"If you are connecting on the following flights please come forward first"
Apr 25, 2019, 1:11 pm
#31
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Trenton NJ
Programs: UA Gold MM, Honors Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hertz President’s Circle
Posts: 3,668
This happened on my LBB-DFW flight on Tuesday. We were delayed over an hour and my connection to EWR had already been busted (50 minutes was moved to 6 hours after rebooking). They called for 7 people who now had tight connections to get up to the front and asked the rest of us to stay seated. I was on the aisle and once those 7 were up front, I got up and got my stuff out. Thought that it worked out well that way for people who still had a chance to make their connecitons.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:19 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
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I've actually had this happen 2 or 3 times this year. If people listen it actually works quite well and a handful of people rush up to make their connections. Honestly, it didn't add more than 2-3 minutes. The problem happens when people don't listen and then people try to get through which seems to clog up the aisles even more. The best though was the one where the FA asked people to wait and then allow F to deplane first (since we were leaving from the row 12 or whatever it is door. Yeah, no one listened to that one.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:21 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SE Wisconsin
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond for Life
Posts: 337
Yesterday on my flight from LAX to ORD, a similar situation occurred. (And same as OP, they couldn’t find a pilot in LAX.)
When making the announcement on the plane, they were much more firm in stating, “anyone with connections from x time to x time should deplane first”.
I thought this was much more effective than, “please sit down if you’re not in a hurry...”
But as mentioned above, it would be SO much more effective if they just listed off by name those that really do have the need to get off first.
When these situations come up, I do try to wait a few minutes for others to get off, but eventually you really don’t know if the guy in row 12 really is making a connection or has just decided to go for it.
I think if they listed off critical passengers by name, more people would be willing to acknowledge they are not the one in a hurry.
When making the announcement on the plane, they were much more firm in stating, “anyone with connections from x time to x time should deplane first”.
I thought this was much more effective than, “please sit down if you’re not in a hurry...”
But as mentioned above, it would be SO much more effective if they just listed off by name those that really do have the need to get off first.
When these situations come up, I do try to wait a few minutes for others to get off, but eventually you really don’t know if the guy in row 12 really is making a connection or has just decided to go for it.
I think if they listed off critical passengers by name, more people would be willing to acknowledge they are not the one in a hurry.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:36 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: OKC
Programs: IHG Spire, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 2,274
This is a horrible idea that never works. It assumes that all connecting pax are in the aisle seats which obviously isn't true. So, the aisle people have to get up to let the middle/window pax up - at that point it's just as fast for them to walk straight ahead and get out of the way vs. sitting back down.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:37 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
There wasn’t a FA enforcing it at all. It was just a request that wasn’t followed. Unlike on international when it will be blocked by a FA. You’re correct though with Y passengers in between the door and F it’s hard to enforce.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:44 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,235
This happened on my LBB-DFW flight on Tuesday. We were delayed over an hour and my connection to EWR had already been busted (50 minutes was moved to 6 hours after rebooking). They called for 7 people who now had tight connections to get up to the front and asked the rest of us to stay seated. I was on the aisle and once those 7 were up front, I got up and got my stuff out. Thought that it worked out well that way for people who still had a chance to make their connecitons.
I think putting a limit on how many people need to get up makes it easier for everyone else to remain seated. I'm sure someone could write a psychology thesis on this, but when they make only a general announcement, people probably think "oh everyone else will stay seated, I'm just one extra person, it won't matter, they'll think I have a connection too" and then it's a cascade of people standing up and nobody knows who is trying to actually make a connection. By saying it's "only 12 people" that also lets everyone know it won't take long for those folks to get off the plane and so the rest of you won't be delayed more than a minute or two.
Apr 25, 2019, 1:58 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
I'd say good for the FA's to realize the people with tight connections need to leave the plane first. I wish they did that when my flight to PHL (connection to RSW) was 45 minutes late.
Apr 25, 2019, 2:21 pm
#39
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: MSP/DFW
Programs: Priority Club PLT, Marriott Titanium, AA EXP
Posts: 480
I don't understand why this is even remotely shocking. Certainly plausible that they could have had a 2- hour connection time originally scheduled. Which after a 2 hour delay, would equate to somewhere between a few minutes, to just under an hour, before the next flight departs.
Apr 25, 2019, 2:55 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 73
In general, I am not a big fan of encouraging this behavior. I don't mind if the FA once a year says please allow family x the get off first since they got 20 minutes to catch a flight to HKG. Even in those cases it seems stupid, because your luggage won't make it.
But many of the times I have heard it: the flight has been on time and they are infrequent flyers worried about making a 45 min connection, because their ticket says "boards at.." They are trying to catch a flight that is already closed. They get off early and are waiting for their gate checked luggage.
In most cases, the FA doesn't have all of the needed information to make informed decisions and don't need the extra hassle of prioritizing disembarkation. The passengers in the back are often low value customers that shop on price, so AA has no incentive to improve their experience. If you are a FF that got stuck in the back, you have likely become conditioned to accept cancelled/missed flights and just roll with the results.
But many of the times I have heard it: the flight has been on time and they are infrequent flyers worried about making a 45 min connection, because their ticket says "boards at.." They are trying to catch a flight that is already closed. They get off early and are waiting for their gate checked luggage.
In most cases, the FA doesn't have all of the needed information to make informed decisions and don't need the extra hassle of prioritizing disembarkation. The passengers in the back are often low value customers that shop on price, so AA has no incentive to improve their experience. If you are a FF that got stuck in the back, you have likely become conditioned to accept cancelled/missed flights and just roll with the results.
Apr 25, 2019, 3:17 pm
#42
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: GCM, formerly DFW
Programs: AA Exp
Posts: 273
Apr 25, 2019, 3:24 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
In general, I am not a big fan of encouraging this behavior. I don't mind if the FA once a year says please allow family x the get off first since they got 20 minutes to catch a flight to HKG. Even in those cases it seems stupid, because your luggage won't make it.
But many of the times I have heard it: the flight has been on time and they are infrequent flyers worried about making a 45 min connection, because their ticket says "boards at.." They are trying to catch a flight that is already closed. They get off early and are waiting for their gate checked luggage.
In most cases, the FA doesn't have all of the needed information to make informed decisions and don't need the extra hassle of prioritizing disembarkation. The passengers in the back are often low value customers that shop on price, so AA has no incentive to improve their experience. If you are a FF that got stuck in the back, you have likely become conditioned to accept cancelled/missed flights and just roll with the results.
But many of the times I have heard it: the flight has been on time and they are infrequent flyers worried about making a 45 min connection, because their ticket says "boards at.." They are trying to catch a flight that is already closed. They get off early and are waiting for their gate checked luggage.
In most cases, the FA doesn't have all of the needed information to make informed decisions and don't need the extra hassle of prioritizing disembarkation. The passengers in the back are often low value customers that shop on price, so AA has no incentive to improve their experience. If you are a FF that got stuck in the back, you have likely become conditioned to accept cancelled/missed flights and just roll with the results.
