Appropriate thread correlating to an experience I had this morning at DEN waiting to bard a UA flight. 30 minutes before boarding, a middle aged guy with meticulously groomed gray hair ( he kept using his comb every 5 minutes or so to make sure it remained in perfect condition ), wearing ironed jeans, boat shoes, no socks, open shirt and a vest, with a fancy leather carry-on moved onto the red carpet, secured his spot and began making loud phone calls. Keep in mind, there was not yet an agent at the gate and there were plenty of seats available in the boarding area. Minutes later he was joined by a lady, who was reading a children's book and another business type guy. They guarded their space on the red carpet until boarding was announced, a good half hour after they started the line. Turned out they were in the FC cabin.
I thought this was an UA exclusive, glad to hear that it occurs on DL now as well. It does, however, add an entertainment factor for all the folks in the boarding area.

I agree with this. I would MUCH rather board board last, if I knew it wasn't going to be a huge disadvantage.

It hasn't been a UA style problem in the past.. y'all seem to take the cake with Gate Lice...

I agree too. In my case, I don't see the advantage of boarding early. I usually just have a laptop case since most of the time I need to check my bag. I spend the extra time in the lounge, so I don't really care about pre-departure drink. By the time I get to the gate, Zone 3 or 4 is already boarding and I either use the breezeway or wait until I make sure I tell the GAs that I'm there, so they don't give my seat to anyone.

Totally. Not sure what the rush is. No one is that important. I'll take the time, check my bags for free, not worry about keeping my stuff in plastic bags and tiny bottles, take my time upon arrival, let everyone else scramble for overhead space and then taxis, thankyouverymuch.

Sorry, but: Do you know who I am? (Borrowing Wburcham's "special" Diamond card for a moment)

:)

Uh apparently some of us are more important than others ;)

I have a sneaking suspicion many of those who are making fun of the lice are guilty guilty guilty...

Wirelessly posted (ATT Tilt: 8900a/1.2 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.6) UP.Link/6.3.1.20.06.3.1.20.0)

next time I am at MCO I will be sure to get a picture of myself DYKWIA gate lice-ing.

normally I show up towards the middle of zone 3, about the time that the jetway is backed up but I bypass the line with my skymiles card (never board w/my BP)

Oh wow. SoCal is a neighborhood to brag on now? :o I never knew :rolleyes:

OK folks, I barely made GM last year and officially have NO UG benefit since I am HNL-based (it's a developing world style airport anyway). Based on this combination of barely-there "status" and home airport advantage, am I allowed to look down my nose at the mass of gate lice that inevitably forms in front of every flight out of here? Inquiring minds wish to know ... :confused:

Well it was really about the weather but ....ok I guess I am bragging. You realize I am bragging relative my OWN home town of Boston. I can tell you with 100% surety that the weather is much nicer here as I just moved here in June. Not sure what that has to do with you exactly but the rolled eyes is cool..

your forgetting the US crowd (or should I say "cockroaches"--including myself)...

come on now...admit it..
 

Not one of you have ever been even a little bit of gate louse (is that the proper term?). Well I admit sometimes I have been, long days and you know what: I am very sick and tired of having folks carry what looks like two weeks worth of 'small' bags on to BE on long haul flights leaving little room for when one goes on last....you know who you are, some of you are writing on this thread--you know those of you trying hard not to be one of the lice as it were. But then when said person gets on last, walking confidently with his/her BE and newly minted stamped "DM" boarding pass and finds no place, I mean no place, to put there many bags....ohhh can you say "Do You Know Who I Am?" Saw this just the other day....:). Sooo the lesson is sometimes being gate louse can work in your favor. :)

Of course, GM's look down on FO's and General Members. :eek:

I didn't even realize US had priority boarding, I had just assumed dougie had made you pay an entrance fee at the gate these days.

Not quite, in fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they have us move the jetway ourselves and load our own luggage (if no one else can do it correctly--then we'll do it ourselves)