How did they "make them take their bags" and who "made them"?

I usually take my book, ipad and such up to F, then look for overhead space. If I find enough room, I head back to Y and grab my bag from the overhead. I've never had anyone "insist" on my taking my bag from the overhead. Besides, how are they to know for sure you have something up there?

I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but there is another change coming soon and that will be when zone boarding is impemented on the PMCO side. I am sure that will create more confusion. The same passengers who can't figure out that row 28 is between rows 25 and 32 won't know that zone 2 is between zones 1 and 3.

GAs making up their own rules is still a problem - flying out of CLE earlier this week the GA called "first class only" and I lined up with a handful of other Plat / 1Ks sitting in Y. She turned us away, made us stand to one side and repeated her "first class ONLY!" message with a little more insistence on the PA. When I asked her why she wasn't following the regular process she replied "this is how I always do it, otherwise it messes things up on the plane" - unbelievable.

While people should follow company policy, I don't mind this at all. I notice a lot of CO G/A all over the system still call First Class only before all elites. I give them a ^^^. I'm sorry, but no one (GS PP 1K, except the military thing) should board before First Class. I don't care if you fly everyday. Chances are if you did, you more than likely would be in First. I agree with her. I find boarding is much smoother when First is called before everyone else. This is the one thing I found CO did really well. Boarding First Class and enforcing the First Class only.

When did CO start Elite Access. Was it one of the first airlines to give these type of priviledges to frequent flyers. Also, going back in time say to the 1970's was boarding done first class then from the back of the aircraft to the front. I used to fly back then but I can't remember.

We'll agree to disagree on this one, especially when you have GMs often occupying F seats via miles, TODs, etc. "I'm sorry Mr. Stuker, you ended up in Y today, you have to wait for Ma and Pa Kettle to board first". Come on.

But I guess this is another divide on recognition of single flight vs. year-long & multi-year status.

I'm with UA-NYC on this one. If I actually paid for F, I probably would be annoyed at the GS and 1K boarding ahead of me, but are you really going to force Tom Stuker to board after F?

The answer is easy - let F and GS board first. They are statistically likely to be your best customers. Then board 1K. Then board other elites. Then start zone boarding. And yes, I'd drop the military in uniform category.

I think it'll remain a mess until and unless the number of distinct boarding groups is cut to size. It is too long, too complex and can lead to mistakes both on the G/A and passenger side. Between the general state of confusion of the masses, the ambient noise and the quality of the P/A system, any Premier passenger can certainly be forgiven for hearing Premier Executive and thinking his turn is up.

My take is, they should do zone boarding for the entire aircraft, with various programs and elite levels matched to a specific zone. Make zone 1 for GS, the military, 1K and first class, zone 2 for business class and Platinum members, zone 3 for Star Gold and Presidential Plus (they gotta get something for it), zone 4 for Star Silver and Explorer, and then the other zones for coach. No need for G/As to remember which group goes before which other group, and all passengers have to do to know when their time is up is look at which zone is printed on their boarding pass. Not even an original thought.

Oh, and another reform: whoever lines up on the carpet before boarding goes last. How many of us are GS (I'm not btw) and know for a fact we are entitled to board first? Wait your turn away from the carpet rather than block the path for people who might be entitled to get on before you. I promise any pain you will feel will be your ego only.

This frequent First/BusinessFirst flyer disagrees with you.

The problem is, while your frustration makes sense short-haul, it stops on long-haul/international flights. A last-minute First/Business ticket to Asia/Europe can cost around $20,000. Doesn't that customer deserve as much recognition as the Gold elite who earned his status spending less than half of that?

I know some of them spend their military life behind a desk buying office supplies for their base, but many more don't. Until we can tell them apart by their uniform, I say they all get to board whenever they damn please.

Oh they can board up front too, they're not going after GS/1K, that's the difference.

PMUA had it down perfectly on int'l routes - GS/F/1Ks, then C (sometimes boarding C with the above, sometimes not).

I saw a GS have a hissy fit in SFO because they tried to board F first only, and he was in Y. I get his point - even though he's spending $50K/year, he didn't "count" on that flight.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd like to see some optimization of the boarding process where they would integrate the status levels and the seat assignments such that they could optimally board the plane and get off the gate on time more often.

For instance, I think it makes sense to board non-F GS and 1Ks first. I'd argue that they should think about boarding E- elites at the back first, the then E+ GS and 1K elites by level, then F, then...

What I really wonder is whether there's a better way of arranging the gate area to enable there to be a clear path to the carpet.

While I think most of us would agree with you, there is a sense of entitlement and attitude of "I paid x thousand dollars for this first class ticket, I want to be the first one on the plane." Look at the gate lice that stand on the red carpet for 45+ minutes, only to sit in first class. Are those people competing for overhead space? Most likely not.

there is. Just go back to the pre-June process - the carpet is for F/GS/1K only throughout the boarding process, and everyone else through the general lane.

I thought the red carpet lane was closed once general boarding started. I think it should be left open during the whole boarding process so that those coming from connections or the lounge can board whenever they want.

It's roped off but you can definitely still use it during the boarding process. (GA attitude permitting) ;)

I get enough dirty looks using the blue carpet halfway through the boarding process, I can only imagine the looks I'd get if I unhooked the rope, let myself in, hooked it up again and handed by BP to the GA.