Preserving one's right to exit the plane in one's turn
Feb 4, 2014, 11:08 am
#76
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Isn't going to happen; elites with kids have the same first call on the good seats at the front of coach as elites without kids. 
(We've several times now taken 11CEG on the AA763 with my daughter, and indeed, middle-section on a 767 is by far the best place for a family of 3, and a non-exit bulkhead is really nice.)
(We've several times now taken 11CEG on the AA763 with my daughter, and indeed, middle-section on a 767 is by far the best place for a family of 3, and a non-exit bulkhead is really nice.)
Feb 4, 2014, 1:14 pm
#77
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
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Oh, yeah, right....the second that seat belt light goes off, it's every man-or-woman for himself/herself. We once sat on the runway in Orlando for almost 2 1/2 hours waiting to take off, leaving me with 19 minutes to get from one side of the Atlanta airport to the other side to catch my connection. The FA made three separate announcements asking everyone not making a tight connection to please stay in their seats and let those of us with tight connections get off first. Did that happen? Of course not. Everyone on the plane immediate stepped out into the aisles, fiddled with getting their cases down and their jackets on and their children buttoned up. Luckily, I got to the gate just as they were closing the door. I still don't know how I got off the plane, down the concourse, down the escalator, on the train, up the escalator, down the concourse and to the gate in time, dragging a roll-aboard behind me. I think I broke a land record.
Feb 4, 2014, 5:27 pm
#78
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I don't disagree about elites but I think my point is lost here. If the plane reserves the rear of the aircraft for families or reserved seating it would give families that option to select 4 seats in a row, etc. As one of hte biggest complaints even on FT by families is Johnny at age 8 had to sit alone while pop was 12 rows ahead of him (and flight attendant did nothing to help). While this attempt will NOT work on flights to Orlando - most other non-Spring Break weeks could result in a happy family able to sit together if/when they don't or can't book their seats in advance.
But that's irrelevant to the point you seemed to be making when I responded originally -- that ALL families should be at the back of the plane... not just that it might be nice for some to keep some rows reserved in back.
If that wasn't your point, hey, fair enough... but as long as I've got status, I'm going to take the good seat(s) whether or not my daughter is along. And while I'll wait until everything is together without blocking traffic as far as I can, once we're ready to go, we're not going to wait for people behind us to pass.
Out of flights last year, about half the time, the combination of jetbridge delay and first or first and business class exiting first was enough to have us ready to go as soon as coach could start leaving, and to be able to leave within the first few people (there was inevitably someone else in the front mini-cabin who jumped straight up with carry-on only, but For the other times, it was within a couple of rows behind us, and there's inevitably a gap when SOMEBODY needs to get a big rollaboard down. Not hard to find a gap to get up, even with a 1-year old.
We're talking about leaving, which has no airline enforced order... and priority boarding doesn't matter whether you're in front or in back. The only exception is on cattle-call airlines, where you'd get first pick and would have every incentive to take seats near the front.
Feb 4, 2014, 7:25 pm
#79
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We're talking about leaving, which has no airline enforced order... and priority boarding doesn't matter whether you're in front or in back. The only exception is on cattle-call airlines, where you'd get first pick and would have every incentive to take seats near the front.
When disembarking.. standard protocol is not to push and shove. Wait your turn, or ask politely if you can proceed past. What's the use bowling over those in front?
Feb 4, 2014, 7:52 pm
#80
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This thread was originally abound exiting the plane.
RooseveltL said something about seating for families, and its potential impact on both boarding and deboarding -- specifically that a solid block in the back reserved for family could speed things up (and, as he later pointed out, that it could be a welcome courtesy for families who don't have access to better seats at booking.)
My reply was specifically about assigned seats, in reply to his reply about seats; I didn't address boarding OR deboarding, just that those who could get better seats for whatever reason are not going to take worse seats just because they have kids (and implicitly, that such an arrangement meant that any speed-up due to folks with seating at the back won't apply to whatever degree folks with kids -- elite or not -- sit further forward.)
It's certainly impolite to push and shove, at least in most places and cultures.
Which doesn't stop a lot of people from doing so getting on/off airplanes -- especially off. Which is, indeed, what initiated this whole thread.
RooseveltL said something about seating for families, and its potential impact on both boarding and deboarding -- specifically that a solid block in the back reserved for family could speed things up (and, as he later pointed out, that it could be a welcome courtesy for families who don't have access to better seats at booking.)
My reply was specifically about assigned seats, in reply to his reply about seats; I didn't address boarding OR deboarding, just that those who could get better seats for whatever reason are not going to take worse seats just because they have kids (and implicitly, that such an arrangement meant that any speed-up due to folks with seating at the back won't apply to whatever degree folks with kids -- elite or not -- sit further forward.)
When disembarking.. standard protocol is not to push and shove. Wait your turn, or ask politely if you can proceed past. What's the use bowling over those in front?
Which doesn't stop a lot of people from doing so getting on/off airplanes -- especially off. Which is, indeed, what initiated this whole thread.
Feb 5, 2014, 5:42 am
#81
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 54
I am flying today with a tight connection in ORD and am thankful that my husband and I are sitting in 1A and 1B to avoid the pushing and shoving we usually encounter when trying to get off the plane.
My husband sprained his ankle on this trip and is walking with a cane so I called ahead to have a wheelchair waiting since he can't sprint across the airport to catch our second flight.
We usually fly coach and my least favorite part of that experience is the getting off the plane hassle with rude people pushing their way ahead. If I see someone in a desperate hurry, I assume they have a good reason and I always let them pass but mostly I think folks are just impatient.
My husband sprained his ankle on this trip and is walking with a cane so I called ahead to have a wheelchair waiting since he can't sprint across the airport to catch our second flight.
We usually fly coach and my least favorite part of that experience is the getting off the plane hassle with rude people pushing their way ahead. If I see someone in a desperate hurry, I assume they have a good reason and I always let them pass but mostly I think folks are just impatient.
Feb 5, 2014, 6:38 am
#82
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I saw this in action this morning on a flight from Zurich. From my back row position I could see people shoving, glaring, tutting and defending space all the way down the plane, and all of them were getting stressed out.
Whether you feel like you know what is right, or if you can see a better way or feel like you some sort of right to step into the aisle at a given time there will always be someone who doesn't agree with you and going head to head with them won't help either of you. Let it go.
Whether you feel like you know what is right, or if you can see a better way or feel like you some sort of right to step into the aisle at a given time there will always be someone who doesn't agree with you and going head to head with them won't help either of you. Let it go.