space available). But an hour at IAH should be plenty of time unless you are mobility challenged or decide to do other things first (shop, get food, ...). Also, if on a tight connection, seating as far forward (close to the door) is a good idea.