All Aboard....
Oct 19, 2006 | 6:37 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: CO Platinum, AA Platinum, SPG Platinum, Amex Plat,HHonors Gold, Leader - Leading Hotels of the World
Posts: 72
Dead right.
Originally Posted by HeathrowGuy
It's all rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic until US carriers ENFORCE carry-on luggage rules and start requiring ginormous or excessive cabin baggage to be checked. If they start doing that, airlines could board an aircraft any way they want, and it'll be faster than the current sh*tshow on most flights.
Oct 20, 2006 | 8:13 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,122
Originally Posted by capitalflow
Couldn't agree more. Check the dam# super-sized garment bag.
Oct 20, 2006 | 8:27 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Originally Posted by Vulcan
I never check when I can avoid it. I travel with a "medium size" garment back and a small backpack. Virtually all of my trips require a connection at IAH, where CO typically provides a 35-55 minute connection time. If the inbound flight runs late, I typically make the connection by sprinting. I know CO has a great baggage system at IAH (I saw it at the first DO), but I need my suit later that day for a meeting and refuse to take a chance that I might make the flight and the bag might not. Just my 2 cents.
Oct 20, 2006 | 8:50 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: MCI
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 749
And lets face it - if EVERYONE on a full flight (especially narrow body) boarded with their maximum carry on allowance, or even everyone had a max sized carry on suitcase, they simply wouldn't fit on the plane. It even seems to be a problem when a flight is more than 75% full...........
I always travel well within cary on restrictions, but still value elite boarding so I know my carry on won't be 25 rows behind me, or worse end up checked.
But a flawed, non fully enforced system is to blame........
I always travel well within cary on restrictions, but still value elite boarding so I know my carry on won't be 25 rows behind me, or worse end up checked.
But a flawed, non fully enforced system is to blame........
Oct 20, 2006 | 9:42 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,660
The system blames the users....
The users blame the system.....
And so it goes.......
The users blame the system.....
And so it goes.......
Oct 20, 2006 | 10:00 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brick, NJ
Programs: Marriott-Plat, Hilton-Silver
Posts: 108
Have any of you ever been on a plane in China? Chinese airline I mean..Boarding any flight in China is a joy..It is a free for all..Really crazy....
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:13 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ABE/PHL
Programs: CO Pt Infinite (1k life)/ 1MM - NW/DL Silver life/1 MM
Posts: 1,309
Originally Posted by xyzzy
I don't like the chaos that this method implies. Sure, I'll be on first because I'm elite. The crowding and pushing of those in the boarding line will only increase once it becomes a free-for-all at general boarding time.
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:15 am
#23
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ABE/PHL
Programs: CO Pt Infinite (1k life)/ 1MM - NW/DL Silver life/1 MM
Posts: 1,309
Originally Posted by doobierw
Let me clarify...... You'll still have an assigned seat. It won't be the SWA free-for-all.
Why do pilots care? If it involves flying, boarding, fueling, on-time, baggage, dispatch, weather, delays, people, passengers, medical conditions, pets, security, prisoners, handicapped passengers, kids flying for the first time, hazardous material, etc, etc...... they generally try and keep us in the loop.....
Why do pilots care? If it involves flying, boarding, fueling, on-time, baggage, dispatch, weather, delays, people, passengers, medical conditions, pets, security, prisoners, handicapped passengers, kids flying for the first time, hazardous material, etc, etc...... they generally try and keep us in the loop.....
It going to be like Asia where there is no orderliness.
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:16 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Homosassa, FL & Ringwood, NJ -UA-G(Lifetime); SPG-Plat (Lifetime)
Posts: 6,122
Originally Posted by jdls22
Have any of you ever been on a plane in China? Chinese airline I mean..Boarding any flight in China is a joy..It is a free for all..Really crazy....
Admittedly, this was a small sample.
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:22 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,613
AS did this for a couple of years on their flights: pre-boards, First, High Elite, Regular Elite, and then ALL ABOARD. Inevitably, some passenger in row 6 would block the aisle for 3 minutes while stowing luggage, getting a pillow, blanket, etc., etc. So, what AS did is split Y into 2 groups: row 15+ and then all rows. This helped considerably.
Basically, you need to get a group of people to the BACK of the plane first. Then, you must pause the boarding for, say, 3 minutes. Finally, board the rest of the plane. It works pretty well. Optimally, you probably want to board like this: rows 20-25, rows 6-10, pause for 5 minutes, rows 11-19.
Basically, you need to get a group of people to the BACK of the plane first. Then, you must pause the boarding for, say, 3 minutes. Finally, board the rest of the plane. It works pretty well. Optimally, you probably want to board like this: rows 20-25, rows 6-10, pause for 5 minutes, rows 11-19.
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:49 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Continental Gold Elite, United Premier Executive
Posts: 6,766
Originally Posted by carpboy
It going to be like Asia where there is no orderliness.
Oct 20, 2006 | 11:52 am
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Continental Gold Elite, United Premier Executive
Posts: 6,766
Originally Posted by Vulcan
I never check when I can avoid it. I travel with a "medium size" garment back and a small backpack. Virtually all of my trips require a connection at IAH, where CO typically provides a 35-55 minute connection time. If the inbound flight runs late, I typically make the connection by sprinting. I know CO has a great baggage system at IAH (I saw it at the first DO), but I need my suit later that day for a meeting and refuse to take a chance that I might make the flight and the bag might not. Just my 2 cents.
Oct 20, 2006 | 12:37 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: CLE
Programs: CO Gold - 1MM, IC Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,644
Originally Posted by jdls22
Have any of you ever been on a plane in China? Chinese airline I mean..Boarding any flight in China is a joy..It is a free for all..Really crazy....
As for the new boarding process....I am glad I am an elite then, I do not want to see the cattle call boarding mess that will be going on up the jetway.
Oct 20, 2006 | 12:47 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
Originally Posted by carpboy
Not a guarantee everywhere, for instance the UA gates CO uses at LAX, no carpet.
Last edited by JohnneeO; Oct 20, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Oct 20, 2006 | 1:46 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Originally Posted by CLEHillbilly
As for the new boarding process....I am glad I am an elite then, I do not want to see the cattle call boarding mess that will be going on up the jetway.