Originally Posted by
billdokes
It's a total mixed bag...especially when there is confusing signage like "Zone 1/2" on the same sign with an arrow pointing to the same place.
You certainly have some people trying to game the system and board before their 'entitled' zone, but I think in a lot of cases it's a lot of people that really just don't understand and maybe don't do this as often as all of us...was the guy referenced in the post above trying to play a game when he was asked if he was in Zone 1 or 2 and replied 'yes' or did he just see the sign and think that's where he was supposed to be not realizing there was a pecking order between the 2 zones since they line up at the same sign?
Perhaps if the GA announcements were more clear to suggest 'we will be be boarding by zone, on your boarding card there is a zone number, please do not board until your zone number is called and PLEASE give those passengers in the zones before you the space to approach the podium' that might help with some of the confusion.
Keep in mind too, often the GA's are most focused on getting the plane boarded as quickly as possible as opposed to maintaining the absolute integrity of the Zoned Boarding system...gasp, I know...but for them if the turnaround is tight is it better to board the person standing in front of you and get them on the jetway or send them to the back of the line to start over?
I find most gate agents do call and clearly say that boarding is by zone.
This said, while there are clueless people, more or lessclueless people who try, people in zone 2 who resent zone 1 don't belong in the clueless category.
Recent experience of semi-clueless: at YUL boarding a Rouge flight to Quebec City, we are in theZ1+2 line. The gate agent calls saying that they will start boarding, a couple seated close by gets up and tries joining the 1+2 line close to its beginning. I go and point out to them the end of the line and they move to the back.
When Zone 1 is called, most of the line stays put, one or two people ahead of us board, we follow and then the couple in question also follows. To be sent by the gate agent to the other line. Later on, we saw them boarding, probably zone 5.
So, were they clueless, or did they just try? Who knows.