Stop the early boarding (D0) stupidity
Mar 18, 2019, 1:11 pm
#121
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
My wife and I will be flying with our 2 year old out of FLL going to Charlotte next month on an A321. And then from Charlotte to Detroit on a Bombardier CRJ-900. I'm interested in advice about when to show up at the gate and when to board for both legs of the flight. I thought it would be wise to board late, hopefully letting my daughter burn off some energy in the terminal rather than make her sit on the plane for an extra half hour, but I'm reading posts up thread saying if you don't board early you risk not getting overhead space even in business. Thoughts?
I've also resorted to bringing crayons on board and asking for a stack of Barclay's applications to keep everyone (both young and old) happy with creative, thoughtful doodles in the blank spaces. You can then send them away in hopes that they'll be recognized for their artistic achievements by Barclays. Having no artwork returned to date must must mean that they are much appreciated and undoubtedly gracing some highly visible hallway or fridge at the Barclays' application processing center.
Mar 18, 2019, 1:15 pm
#122
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Mar 18, 2019, 1:24 pm
#123
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 361
There is internal disdain over boarding times from the flight attendants. Boarding times are contractual for them and agents boarding early is a violation of their contract. I think the issue at hand is, 35 minutes is not enough to board a full loaded 737 with 172 passengers. I bet during FA contract negotiations AA will push for at least 40 minute boarding for domestic narrow bodies.
Mar 18, 2019, 1:34 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MIA
Posts: 298
Had a bad D0 experience over the weekend. Flight into MIA from SFO for a deep South America connection was two hours late. I ran to my gate as I still had 15 minutes to make the connection and got there maybe 10 minutes before departure time. The flight, of course, had closed. By departure time, there was at least 15 people there from my SFO flight when the gate agent came up and started to rebook people for the flight the next night.
Obviously, the gate agent knew the SFO plane had 15 people connecting and would be arriving late. The planes sit in South America for 12 hours so holding the plane wouldn't cause any delays on the other end. I get the importance of D0 when a plane starts its day as those delays add on throughout the day but ... to the last flights of the day to South America?
Obviously, the gate agent knew the SFO plane had 15 people connecting and would be arriving late. The planes sit in South America for 12 hours so holding the plane wouldn't cause any delays on the other end. I get the importance of D0 when a plane starts its day as those delays add on throughout the day but ... to the last flights of the day to South America?
Way to go Parker!
Mar 18, 2019, 1:36 pm
#125
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
There is internal disdain over boarding times from the flight attendants. Boarding times are contractual for them and agents boarding early is a violation of their contract. I think the issue at hand is, 35 minutes is not enough to board a full loaded 737 with 172 passengers. I bet during FA contract negotiations AA will push for at least 40 minute boarding for domestic narrow bodies.
Mar 18, 2019, 3:55 pm
#126
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,857
OP was at BOS. Has anybody else found this more prevalent in BOS than other airports? We actually were turned away at T-17 at BOS a couple years ago, because they decided to close the doors early. No apologies (which wasn't shocking), but instead downright rudeness on a level I rarely see in "professional" interactions. Enough to leave one member of our party in tears.
Mar 18, 2019, 6:06 pm
#127
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP 3MM, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT TIT, Hyatt Explorist, HH Silver, Caesars PLT
Posts: 7,259
The correct boarding times have been printing on boarding passes (paper and app) for a few months now, while the screens were corrected prior to that. So both should now reflect the same boarding time.
Mar 18, 2019, 6:47 pm
#128
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: AA EXP. HH DIAMOND.
Posts: 224
OP was at BOS. Has anybody else found this more prevalent in BOS than other airports? We actually were turned away at T-17 at BOS a couple years ago, because they decided to close the doors early. No apologies (which wasn't shocking), but instead downright rudeness on a level I rarely see in "professional" interactions. Enough to leave one member of our party in tears.
Mar 19, 2019, 6:38 am
#129
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
Had a bad D0 experience over the weekend. Flight into MIA from SFO for a deep South America connection was two hours late. I ran to my gate as I still had 15 minutes to make the connection and got there maybe 10 minutes before departure time. The flight, of course, had closed. By departure time, there was at least 15 people there from my SFO flight when the gate agent came up and started to rebook people for the flight the next night.
Obviously, the gate agent knew the SFO plane had 15 people connecting and would be arriving late. The planes sit in South America for 12 hours so holding the plane wouldn't cause any delays on the other end. I get the importance of D0 when a plane starts its day as those delays add on throughout the day but ... to the last flights of the day to South America?
