I'm a back door man (at Oakland)

Old Jun 18, 2018, 10:51 am
  #1  
nsx
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Hyatt Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,585
I'm a back door man (at Oakland)

Oakland is now experimenting with optional rear door boarding. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try it today at Gate 20. You walk outside and down the stairs just behind the ops agent. Plastic rope lines direct you around the port side of the aircraft to the rear stairway. However if you are not early in the boarding process you won't be able to make it upstream to the exit rows: Some of the front boarders prefer to walk to the back.

It's nice to step outside and get some fresh air, even if it's not as warm and sunny as at San Jose del Cabo.
steved5480 and ryw like this.
nsx is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2018, 12:27 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors LTDia, Marriott Plat
Posts: 639
Originally Posted by nsx
It's nice to step outside and get some fresh air, even if it's not as warm and sunny as at San Jose del Cabo.
Or BUR, for that matter.
TSparky is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2018, 2:52 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: VX Gold/WN Companion
Posts: 682
I am huge fan of rear door deplaneing...not so much for boarding.
PAX62 is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2018, 3:13 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
Originally Posted by PAX62
I am huge fan of rear door deplaneing...not so much for boarding.

Yes, me too. All it takes is one annoying person in front of you to cost you an exit row seat to someone who would have been significantly behind you, but boarded from the other door.
ursine1 is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2018, 8:43 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: FSD
Programs: AA CK, DL SM, UA PS, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium , Hyatt Globalist, Global Entry, CLEAR
Posts: 457
Originally Posted by ursine1
Yes, me too. All it takes is one annoying person in front of you to cost you an exit row seat to someone who would have been significantly behind you, but boarded from the other door.
Yeah, I have done that multiple times at SMF.

Depending on the number of pre-boards I almost run to the rear door and beat the BS guys to the exit rows.

If I had purchased BS and was A-1 and someone from the 16 to 15 group got the exit row I's be pretty disappointed,

I agree, deplaning thru the rear door is fine. Boarding thru the rear door speeds things up at the cost of your premium fare passengers getting pissed.

Last edited by jhalapin; Jun 20, 2018 at 5:18 pm
jhalapin is online now  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 2:44 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,387
Originally Posted by jhalapin
premium passengers
Southwest
Pick one.
joshua362 likes this.
skunker is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 3:01 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,690
This cannot be good news for "premium" passengers!
joshua362 is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 3:24 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,956
Wait- is it the "good" kind of rear-door boarding like BUR where you traverse the ramp to a single set of stairs, or the "bad" kind of rear-door boarding like what they've tried (and thankfully apparently abandoned) at SJC where you take a set of stairs down a ramp, then walk up three flights of narrow steps just to end up in the jetway?
kennycrudup is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 3:57 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, Hyatt Mid-Tier, Marriott PP/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 101
Originally Posted by kennycrudup
Wait- is it the "good" kind of rear-door boarding like BUR where you traverse the ramp to a single set of stairs, or the "bad" kind of rear-door boarding like what they've tried (and thankfully apparently abandoned) at SJC where you take a set of stairs down a ramp, then walk up three flights of narrow steps just to end up in the jetway?
Still doing dual-boarding and deplaning at SJC, unfortunately. Only a select few during the day thankfully.
milesmutt is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 4:08 pm
  #10  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,956
Huh. ~25 trips ex-SJC so far this year, I guess I've been lucky. But you've seen rear-door boarding at SJC, too? Can you remember the destination city and time of day?
kennycrudup is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 5:05 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver, Hyatt Mid-Tier, Marriott PP/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 101
Originally Posted by kennycrudup
Huh. ~25 trips ex-SJC so far this year, I guess I've been lucky. But you've seen rear-door boarding at SJC, too? Can you remember the destination city and time of day?
Guess you have been lucky!

Various flights (usually around 4 to 5 flights/day). I'm at SJC now for my semi-retirement gig (no longer traveling for work!) so I have first-hand knowledge. ; )
milesmutt is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2018, 5:16 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,956
(BTW, if you (or anyone else) are in SJC T-1 that much and have PreCheck, I can't recommend CLEAR highly enough, and it's $99/yr (+$50 for household members) if you sign up via a (free) Delta SkyMiles account. Memorial Day Tuesday the non-qualified lines were down to the first floor, and even PC was snaked out to the top of the stairs. Me? 5 mins from Uber to gate, and even now that TSA is trying to cripple CLEAR by requiring the TDC to be shown your BP, the CLEAR agents will take your phone/BP to them for you while you stay in the PreCheck line you just cut into.)
kennycrudup is offline  
Old Jun 20, 2018, 4:35 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 9
ONT to SJC early Jun, deplaned from the rear!
xlckx is offline  
Old Jun 20, 2018, 5:19 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: FSD
Programs: AA CK, DL SM, UA PS, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium , Hyatt Globalist, Global Entry, CLEAR
Posts: 457
Originally Posted by skunker
Pick one.
Fixed it
jhalapin is online now  
Old Jun 26, 2018, 10:38 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,956
Originally Posted by kennycrudup
(BTW, if you (or anyone else) are in SJC T-1 that much and have PreCheck, I can't recommend CLEAR highly enough
FWIW:
Originally Posted by pseudoswede
New 3-month trial promo code: HAPPY4TH Valid through 7/8/2018
kennycrudup is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.