<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by homey:
before they can do anything, the entire group of pax has engulfed the gate doorway, leaving a 15-foot radius clear of people around the ticket taking gate agent. anyone wishing to board must somehow cross this moat of humanity.</font>
Yes, I know exactly what you mean. My solution to this is to try to get the first row in a boarding section. For example, on most planes, row 10 is the beginning of of a boarding group. If you sit in row 10, you can board last when they call "rows 10 and higher" and be the furthest forward on the plane to as to ensure that you'll get overhead space.