Obviously, the gate agent knew the SFO plane had 15 people connecting and would be arriving late. The planes sit in South America for 12 hours so holding the plane wouldn't cause any delays on the other end. I get the importance of D0 when a plane starts its day as those delays add on throughout the day but ... to the last flights of the day to South America?
Mar 19, 2019, 7:24 am
#130
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
So this makes me worry a little. I usually fly Delta but going on vacation with friends who cant/don’t want to spend extra on flights so they go with the cheapest at the time, so we’re stuck with AA.
Both flights connect at DFW, one way via AA itself, the other via American Eagle.
Both flights have a 40 minute layover which I assumed would be good enough barring delays, but if they regularly close off early, should I try and convince them to do a different connection with longer layover?
Both flights connect at DFW, one way via AA itself, the other via American Eagle.
Both flights have a 40 minute layover which I assumed would be good enough barring delays, but if they regularly close off early, should I try and convince them to do a different connection with longer layover?
Mar 19, 2019, 9:18 am
#131
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,857
I was hoping it would qualify for something, but not surprisingly, the GA recorded us as arriving at T-5, so it was our word against hers (and obviously, we'd have every reason to lie and she'd have none, right?). I wish I had thought to take a picture of the clock on the board the minute she said we were too late.
Mar 19, 2019, 9:26 am
#132
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: GCM, formerly DFW
Programs: AA Exp
Posts: 271
I wouldn't chance it. For me, 60 minutes is the bare minimum at DFW. 40 minutes means you have 25 minutes before they close the door (I have had them close it at t-15 when I came running up). 5-10 minutes to get off. AE to mainline means taking the skylink to another terminal which is 10-20min gate to gate. So even if you are on time you are taking a risk. I have spent many flights at DFW waiting on the tarmack because our gate was occupied.
Mar 19, 2019, 10:02 am
#133
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,899
I've booked ALB-ORD-ASE. My connection time was 8:30am-9:50am and due to an AA schedule change, it has gone from 9:14am-9:48am.
I called AA and asked to take the last flight the night before ALB-ORD and get a hotel at my own expense.
AA Response: No. 34 minutes is still legal at ORD. You'll need to pay the $200 and any fare difference.
Me: But I would have never bought these $954 tickets with a 34 minute connection. Plus there is no protection to ASE that same day.
AA: Well it is a legal connection and we can change the schedule. The original arrival/departurel timings don't exceed 60 minutes - just the layover times are different - so you don't get the waiver for a schedule change.
(Orig dptr 7:10am to 7:50am / Orig arvl. 11:39am to 11:44am)
AA: Plus both are operated by Skywest so they'll probably be parked close to one another.
Me: Maybe. Maybe Not.
I called back and explained it over again.
Next AA Agent: I can offer you a discount on the change fee to $100 but that's it.
AA: Maybe wait a while since you have 3 months and there will be another schedule change.
Ugh. I cant help but think we will be a victim of D0 even with a 5-10 minute delay. Both are CR7 aircraft. I guess part of the key is not to have any bags they have to gate check as that could add 10-12 minutes wait time at ORD.
I called AA and asked to take the last flight the night before ALB-ORD and get a hotel at my own expense.
AA Response: No. 34 minutes is still legal at ORD. You'll need to pay the $200 and any fare difference.
Me: But I would have never bought these $954 tickets with a 34 minute connection. Plus there is no protection to ASE that same day.
AA: Well it is a legal connection and we can change the schedule. The original arrival/departurel timings don't exceed 60 minutes - just the layover times are different - so you don't get the waiver for a schedule change.
(Orig dptr 7:10am to 7:50am / Orig arvl. 11:39am to 11:44am)
AA: Plus both are operated by Skywest so they'll probably be parked close to one another.
Me: Maybe. Maybe Not.
I called back and explained it over again.
Next AA Agent: I can offer you a discount on the change fee to $100 but that's it.
AA: Maybe wait a while since you have 3 months and there will be another schedule change.
Ugh. I cant help but think we will be a victim of D0 even with a 5-10 minute delay. Both are CR7 aircraft. I guess part of the key is not to have any bags they have to gate check as that could add 10-12 minutes wait time at ORD.
Mar 20, 2019, 6:10 am
#134
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: QDF
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), Marriott Tit
Posts: 1,034
I was hoping it would qualify for something, but not surprisingly, the GA recorded us as arriving at T-5, so it was our word against hers (and obviously, we'd have every reason to lie and she'd have none, right?). I wish I had thought to take a picture of the clock on the board the minute she said we were too late.
Mar 20, 2019, 6:30 am
#135
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
