purelywasted

The new policy sound good to me and +1 on enforcing carry on size.

I hope this takes effect at HKG, I took a flight a few years ago (pre status) and was sitting near the back of the plane. They made the call for pre-boarding and all of sudden almost everyone is in line, at some point they started boarding by row and called the back of the plane. However, 90% of the aircraft was lined up.

I asked the gate agent if they were turning back people sitting farther up the cabin, she said no and directed me to the back of the line. I had a quick laugh, sat down and waited for the line to pass.

blue2002

... and that's what we call a circular reference.

capedreamer

A few months ago, I was waiting to board AC008, and there was a fleet of 15+ wheelchairs in line for pre-boarding. Apparently, certain groups of customers have become quite liberal at requesting wheelchair service when necessity is questionable...

TheOfficeAdmin13B

Not rude or offensive at all.

Answer: Because parents have a ton of cr*p to schlep, including their kid(s).

Smooth traveling with our child requires that two adults schlep five items and one kid safely onto the plane, not including any checked luggage:

1) Diaper bag with supplies
2) Spouse's carryon
3) My purse
4) Child's carseat (for his seat), and
5) His stroller, which we gate-check.

Before we can take our seats, we have to:

1) Extract our child from his stroller
2) Collapse it on the jetway
3) Carry him, our carryons and his carseat to our seats
4) Stow our carryons
5) Install his carseat
6) Settle him in his carseat

and all of this is more easily accomplished if the plane is nearly empty. This is also the reason we will deplane last.

We have had tight connections before, and it is much more difficult to carry our child and our stuff down the aisle and complete our pre-flight tasks when the plane is full. You risk, for instance, accidentally hitting someone with the carseat as you move down the aisle. Or banging the back of a fellow traveller's chair repeatedly as you struggle to install and secure a carseat.

It would really help if GAs would give pre-boarders a minute or two head start before sending General Boarding nipping at our heels down the gangplank, rather than just having us lead off the GB queue. #1 & #2 take a moment on the jetway, and we are regularly cut off by GBers anxious to read their enRoute.

To those who feel impatient: I know our trio is unwieldy. The two of us who can actually carry things are doing our best to manage three people and their belongings safely. Please help us help you by letting us get out of your way. Thanks.

TOA13B

RCyyz

I am reminded of my cool little nephew through this post. He's so small but the associated stuff is all so large. It really is amazing to behold the stuff to kid ratio and realize how out of whack it really is! But, that's life in the Western world these days. And in the grand scheme of things, kids are worth it.

Unless they cry through the whole flight in which case we need a different solution.

YQMer

You've brought back vivid memories for me of several trips to MCO with my two where I've ended up in a sweat trying to out run the folks "nipping at the heels" in order to get the seats installed on a CRJ.

bingocallerb22

"This is also the reason we will deplane last."

Good for you, but you are an exception. For many with kids, it is board first, but never deplane last. Never understood that.

RatherBeInYOW

Right, all of us who have kids went through this in the first couple of years of their lives. And now an AC GA will approach people with a stroller, tag it and then quietly ask you to come forward and board early when the plane is ready, at the same time as they quietly get people with wheelchairs, etc. That way people who actually need more time to board can do it without holding up other people.

Instead of putting out on the PA:

"This is a pre-boarding call only. We would ask parents with small children, the elderly and anyone else who needs a bit of extra time to board to come forward now. We will commence with general boarding shortly."

Which is code to infrequent fliers that means the following:

"OMG, I have to get on the plane. My 14 year old daughter is pretty small, so we should board now."

Or:

"OMG, they are going to leave without me. Even though I am travelling alone and I am capable of running a triathlon I better bum rush the gate now so I don't miss general boarding."

Air Canada needs to stuff 250 people in to an aluminum tube in 30 mins (being optimistic) - the old system wasn't working, the new one is much better. People who really need extra time will be boarded by AC first, then people with status have a chance to get on board if they so choose, then they fill the plane from the back to the front.

NAJetSet

Just heard the new boarding announcements at YYC. It takes about 15 mins just to say 'Priority Boarding'... lol

"...inviting our Air Canada Altitude Elite 35K, our Air Canada Altitude Elite 50K, our Air Canada Altitude Elite 75K, our Air Canada Altitude Super Elite 100K, and our Executive Class passengers to board now or at your leisure..."

*Not quoted word for word, but they sure go through each level's full and complete description. They might as well add in the different colours

PS. also seeing a lot of the Elite blue cards out there

TyCobb

That's more or less word for word, but you forgot Star Gold! There are so few passengers who are not Priority, they should just call General boading first, to get them safely out of the way of the Priority swell!!