boarding zone cheating
Sep 6, 2014 | 7:16 pm
#46
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I was on a United flight a couple of months ago where the gate agent came on the intercom and said very firmly that anyone who tried to board outside of their assigned zone would have their bags automatically gate-checked.
I was in Zone 1 so I have no idea if folks complied but she scared the crap out of me. I checked my boarding pass ten times!
I was in Zone 1 so I have no idea if folks complied but she scared the crap out of me. I checked my boarding pass ten times!
Sep 6, 2014 | 7:32 pm
#47
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I'm certainly as entitled as any other passenger to make such a determination. The fact is, if the airline chooses to use efficiency of boarding as a rationale, that's defensible. If they choose to use revenue maximization and the awarding of perks to loyal customers or customers paying a premium, that's also defensible. An illogical mishmash of both rationales simultaneously and at cross purposes with each other is NOT defensible.
Sep 6, 2014 | 7:33 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,251
The airline, which knows your status and how much you spend, assigns your boarding zone. If it's not the boarding zone you want, then clearly the airline thinks that perk should be denied or overlooked, and its opinion is the only one that matters.
Sep 6, 2014 | 10:04 pm
#49
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I'm certainly as entitled as any other passenger to make such a determination. The fact is, if the airline chooses to use efficiency of boarding as a rationale, that's defensible. If they choose to use revenue maximization and the awarding of perks to loyal customers or customers paying a premium, that's also defensible. An illogical mishmash of both rationales simultaneously and at cross purposes with each other is NOT defensible.
Sep 7, 2014 | 1:50 am
#50
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,359
I'm certainly as entitled as any other passenger to make such a determination. The fact is, if the airline chooses to use efficiency of boarding as a rationale, that's defensible. If they choose to use revenue maximization and the awarding of perks to loyal customers or customers paying a premium, that's also defensible. An illogical mishmash of both rationales simultaneously and at cross purposes with each other is NOT defensible.
Thankfully, we live in a world where the vast majority of people follow the rules...even when they find them slightly unreasonable. If we didn't, chaos would ensue. In this case, no one is being forced by law to fly on a specific airline. If you don't like the rules, take your money elsewhere.
Sep 7, 2014 | 3:31 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: HNL
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold, National Exec
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Few years back I was waiting in the boarding area of a UA flight when the GA made an announcement that persons needing extra time are welcomed to board now. This guy standing a few feet away told his friend "watch this" and proceeded to the gate with a new very pronounced limp that he hadn't had a few minutes earlier. Breezed right by everyone else and onto the plane.
Sep 7, 2014 | 6:24 am
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2
Interesting that they would stop people. I would think in general good customer service would prevent GAs from embarrassing customers. Yes they're not following the rules but unless the GA say something no one knows and so the other passengers won't be upset and if you do say something the person who was embarrassed will be less likely to fly with that airline again.
Sep 7, 2014 | 7:13 am
#53
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
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Few years back I was waiting in the boarding area of a UA flight when the GA made an announcement that persons needing extra time are welcomed to board now. This guy standing a few feet away told his friend "watch this" and proceeded to the gate with a new very pronounced limp that he hadn't had a few minutes earlier. Breezed right by everyone else and onto the plane.
they do not ask you to provide a reason....suprisingly I see very few take advantage of this which is nice.
Sep 7, 2014 | 8:33 am
#54
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Posts: 3,445
And again, if their rules have no logical basis, such as hair color, I see nothing wrong with getting around those rules if I can - perhaps by dyeing my hair, or shaving it off.
Sep 7, 2014 | 8:35 am
#55
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But, what if my test for reasonableness says that any conclusions regarding efficiency or revenue maximization are likely to be false when made by lay people without access to the proprietary data held by airlines? That would make your conclusions not defensible, right? After all, my arbitrary test for reasonableness would thereby trump your arbitrary test.
Thankfully, we live in a world where the vast majority of people follow the rules...even when they find them slightly unreasonable. If we didn't, chaos would ensue. In this case, no one is being forced by law to fly on a specific airline. If you don't like the rules, take your money elsewhere.
Thankfully, we live in a world where the vast majority of people follow the rules...even when they find them slightly unreasonable. If we didn't, chaos would ensue. In this case, no one is being forced by law to fly on a specific airline. If you don't like the rules, take your money elsewhere.
Sep 7, 2014 | 8:48 am
#56
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Premium customers and customers with status get perks. Sooner or later if you continue to travel you'll get those perks. Until then, if everyone viewed it the way you do then the entire plane would jam the gate instantly and we'd have a soccer stadium style crush.
We all have a better experience if we all follow the rules.
Sep 7, 2014 | 9:16 am
#57
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The boarding process is a condition of the ticket, if you don't like it, find a different airline that has a different process.
No need to break the rules that you agreed to when you paid for the ticket.
The question here is not if the process is correct, it's, are you going to follow the process you agreed to already by choosing this airline, or are you going to be an A-Hole and try to cheat the system.
No need to break the rules that you agreed to when you paid for the ticket.
The question here is not if the process is correct, it's, are you going to follow the process you agreed to already by choosing this airline, or are you going to be an A-Hole and try to cheat the system.
Sep 7, 2014 | 9:23 am
#58
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There are two choices - either you award boarding priority on the basis of status and amount paid, or you do it on the basis of efficiency of the entire process. You cannot blend the two in a haphazard manner and still have a "reasonable" set of rules. The rules are either there to maximize efficiency, or they are there to maximize airline revenue and perks to the most loyal customers - which also has a long-term revenue maximizing effect. They can't do both simultaneously. If they attempt to do so, they forfeit the "reasonableness" argument, and hence, it becomes a game with no singular purpose - thus getting around the rules is a winning game play - just as getting caught and sent to the back of the line would be a losing play.
Not if it in any way diminishes the overall efficiency of the boarding process - which was previously cited as the goal
Not if it in any way diminishes the overall efficiency of the boarding process - which was previously cited as the goal
Sep 7, 2014 | 9:26 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2012
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I was connecting in BOS and UA has the 'self boarding' and it's easy to bypass your group and board first. Maybe they will do something about it when it rolls out system wide.
Sep 7, 2014 | 9:37 am
#60
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"No logical basis" in your mind. But in their mind they do. Again, it's their absolute right to do that.
Premium customers and customers with status get perks. Sooner or later if you continue to travel you'll get those perks. Until then, if everyone viewed it the way you do then the entire plane would jam the gate instantly and we'd have a soccer stadium style crush.
We all have a better experience if we all follow the rules.
Premium customers and customers with status get perks. Sooner or later if you continue to travel you'll get those perks. Until then, if everyone viewed it the way you do then the entire plane would jam the gate instantly and we'd have a soccer stadium style crush.
We all have a better experience if we all follow the rules.