AS Flyer

Well admittedly, an MVP Gold may see more crews then I do but it's my experience that the majority of my colleagues will, if they see it happening, make a customer seated in Y take their bags back with them. We can't be all places at all times so there is a chance we won't catch it from time to time but, generally speaking, most are really good about watching that space.

Just wondering, if you boarded late how did you know the FA was offering up your space to coach passengers? You wouldn't have been there to see it, no? In any case, once all of FC has boarded and stowed their bags, if there is space up front and it's limited in back I would invite a customer from coach to stow there bags up front in order to prevent checking them.

baliktad

I was one of the last several people to board, but when the GA beeped me in there was still a throng of pax halfway up the gangway, mostly waiting for others to stow their overhead bags and get out of the aisle. By the time I stepped onto the plane, I was within earshot of the FA who was offering the FC overhead space, and I personally witnessed at least 2 Y pax take him up on his offer. I will concede that there were only 1 or 2 F passengers not yet seated, so maybe he thought he was taking advantage of space that would go unused anyway. In the end I only had a small rollaboard and only had to do some minor shuffling to get it to fit, so it wasn't a big deal.

I bring it up here more as an exception, it's honestly the only time I've seen such behavior. The norm is definitely either no action or proper enforcement of baggage in ticketed cabin.

Chugach

They've been doing this a lot lately, especially at ANC and SEA. I'll be hanging out in the board room, go to the gate at the exact boarding time specified on my boarding pass, and I'll literally be one of the last people on. I definitely understand and appreciate the desire to get a flight out early, but if they are going to do this then they need to print earlier boarding times on the boarding passes.

Seattlenerd

This is turning into SOP on the first flight of each day, to keep things on schedule.

Agreed they have to fix the boarding passes for those flights. And they're aware of it.

jackal

As long as they don't start clearing standby or upgrade lists (and potentially bypassing your name if you aren't there to answer) until the marked/announced time for that (40 minutes for standbys and 30 minutes for UGs, I think), I don't care what time they board. They can start boarding two hours before departure for all I care, and if I'm the last person to board, I don't care, as long as I get the flight or upgrade (or keep it) I'm supposed to.

I suppose I can see the desire to be among the early boarders for those who need space to put their carry-ons in the overhead bin, but otherwise, sitting on the plane for more time seems like a waste. I'd rather stay in the Board Room for an extra 20 minutes than sit on the plane an extra 20 minutes. (If AS were able to do a full pre-flight beverage service, it'd make things less annoying; that said, having a smartphone has made times like this much more bearable, so I'm not wholly opposed to earlier boarding.)

United757

Yeah, I definitely get that a lot. In fact, almost 100% of the time. I get the old jerk Golds/F(ffers) who think I am in the wrong line. Ugh!

beckoa

It is a brisk walk from the BR

But well worth the extra cup o' espresso

But was shocked to see the A/C loaded when I made it at T-35...

Dang... I need to get on a flight soon...

jackal

Meant to add, too, that an option would be like what they did in the BA F lounges I experienced last year: when entering the BR, they'd swipe/scan your ticket both to confirm your eligibility to enter and to make a record of what flight you were on. Then, when your aircraft began boarding, they'd announce such in the lounge.

BA longhaul's a bit different, though--they actually encouraged the F passengers to remain in the lounge until the last possible moment, so they waited until the last moment to announce the boarding, and you'd see all of the F passengers troupe down to the gate and board the plane and the door was shut almost immediately after that.

AS could operate more like Amtrak: at certain stations, the Club Acela is actually the first to know which track a given Acela will be departing out of. Like BA, they scan/swipe tickets upon entry to confirm eligibility and make note of what trains have people in the lounge, and they'll announce the track a few minutes before it's posted out in the main waiting area. That way, F and Select+ members can actually head to the correct track and be in the front of the boarding queue before the gates are stormed by the waiting mobs. AS could announce something like "Priority boarding for Alaska Airlines flight 36 with service to Minnepolis will begin in approximately 10 minutes from gate C11." That gives folks a couple of minutes to put away their laptops and finish their drinks before walking to the gate.

maokh

They do this to my wife, which some people regard as "some punk kid" .. but they end up realizing she's MVPG, and sitting next to them in first class.

This guy was grinning ear to ear with "im flying first class. oh, you must be coach."

Its hard to tell from the photo, but his outfit is slightly mismatched. Sister (mrs. fashion) always tells me never to wear navy blue pants with a black blazer..it just looks cheap. His shirt also didn't quite go with his outfit either. At first I felt bad for him...almost pathetic...

He did get really angry at the preboarders cutting him off, muttering various lines quietly (?), which apparently someone else in line agreed with him (some old lady). I almost stepped out of line because I did not really share those racist views regarding the children.

Eventually, I did board the a/c with some good buffer room only to realize I had to sit next to him (i was window, he was isle). He was a cranky old man that apparently thought yellow gold was in style. There was a well behaved child in the row in front of us. She had a cute little voice, reminded me of my own daughter, but apparently he hates kids. He had frequent outbursts during the flight with lines like "UGHH" "I HATE KIDS" bla bla. Loud, sharp outbursts from a man outright scare me and I'd rather listen to a kid crying then him. She started looking back between the seats and id wave and say "hi", just to piss him off.

He was also my lav cop. He didn't really have anything to say about not wanting me to go, but it was a glare and a BIG DEAL if i wanted to get up to use the bathroom. Needless to say, if he was man enough to even speak one word regarding the situation, he would have gotten an earful from me.

Mr. mismatching suit with a radioshack solar calculator got all big boy talk when we landed... buck and a quarter this, in an overly descriptive phone conversation that was more for my ears than the end caller's ears, counting his $100 bills almost in my face (who leans over the center console facing another passenger and starts counting large wads of cash?).

Yeah, we all know what your worth.

However, going over to ORD another day I had a completely different guy. He took half eaten food (which had fallen onto the floor) and placed it into the bare hands of a flight attendant as she passed by. She was taken back by his completely discussing behavior, he shrugged, and continued to talk to himself and make very sharp, sudden movements.

I've also have sat next to some wonderful people. Maybe I get a dose of what my wife has always been complaining about. It makes you almost want to say "coach please?", but then again, i was hungry for food.

PDXOutbound

I agree with this statement. I sat next to a gentleman who travels weekly, and he brings chocolates and other local goodies for the flight crew from wherever he may be staying. I met him returning from HNL to SEA. It's great b/c he brings the goodies, upgraded or not and the crew appreciated it so much. It made their day. And with some long flights for the FA's, (not to say GA don't have long day's too) having an elite stop and give them things like this was great. Made me want to do it too.

Glad I don't owe you $1.00.

beckoa

I know... but its not just one departure an hour or half hour... too many announcements and you just tune them out...

Now if you could scan your BP in the BR to signify you are 'enroute' @:-)

Nibaruian

#2, eh? He certainly acted like a very large piece of #2 .

Jeeves

Ugg. I've got to pay more attention to updates to old posts. I spent more time than I wanted looking over old news. My bad.

maokh

Now im upset. I was hoping to hear more stories about Alaska's #2 customer.

BOB W

Well, I haven't flown for over a week