You know, I had forgotten that there are (theoretically) two lines, one for SkyPriority and one that isn't. It has been a while since I've seen a GA actually separate people so that a SkyPriority passenger could "cut" the line of Main 1/2. Not that it hugely matters by the time you get to the jet bridge, but still.

These days I find myself boarding as soon as I can just to get overhead bin space if I'm in C+ - I hate having to swim "upstream" and get my bag at the end of a flight.

Do not expect it to be any better on Delta. And you will notice that they’ll be all kinds of talk about gate lice as if it’s not frequent flyers. No look around The “gate lice” all have elite bag tags. 😀
I once watched a man with his diamond brag tag literally knock an elderly person to the ground in his hurry to be the first person on the plane. I’m sure there’s a prize for being first on the plane I’ve never gotten it so I don’t know what it is


And then new boarding system doesn’t work because the diamonds are going “i know they said first class, but I should have been upgraded but the gate agent didn’t do it right did I’m taking my “rightful” boarding zone. “

I'd forgotten about this, I think it was actually further along than "trying", they had reconfigured a substantial number of the widebody gates at JFK (the low-to-mid B gates, basically) to have multiple lanes. IIRC it worked pretty well.

That said, the only boarding experience I've ever experienced that I'd call truly organized was for the SQ non-stop EWR-SIN. Two lines: 60 or so people for J, another 60 or so people for W, and that's it. And there probably wouldn't have been a line for J except they called boarding from the lounge before they were actually ready to start boarding.

I agree with this. I've seen this happen a few times at JFK, LGA, YYZ, and DTW just this year.

The most memorable one happened a few months ago. I started talking to a person looking in his twenties while waiting at the gate for our flight from DTW to LGA on an A320. While lining up, he then gets decked by a DM who came out of nowhere and the DM claims that his carry-on was "saving his place in line." Turns out, the DM was in 1D, while the person he decked was his seatmate in 1C and I was in 1B. I continued talking with him during the flight and it turns out, the person in 1C had recently sold his startup and was an governance consultant to the company the DM was working at and was only flying commercial because of recent bad luck (1C's gulfstream had an engine problem last minute and couldn't book a charter in time). It was funny seeing the DM squirm and turn red-faced after realizing he had messed up :D.

My $0.02 is that both airlines have gate lice to have to dodge for paid F boarding. AA is more consistent about having both lanes open though, where I have found DL having everyone boarding through SkyPri.

Also, for those times you're boarding using status, AA is definitely better. DL allows C+ (MCE) ahead of elites, and lumps Silver Medallions with credit card holders. AA goes all status, then MCE and CC.

thanks for the explanation. I agree about boarding in D. It was never meant to be a mainline terminal - just a BarbieJet terminal. Delta has gotten rid of all their “classic” BarbieJets (CR 40s and 50s)
im not sure the loss of seating area matters. People aren’t sitting down until their zone is called as it is. May as well put them into groups.

love the story. What I’m always amused by are all the associates and seniors from Big 4, who are convinced that they’re God’s gifts to their clients and their firm, and will be partners the next year. Pretentious humans.

I was flying a Delta codeshare, operated by AF, and was able to cut the line when I was late to the gate in Paris. There was still a sep line for Business flyers and thank God because the other line was fully down the concourse and not moving, as usual. Happened somewhere else in Europe a couple years ago too... maybe Lisbon?

AF still uses the separate lines at CDG as well.

I also find that the area is just generally crowded with all kinds of random people, not just Diamonds being entitled. I’ve gone to join the “queue” 45 minutes or more before boarding (on paid F tickets), and when F is finally called, the people in front of me just stand listlessly, while a crowd surges around them. I’ll ask if they are in F before walking in front of them (unlike others). They usually are not.
I wish they would go back to 1960s style boarding where F was actually LAST to board. Many of Delta’s planes board through 2L so it wouldn’t be difficult to do. For the ones that board through 1L, close all the FC bins, and have one FA act as “bin dragon”.

Adding to the problems in Atlanta of when you are boarding is not being able to hear the gate agent. But, you sure in the hell can hear the Atlanta Mayor welcoming you to the city every five minutes.

Well said. Gate crowding, due both to human behavior and challenging gate arrangements, is a frustration of mine. Crowding usually begins when the agent makes his/her pre-pre-boarding announcement describing how boarding will work and that it will start in a few minutes.

If I need overhead space in F, I try to arrive at the gate just as boarding is supposed to start, but can rarely make my way through the crowd before the next group is called and another forward surge begins. I’m not a huge fan of UA’s multiple lines but at least it’s less chaotic. I do like the idea of keeping F bins closed and monitored, which would be a throwback to “board at your leisure.” My last couple of flights, the FAs did start with the bins over row 1 closed, which I appreciated.

I agree, WN is pretty great at boarding, low stress and a more egalitarian feel to the whole flight. Unfortunately I'm an entitled DYKWIA and want to sit in the big comfy seats.

AND the fact that you're in the Eastern Time Zone.

Separate lines and zones work great when they're uniformly enforced.

Mobs surrounding the gates are caused by uncertainty and fuzziness.

if you make the rules, go by the rules, and people understand them, people relax. May have to announce "please don't crowd the gate, people need access to boarding" at least once per flight.