Dovster

My AZ last itinerary:

TLV-FCO -- no priority boarding.
FCO-MXP -- no priority boarding.
MXP-FCO -- no priority boarding.
FCO-TLV -- priority boarding to a bus which took us to the plane.

fgirard

But, the inherent question is whether the boarding process for the first three segments was like a cattle run at the stockyards...

WBurcham

This is Alitalia, there is no other option.

Well, I lied, there is. Flight canceled.

fgirard

What about the plane surrendering itself to other airlines?

MSPeconomist

Since you're the expert, can you please tell me what the incubation period is? Do you really think I could have become infested on Saturday? (I assume that you really meant to say "from" and not "by" my seatmate, as I haven't been on any flights with bad gate lice problems since SkyPriority started on April 15 and I haven't had contact with coach passengers in a very long time.) How could I have not noticed any overt symptoms until Sunday evening? (Even then, initially I assumed that at worst I had a very mild case.)

How contagious do you think I would have been earlier? I'm sure the mob on my Sunday night flight was experiencing a raging epidemic before I arrived at the gate, but now you have me very concerned about how many FTers I might have infected over the weekend. However, if I picked up my infection in the ATL SkyClub (which I personally feel is unlikely, as I didn't go near concourse B until Sunday), perhaps our entire community is suffering from the problem. I hope someone finds a cure soon, although I wouldn't mind if part of the solution involves either getting rid of all RJs without FC (to slow the spread of the lice) or replacing the seats and sanitizing the interiors of the old 767s with cloth recliner seats (to stop the lice from continuing to reproduce).

WBurcham

Generally 24-48 hours.

Yes, it is probable that seatmates (or those within 2-3 rows) who frequently sleep with Gate Lice ridden airlines are highly contagious. I feel for pax who did ATL-ONT on Saturday. They had much longer to be exposed....

I would blame it on the Woodford.

WBurcham

Surrender? Are you sure you aren't confused with Air France?

Dovster

No, cattle runs are much more orderly.

raistlin

In the middle of the volcano crisis, I've seen a lot of people wishing they were booked on AZ through FCO.

I think this was a most unique experience.

CJKatl

Yesterday, MSP-ATL Flight 1081, the Gate Lice heckled.

"You all can't be in F!" a couple starting saying as we wheeled our way through the throng that had gathered around the boarding area. "What makes you think you are so important?" asked another.

Bonus: tall blond woman in front of me in the line had never heard the term "Gate Lice" but loved it.

Extra Bonus: She next mentioned the only thing worse was people who slowed everything down by trying to sneak in the line wiht an earlier Zone. I commented that those people should be forced into a time out, boarding pass taken away and made to wait until everyone had boarded. At that point, we were at the scanner. The GA laughed and rolled her eyes when she heard this.

Turns out the man behind me, who could hear us, was not Zone 1. The GA took his boarding pass and told him to have a seat!!! She also anounced "We are only boarding Zone 1" so that everyone would look at the guy and know he is a jerk.

Tall blond said "you watch, he'll be sitting next to you and wil blame you." Didn't happen. Nope. He didn't sit next to me. He sat next to tall blonde!!! He also boarded shorly after us, so the GA didn't hold him until the end of boarding.

drat19

+1 to this post. I'm a proud gate louse because it's kill-or-be-killed for overhead space, period. And I generally am willing to stand longer and assume the "pole position" (as another poster above dubbed it...I like that) if I've been upgraded and will be in the first group...because I know that the F bins will now generally be completely full before the last F passenger has taken his/her seat. WOBS (War for Overhead Bin Space) has really made flying suck nowadays...more than it ever has. Was there ever a BETTER time for flying than in the days just after 8/10/06, when all liquids were prohibited and airlines weren't yet charging for checked bags, making the boarding process a completely stress-free experience?

Dovster

I don't care when you boarded or when he did -- he won and you lost!

flightattendantsteve

I watched this one today from ATL-JFK... 90 Minutes and he never moved once...

iamhereandthere

Clearly he doesn't have a Sky Club membership or Plat Amex...that is a good 60 minutes of drinks wasted...oh the humanity!

drat19

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