The Gate Lice are coming... the GATE LICE are coming
Nov 28, 2011, 7:52 am
#811
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,621
Hate This
I am a really loyal DL guy, a DM. I do not ..... much about DL but this is the one issue that I cannot stand: GAs that do not ensure that people in Zone 13 board when that zone is called. Drives me nuts.
Nov 28, 2011, 8:53 am
#812
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott G, Hilton G
Posts: 1,582
You know, they do this in Europe MUCH better. At Amsterdam, or any European airport, EVERYBODY pretends that they have absolutely no interest in being first in line or even slightly interested in boarding at the best time. It would be a sign of depravity to be SEEN as positioning yourself in a place that would show a predisposition to boarding before anybody else. So the wide arc around the scanner is particularly wide there. When boarding is announced, people move particularly nonchalantly (but, if you were to chart the movements using a flow analysis device - - determinedly and efficiently) toward the scanner, but without ANYbody looking particularly pressing, or even interested in having a boarding advantage.
Last edited by avflyer; Nov 28, 2011 at 9:06 am
Nov 28, 2011, 9:05 am
#813
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: TBD
Programs: Diamond Hilton, Titanium Marriott, Delta DM, President Circle Herz, NIGHTS IN OWN BED 2022 28
Posts: 312
Rent a Cane program better come with a hefty deposit, becuase those canes will get left alot. Like the guy on my plane that tried to walk off the plane without his only to have the FA try to chase him down to give it back
Nov 28, 2011, 9:08 am
#814
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott G, Hilton G
Posts: 1,582
I use a folding cane so that I can store it once on the jetway. They are much more practical.
Nov 28, 2011, 9:49 am
#815
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MCI
Programs: DL
Posts: 248
Do the Rent-a-canes come in Kryptonium Green by chance?
Nov 28, 2011, 1:23 pm
#816
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MLB
Programs: DL - KM DM, DL 1.57 MM, UA - 1P, AA - EXP HH - Diamond, PC - Platinum, SPG - Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 887
You know, they do this in Europe MUCH better. At Amsterdam, or any European airport, EVERYBODY pretends that they have absolutely no interest in being first in line or even slightly interested in boarding at the best time. It would be a sign of depravity to be SEEN as positioning yourself in a place that would show a predisposition to boarding before anybody else. So the wide arc around the scanner is particularly wide there. When boarding is announced, people move particularly nonchalantly (but, if you were to chart the movements using a flow analysis device - - determinedly and efficiently) toward the scanner, but without ANYbody looking particularly pressing, or even interested in having a boarding advantage.
.
.
Nov 28, 2011, 1:25 pm
#817
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 785
Point is, people generally don't know how to line up and be courteous. Only place I've seen people queue properly is in Japan.
Nov 28, 2011, 1:47 pm
#818
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA
Programs: FB Plat & DL KM, Le Club Plat, GHA Plat, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 1,591
You know, they do this in Europe MUCH better. At Amsterdam, or any European airport, EVERYBODY pretends that they have absolutely no interest in being first in line or even slightly interested in boarding at the best time. It would be a sign of depravity to be SEEN as positioning yourself in a place that would show a predisposition to boarding before anybody else. So the wide arc around the scanner is particularly wide there. When boarding is announced, people move particularly nonchalantly (but, if you were to chart the movements using a flow analysis device - - determinedly and efficiently) toward the scanner, but without ANYbody looking particularly pressing, or even interested in having a boarding advantage.
Jan 29, 2012, 6:17 pm
#819
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: West Hollywood, CA, USA
Programs: AA, SPG GLD, DL FO, VX, UA, US, ICH, Hyatt, Avis Pref.
Posts: 478
At CDG people were lined up all the way down the terminal. On the 777-300 in J there is plenty of overhead space for everyone. There's really no reason to rush on board even PDBs are not handed out until the door is shut.
Thankfully, my experience with queues at EZE make even AFs queues seem like an orderly exercise.
Jan 29, 2012, 6:40 pm
#820
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, UA PS, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,904
I forgot about this thread! Here's one at JFK a few months ago, ~20 minutes before boarding. I don't think upgrades were even processed by then (LAX flight).
Jan 30, 2012, 1:12 pm
#821
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: MOB
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 50
I was flying AMS-ATL last Friday. Security is at the gate, so SP only gets you to the scanner quicker.
At boarding, they attempted to make the call for passengers with special needs to pre-board, but this was apparently taken as an invitation for anyone who darn well pleases to make a mad dash for it. Never even heard a boarding call for BE or SP.
At boarding, they attempted to make the call for passengers with special needs to pre-board, but this was apparently taken as an invitation for anyone who darn well pleases to make a mad dash for it. Never even heard a boarding call for BE or SP.
Jan 31, 2012, 11:35 am
#822
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: TBD
Programs: Diamond Hilton, Titanium Marriott, Delta DM, President Circle Herz, NIGHTS IN OWN BED 2022 28
Posts: 312
Saw the newest version of Gate lice this morning. The those needing extra time or with children. A lady with her 12 year old and her 15 year walk up to the gate and Board first. Maybe Delta should get one of thoese yard sticks like at amusement parks, If your kid is taller then this you don't need to board earlier. 
Jan 31, 2012, 1:34 pm
#823
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Plat, DL AMEX Plat
Posts: 333
I was flying AMS-ATL last Friday. Security is at the gate, so SP only gets you to the scanner quicker.
At boarding, they attempted to make the call for passengers with special needs to pre-board, but this was apparently taken as an invitation for anyone who darn well pleases to make a mad dash for it. Never even heard a boarding call for BE or SP.
At boarding, they attempted to make the call for passengers with special needs to pre-board, but this was apparently taken as an invitation for anyone who darn well pleases to make a mad dash for it. Never even heard a boarding call for BE or SP.
Once in the gate area at some point the gate doors were opened and then there was a mad dash of all passengers to board. No announcements, no preboarding J, special assistance or elite passengers first. Very disorderly.
But somehow it worked as 10 minutes before departure time everyone had taken their seats and we left on time...
Feb 23, 2012, 1:27 pm
#824
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: HSV
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/1.2MM, UA Premier gold/1MM, Choice diamond, Marriott gold
Posts: 1,374
Okay maybe this isn't technically called "gate lice", but can anyone explain to me why at every gate I've ever seen (Delta as well as others), 10 minutes before boarding at least 30 people feel the need to stand up and move out right into the center of the concourse to wait to board. This includes FC pax, kettles, medallions, etc. This, of course, causes people trying to walk by to their gates to have to fight their way through the crowd just to walk by. I try to stand near the SP lane but out of the main concourse walkway. There's plenty of room there out of the main walkway...why clog up the entire concourse?
Feb 23, 2012, 2:57 pm
#825
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Programs: (PM)AA SPG (Marriott), Hilton
Posts: 1,040
2) Those who want to get on the plane first.
a) Almost everyone wants overhead bin space.
b) Some want extra time to wrap up work, or have a PDB.
3) Seats in the boarding area can be used up. This doesn't mean 100% utilization, but enough seats could be used that standing is preferred to using what's left.
Of course, I maybe wrong here.