Then that's part of the package of flying standby. Not everything is perfect. Honestly, the amount of times I've seen people hold up deplaning can probably be counted on one hand. Just about everybody else wants to be off the plane as well.

Sorry, but I would physically block you in a heartbeat. The one time I remember not blocking someone, I let them ahead and then they slowed me down because they needed to get carry-ons out of a bin a few rows up. Lesson learned!

I once jumped onto two earlier flights. As a result, I was in row 45 & 47 of the 757 aircraft. I timed how long it took me to get off the plane. Timer didn't start until they opened the aircraft door. It took less than 10 minutes and less than 7 minutes. Try and beat that for the boarding process! It just seems long. I was pretty impressed.

Glass half full - you get the bus or train with minimal waiting on a cold platform, or arrive at immigration/security just after a glut of people has cleared.

Before I give my opinion on this matter, let's remind everyone that the disembarking process has, IMO at least, changed over the last 10 years with airlines introducing fees for checked bags for passengers not in F, not certain elite members, and not on certain international flights.

The reasoning behind that is passengers would rather bring their bag onboard rather than pay $25 to just check it or have to wait at the carousel upon arrival. This has resulted in filled overhead bins on most flights with >75% load factor, more activity for airport crews both above and below wing, certainly caused numerous delays just to handle checking bags at the last minute, and definitely impacts the boarding process.

Now here is my point about the quoted posts:

A few months ago I was on a flight seated in a D aisle seat (it shouldn't matter but it was BOS-LAX on a DL 737-800 and it was a full flight if not a few seats open due to no shows). When boarding I had to put my bag 4 rows back. Not a big deal, I eventually swam upstream to get back to my seat.

Upon arrival, when it was my row's turn to get off, I crossed the aisle to the emptied ABC side of my row to let E/F of my row get out. I had a backpack on my back and was standing next to the window. Again I had to swim upstream to get to my bag. I had done this before with a difference much greater than 4 rows. My plan was to wait until row 17, where my bag was, deplaned so I could just go there in a straight shot, pick it up, and go. It took a couple of minutes sure, but I wasn't truly in anyone's way of deplaning. There were several people who stopped and tried to let me go but I refused since I was going back to get my bag.

My opinion is that the fee for checked bags has caused some of the problems with the boarding process and departing on time as well. This causes people to have to place their bag not in the best location and therefore affects the deplaning process as well. Anyway, if someone isn't standing in the aisle seat I will keep on going when I am deplaning. It just slows down the whole process.

Even if at least 1 checked bag is free, will it still take a while to deplane a full 757? Of course, but you won't be able to change the way that people act and that's not factoring in most people won't comply with instructions to begin with.

A couple of times arriving in MEL on a late QF from SYD the cabin crew have playe 'The Hustle', it seems to work to get people to get a move on.

I general though, compared to my time flying delta in the states for a few years boarding and replacing are a lot quicker in Aus, because:

1) free checked bag for all
2) self checkin that works quickly so people make use of the above
3) elites get a brag tag that acts as an RFID bag tag on QF that makes checking in even quicker, just tap your frequent flyer card and throw your bag on the belt.

All in all this encourages people bring a lot less stuff on the plane and makes boarding and deplaning a lot quicker. Add in that virgin use rear stairs and QF are experimenting with it and you get a very smooth experience. It also means that there are only 2 lines for boarding, elite and non-elite and they board simultaneously, because of the above you never have any trouble stowing a rollaboard.

If US airlines wanted it prioritise speed and conveninece they should bring back free checked bags.

Unfortunately stuff like this happens, rarely but it happens. They don't realize being polite makes the journey a whole lot easier (and less stressful) for all of us. Yes that politeness may be taken advantage of from time to time. But it's really not an excuse to be rude to the next guy that comes along. Fortunately Karma exists! Happy travels!

Getting off planes is certainly very speedy, especially compared to boarding. However, because being trapped in a tube gets most people rather stir crazy, especially when freedom is in sight, the wait time seems much longer than it actually is.

It's really noticeable that the airlines like FR where they use both front and back doors schedule much faster turns than those where they only use the front - and they achieve those turns. I would guess they shave 3 minutes off de-planing and probably 10 minutes off boarding.

But when it's cold or raining, I prefer jetbridges. It's only the odd person who is really slow - probably the same person who is surprised at the supermarket check out that he has to pay for his groceries. But, by and large, the process works well and is about as efficient as can be.

The airlines care far more about getting you on to the airplane and meeting its schedule than it does after the plane lands.

Attempting to choreograph disembarkation is nonsense. Wannabe hall monitors will have to do the same as the rest of us. Stand up, get your bag, wait until the person in front of you start moving and proceed toward the door.

The only issue I have with deplaning is when you are on a 747, 777, 380, etc., and you arrive and there is only one jet bridge. Because in those cases, depending on the configuration of the plane, often people who are sitting in the premium cabins must wait for passengers in the other cabins to disembark before they can. So I'd like to see more than one jet bridge used for those planes. Especially, given that there are several hundred passengers disembarking.

On most planes it works fine. And honestly, the over reliance on regional jets and waiting for gate checked hand baggage is a far bigger issue to me. I just took a flight on a regional jet and it seemed liked 90% of passengers had to wait for their hand luggage on the jet bridge. That seems like a far bigger delay that could be addressed than disembarking procedures.

* because in general its not been an issue (everyone tends to want to get off a.q.a.p.)

* it doesnt affect the flying experience in a way that would incentivize the airlines to want to do so

Perhaps the airline has plans for your plane after it lands ...

Of course it does but we aren't talking hours here just a few minutes which can be made up during the turn-around. I have yet to see flight attendants hurrying people off an aircraft but have certainly seen them trying to speed up the boarding process.

Depends on the airline. There are LCCs whose business models are built around 20-30 minute turnarounds, so every minute counts - to the point of having cabin crew doing basic tidying/cleaning during the descent. They will almost always board and alight from front and rear where possible - and you may find yourself, as a boarding passenger at the head of the queue, waiting outside for longer than you'd like (particularly on a blustery, sub-zero early morning!)

I don't think there is a faster way to empty the whole plane other than the exiting row by row method. They could come up with methods that let the people without carry on get out first but that's not going to help speed up emptying the entire cabin.