I might need my flame suit for this one...

A couple days ago I'm checking in at the airport (SJC) for a morning flight. Couldn't do the Easy Chicken thing due to a messed up PNR, so had to go to the counter.

Only one person working the counter, maybe 6 people in line in the line for gate lice (general members), none in the Premier line. I had enough time, so I just got in behind the gate lice, because with only one person checking people in, it just seemed kind of rude to jump in ahead of the others, and besides, they might have had a flight leaving pretty quickly.

Of course, after doing that, maybe three other people went to the Premier line, one after another, and straight to the counter. Our line didn't move an inch for quite some time.

In my humble opinion, if there's only one agent at the counter, I don't think it's appropriate to be taking only Premiers and letting the others sit and rot, not even having a real clue as to why they're sitting and rotting (since most gate lice don't know what a Premier is in the first place, only that there appear to be people cutting in front of them). At the very least, the agent should have asked those of us in the gate lice line if any of us had planes leaving shortly, and offered to take them ahead of the premiers (assuming they weren't in the same boat).

I know I should be ranting at UA for not having more agents, but let's assume that, for reasons beyond their control, at that moment one was all that was available. Were things handled the best-way possible?

Thanks-

PS: The best thing about experiences like this is that it reminds me how things might be perceived in my own business at times. Being on the other side of the counter is often an interesting and reflective experience.