friday night 595 DEN-SFO. A single gate agent working a nearly full flight, with about 20 people from the later SFO flight wanting to standby. Add to that, crew was late from their incoming flight. Finally we begin boarding about 20 minutes late. The flight is clearly going to be absolutely full and of course the chaos of people fighting over overhead bin space.

At 30 minutes past the time the flight was to leave, they are still boarding standbys. this continues until indeed they have filled every seat. (by the way, I am not unhappy with United filling their seats, it is what will keep them flying). However we are now approaching an hour past our scheduled departure time. Then the Captain comes on the PA to inform us that they are ready to leave, but that the cargo bay doors are still open because they haven't loaded all the gate checked bags, moreover, some of the cargo crew had been pulled away to 'other duties'. So their we sat. eventually the ground crew made their way back, buttoned up the aircraft, and we left, over an hour late.

To continue seating standbys after the plane is already significantly late, then to not make every effort on the ground to get the flight underway seems a little strange to me. fortunately, the captain made up some time to SFO and we had a little wiggle room on our connection so we made it, but for a while I was a little concerned.

Welcome to Flyertalk Denis! Seems like a fairly common scenario, and you didn't miss your connection. United is going to put as many BIS on each flight as they can. . .

I have been on 8 UA flights since the first of the year, each one has left on time, or a little early. Sorry you had a little bump on your flight.

Might have been an issue with the follow-on DEN-SFO flight that required them to pack as many people as possible on your plane. And with the flight at 100% load and many of them standbys with just carry-on, I am not surprised overhead bin space ran out and they had to gate check stuff. And since the baggage guys have to climb the steps, grab a bag, run back down and under the plane and drop it on the loader and then repeat, I can see why it took awhile. I imagine they had at least one or two ramp guys doing the baggage loading, but if they had more, that would have sped it up, but chances are some of them were needed for another flight, which slowed down the loading of yours.

??? maker sure to flip your calendar to jan 2005

Actually the later flight was pretty open. I had wanted that flight originally as I was virtually assured of my upgrade (did not get it on the 752 is was on, I was number 3 on the UG list with two seats left), however it would not work with my connection to SAN. The gate agent told me that many people from the later flight were simply trying to get to SFO earlier.

I was not particularly perturbed, about the lateness, just intrigued that after the speech about getting settled so the aircraft door could be closed for 'a not too late departure', that there was so much delay. FAs kept walking up and down the aisle looking at their watches. I don't think they were too thrilled.

by the by. The chaos I mentioned included a passenger in 12D (I was in 11C) taking someone elses carryon out of the overhead bin, putting on the floor in the aisle and proceeded to fill the space with a variety of small article. The owner of the bag, who was across from 12D loudly (and rightfully) complained to the guy about taking his luggage out of the overhead. A real verbal argument ensued with the guy who had removed the luggage claiming that the overhead bin above his seat was for his use, and not anyone elses. It finally took the FA to intervene and point out to the guy that the bin space was first come first served.

All in all an entertaining evening at DEN. Only real disappointment for me was that since I did not get my upgrade I was not able to nurse my usual bourbon and soda in FC while sitting out the delay.