Rude to suggest that people line up before boarding?
Jan 21, 2019, 12:32 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
Not rude, just misguided. Lining up ahead of time makes perfect sense to me. The challenge is that by labeling the line groups 1-4 and 5-9, AA makes it impossible to have people actually line up in any coherent group order.
Jan 21, 2019, 1:11 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Hilton Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 130
Regarding passengers with disability boarding...I believe what he meant to say was that they are typically boarded before group 1, but they are actually boarded through the main cabin line, not the priority line. That, too, has been my experience in all of my domestic flights with AA.
Overall, AA's boarding process is terrible. They really need to split the elites up, and they could also help themselves a little by actually boarding when they're supposed to, not before. I know that an A321 will typically start boarding about 35 mins before departure, but they never say that. Instead, I get to the gate at boarding time and wind up at the top of a full jetbridge because they've already boarded through group 6.
Carry on baggage space is absolutely the issue. I travel for work and check a bag. I do, however, have a small Cpap and laptop computer with me that cannot be checked. Lately, flights to Charlotte have been the standard, and as such the only MCE seats are usually bulkhead...which also happens to be where there's not much room. I'm not a fan of having my bag at row 12 when I'm in row 8.
Gate lice are a terrible and ever growing problem and AA is not enforcing people boarding outside of their group. I was at CAK a few weeks ago when 27 people boarded with group 1. The aircraft was a CRJ 700 with 9F. Those of us in group 3, seeing everyone with GROUP 9 emblazoned on their boarding passes decided we'd do the same. I'm pretty sure we all grumbled something as we scanned our boarding passes. Case in point...there were exactly 2 people seated in F when I boarded.
Overall, AA's boarding process is terrible. They really need to split the elites up, and they could also help themselves a little by actually boarding when they're supposed to, not before. I know that an A321 will typically start boarding about 35 mins before departure, but they never say that. Instead, I get to the gate at boarding time and wind up at the top of a full jetbridge because they've already boarded through group 6.
Carry on baggage space is absolutely the issue. I travel for work and check a bag. I do, however, have a small Cpap and laptop computer with me that cannot be checked. Lately, flights to Charlotte have been the standard, and as such the only MCE seats are usually bulkhead...which also happens to be where there's not much room. I'm not a fan of having my bag at row 12 when I'm in row 8.
Gate lice are a terrible and ever growing problem and AA is not enforcing people boarding outside of their group. I was at CAK a few weeks ago when 27 people boarded with group 1. The aircraft was a CRJ 700 with 9F. Those of us in group 3, seeing everyone with GROUP 9 emblazoned on their boarding passes decided we'd do the same. I'm pretty sure we all grumbled something as we scanned our boarding passes. Case in point...there were exactly 2 people seated in F when I boarded.
Jan 21, 2019, 1:56 am
#35
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
Jan 21, 2019, 2:50 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Frensham, Lincolnshire
Programs: RFC
Posts: 5,083
Maybe he'd flown outside the US and discovered that it is possible to board a 160+ seat plane in less than 30 minutes in every other country on the planet and was experimenting with ways to make that happen in the US? I know it's hard, America - but keep at it! You'll work it out some day.
Jan 21, 2019, 6:45 am
#37
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
We all know the reason why "passengers" crowd the boarding area, its for the overhead space
Having taking a flight just yesterday with my daughter (father daughter trip, once a year , she is always very happy)
We were in group 1 boarding, and lets say about 25 deep waiting right by boarding zones 1-4, I just simply say excuse me and proceed.
Race should never have anything to do with this and yes a lot more things. (I am with a constant brown tan, my wife hates me for it)
Having taking a flight just yesterday with my daughter (father daughter trip, once a year , she is always very happy)
We were in group 1 boarding, and lets say about 25 deep waiting right by boarding zones 1-4, I just simply say excuse me and proceed.
Race should never have anything to do with this and yes a lot more things. (I am with a constant brown tan, my wife hates me for it)
Jan 21, 2019, 8:29 am
#39
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ORD and RSW
Programs: Former long time AA EXP and CK - 4 MM; Now LTPL; Hilton Diamond; UA Platinum
Posts: 380
I am flying UA more and more and people over there start lining up in the chutes about 15 minutes before boarding starts. Everywhere I have flown on UA. It's just the way it is done. Makes sense to me. Reduces the clutter in the gate area. At least a little. GS, 1K, and active military have no problem getting to the front of the group 1 chute and people already lined up make way for them. Or they just go around the chutes. Boarding is one thing that UA definitely does better. That being said, I always marveled when flying domestically in Japan how JAL and ANA could board a 767 in 15 minutes.
Jan 21, 2019, 8:33 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,236
I am flying UA more and more and people over there start lining up in the chutes about 15 minutes before boarding starts. Everywhere I have flown on UA. It's just the way it is done. Makes sense to me. Reduces the clutter in the gate area. At least a little. GS, 1K, and active military have no problem getting to the front of the group 1 chute and people already lined up make way for them. Or they just go around the chutes. Boarding is one thing that UA definitely does better. That being said, I always marveled when flying domestically in Japan how JAL and ANA could board a 767 in 15 minutes.
Jan 21, 2019, 8:58 am
#41
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,644
Traveling on separate reservations but seats together on UA recently, my husband got group 3, I got group 4.
We approached the gate together when group 3 was boarding.
My husband got a green light at bp scanning, but the GA had to make a few clicks on her screen before letting me board (regular economy seats, no exit row).
Something tells me that UA system will not automatically allow boarding if the group has not been called?
On another note, I love the WN boarding process. It seems to me so civilized and stress free. No gate lice. Also, on my last DL flights, I noticed that the GAs were sending back people whose group had not been called yet (at ATL and LAX). Good for DL.
We approached the gate together when group 3 was boarding.
My husband got a green light at bp scanning, but the GA had to make a few clicks on her screen before letting me board (regular economy seats, no exit row).
Something tells me that UA system will not automatically allow boarding if the group has not been called?
On another note, I love the WN boarding process. It seems to me so civilized and stress free. No gate lice. Also, on my last DL flights, I noticed that the GAs were sending back people whose group had not been called yet (at ATL and LAX). Good for DL.
Jan 21, 2019, 9:46 am
#42
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
I’m fortunate to usually board in Group 1 where there aren’t issues with crowds. I’d would however, rather deal with the crowding than some random guy playing gate cop and directing the masses. Don’t we have enough rules for air travel already? It’s bad enough that some Gate Agents behave like Army Drill Sergeants, do we need to be ordered about by our fellow passengers? There is no decorum left in air travel.
Jan 21, 2019, 10:03 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
I’m fortunate to usually board in Group 1 where there aren’t issues with crowds. I’d would however, rather deal with the crowding than some random guy playing gate cop and directing the masses. Don’t we have enough rules for air travel already? It’s bad enough that some Gate Agents behave like Army Drill Sergeants, do we need to be ordered about by our fellow passengers? There is no decorum left in air travel.
Jan 21, 2019, 10:13 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Jan 21, 2019, 10:34 am
#45
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
What would work best is if people would just all stay away from the door until their group is called. There's no benefit to lining up, it just encourages people to move to an area where they'll be in the way.
Unfortunately, if you don't mill around the door to the gate you won't be able to push your way through the throngs of group 8 pax who descend on the gate area the moment they start the little speech about spare lithium-ion batteries and e-cigarettes.
Unfortunately, if you don't mill around the door to the gate you won't be able to push your way through the throngs of group 8 pax who descend on the gate area the moment they start the little speech about spare lithium-ion batteries and e-cigarettes.