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What do you do when your flight is called?

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What do you do when your flight is called?

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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 5:28 pm
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What do you do when your flight is called?

a) Stay seated until your row is called
b) Get up and near the gate
c) Stand at the gate in everyone's way
d) Try to board even though your number hasn't been called
e) Stand near the gate but out of the way
f) Board because you are in F/C

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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 5:36 pm
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Usually f, but e when not in f.
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 5:45 pm
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before anything else: going to the men's restroom ...

then usually f)

even if (rarely) flying in coach (showing my status-card), but only when I believe that the security people will be already occupied ...

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 09-26-2002).]
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 5:59 pm
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If I get to the gate before they start boarding, its usually E. As a lowly Platinum without a pile of miles the size of Mt. Everest, or a stack of VIPOWS, riding first class is an unsual event.

I like to *try* to time my departure from the Admiral's Club to arrive at the gate just after the scheduled boarding time.
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 6:24 pm
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F

I always (and 95% successfully) attempt to be pax #1 to board.

I pay no mind to the secondary screeners and have never (over 100 flights) been selected! So take that "first to board" theorists!

My ladyfriend, who always hates that I board first because she's always afraid she'll get selected for search...always does!!

I now tell her "We're on our own for boarding. You board when you want. I'll board when I want."

Still, even when she waits behind, they pull her aside (even when they are busy searching another, so the wait 'til they are busy theory doesn't always apply either).

You should see the dirty look she always gives me when she finally enters the aircraft.
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 6:32 pm
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I hang around with a couple of my pals kinda blocking the gate with our rollers making a lot of really important hand phone calls. (Usually I talk so loudly I probably don't really need the phone.)

Are you trying to get by? Oh, stop it!
Rich
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 6:56 pm
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Mainly F, but I do hate it when there is a group of people with blue tickets in coach, who try to board, and expecially when the GA lets them! Also when snoby people think they can cut in front of me. Thats when I shove them out of line and look the other way with a smirk thinking what are you going to to now A Hole
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 7:30 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ryan754:
Mainly F, but I do hate it when there is a group of people with blue tickets in coach, who try to board, and expecially when the GA lets them! </font>
Of course, they're NEVER elite level pax who happen to fly coach. That would NEVER happen...

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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 7:53 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pdhenry:
Of course, they're NEVER elite level pax who happen to fly coach. That would NEVER happen...

</font>
With UA you can see pretty easy on the boarding pass if someone is elite level w/UA.

UA calls F, then 1k, premex, premier, members of MP to board.

so someone w/out the above should not board until row is called, but as stated rarely have I seen the gate agent tell the non-elite pax to step aside.

When enforced, I view it as a perk of being elite on UA

edited to add: I go and stand by the gate and wait until I'm called to board either by row or status

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 09-26-2002).]
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 7:59 pm
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I usually do pretty good with the upgrades, so I like to board immediately and get settled in. So, when boarding is announced, I get ready to defend my self from jacka$$ businessmen who think that I'm too young to be flying in first class and try to literally push me out of the way because "they're flying in first class."

Fortunately people are a little less likely to pull this crap these days.

d
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Old Sep 26, 2002 | 8:34 pm
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OK, fess up. Where's everyone who's a c? I usually find myself behind them and among the last to board no matter where I'm sitting.

I'm hoping that will change though as I've now told my husband he's on his own for boarding too. It never fails, we're in the lounge, they call our flight and he's out at the restroom, buying mints or candy, doing whatever. I sit there stuck with his carry-on or with his boarding pass so I can't leave and end up being late to the gate and behind the c people and it doesn't feel right trying to make my way through the crowd to board with the 1Ks or F or C. From here on out though he's on his own.

[This message has been edited by letiole (edited 09-26-2002).]
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Old Sep 27, 2002 | 1:38 am
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You go girl!!
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Old Sep 27, 2002 | 4:09 am
  #13  
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You missed a category: those who don't go near the airplane until the final call. Unless I have an abnormally large carry-on, I usually fall into this set. I like airplane seats well enough, but I find that I usually have enough time to get to know them in flight.
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Old Sep 27, 2002 | 5:10 am
  #14  
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Me too. My aim is to be as close as possible to being last on board. The correct time to board the aircraft is when they ask you to board, by name.
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Old Sep 27, 2002 | 7:16 am
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To play the game of how not to get searched.. Wait near the boarding area, wait for someone to get selected, then try to get through as fast as possible.. I can't wait for January when I can go back to the old ways.. Wait till the end, unless I'm worried about not having enough overhead space for carryons
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