Not exactly. I would gladly step aside and allow a single or few pax to check-in not to miss thier flight. If an agent ask me to wait due to the airlines understaffing/inefficency I might ask for compensation (a club pass/upgrade/drink tix etc.) FROM THE AIRLINE.

I'm sorry you ill will on someone you disagree with. Personally, I hope no one misses a flight. The only goal in asking the airline for a "token" is to encourage them to avoid those situations in the future.

Freefaller12k

OMNI for Boomer-

The Great Dennis Miller Experiment didn't exactly start the way ABC had hoped.

The national rating for Miller's debut on ``Monday Night Football'' plummeted 28 percent from what the network drew for last year's preseason Hall of Fame Game.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/s/AP...ers-Debut.html

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Go figure!

Actually I like both boomers just fine! But I've never been to his restaurant/bar!

Freefaller, thanks for the clarification.

I certainly dont want anyone to miss a flight.

I was responding to your post, I guess I took you statement a little too literally.


I appologize for the misunderstanding.

I can only assume this whole incident was at an airport without kerbside check-in and a Club of some kind? surely kerbside check in and boarding pass at the Club cuts out the 50 minute wait?

Surely that is what flying F gets you at the very least? If I saw huge lines, No F or Elite line, and there was NO kerbside, I'd simply roll up the bag to the club and ask nicely given the situation if they could take care of it.

One of the many things I thank my bruddar wanderlust for convincing me to do is to get a Red Carpet Club membership. I avoid the lines and the agents generally ask in long lines if there is someone with a short connection.

Thank you bruddar wanderlust.

But if I don't have a club membership for flying on another airline... I will try to check in at the gate.

Maybe I have an answer:

*About a half hour before the 10-minute/shut doors rule set up a separate check-in area that says "30 minute or less connection." Agent send the passengers to this exclusive line.

Don't know if it's practical for carriers in non-hubs or in smaller airports, but it's worth a shot maybe?

The only moral issue I see here is "judge not lest ye be judged." That's how I saw Boomer's hope-you-miss-a-flight post. I have tendencies to prejudge, too: at two of the three airlines I use out of BOS, when a flight is about to close, the wanderers call out "anyone for XXX on flight YYY come to the front," and I see people from all parts of the line coalesce in front, and I do sort of get steamed at those who have just arrived who zoom to the front. But I have to realize that they have their reasons, and the reasons are not always pure laziness or negligence.
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The Cat's suggestion is good, but I wonder if the express line won't end up getting misused as well. To set up a 30-min line runs the risk of people relying on it, and then what would happen if that line got really long?

no problem, my post wasn't that clear.

Freefaller12k

Here's a proposed solution.

Airlines should have an "express" counter. This express counter should be at no charge to Elite members, people flying first class, and people who are late due to some fault of the airline connection (the latter should get a "pass" letting them into this line).

Anyone else can also use this line, but must pay $50 per passenger to do so. Members of the airline's FF program can get one such free pass credited to their account each year they accumalte flight miles on the airline.

Reactions?

Airlines could have enough employees to staff their counter.

PG - A bit "rough" - but funny!

United at ORD has a 20 minute check in line. Only pax departing within 20 minutes can use the line and they check bags and more amazingly bags usually make it. And the line is always empty and stocked with 2-3 CSR's. I confess that if I get to ORD with 30 minutes to spare, need to check bags, and if the lines are long or the 1K lines are closed already, I will wait 10 minutes and walk right up to the 20 minute check in line.

PG,

Oh, how many times have we stood there in that same situation and thought that same thought.

OZSTAMPS, of course they'd check YOUR bag at the club! I've seen your web site. Nice machine gun. Rule number 1 = ALWAYS check in the bag of the guy with a machine gun!