Phil Level

I leave the RCC 10 mins before boarding, as I like to check the monitor to see upgrade waitlist, even if mine has cleared. I almost always am on PS LAX-JFK. Usually there are already people waiting on the red carpet. Last week, Flt 53, I walked up and was first in line, with 5 minutes until boarding started.

zombietooth

I, for one, would like to welcome you to the new merged carrier on behalf of the United flyers.

Others here should be more patient and explain United procedures better rather than attacking your experience level. I know absolutely nothing about CO boarding procedures and wouldn't like it if someone was sniping at me for not knowing about them.

The rope that goes up and ostensibly "closes" the Red Carpet after the elites have boarded means nothing to most of us. We just make our way to the red carpet, stand at the rope and get the attention of the GA taking tickets. Once the GA sees us, they will always stop taking tickets from the other line, open the rope barrier, and let us board immediately. Sometimes the "lice" from the other line make it difficult to get to the Red Carpet but I always say "excuse me" and cut through as many "lice" as necessary to get there. Like I have said before, the "lice" around the gate never bother me. I know where I am going and proceed to where I need to be with purpose and courtesy--no one has ever even given me a nasty look for cutting the queue.

businesstraveller2

Precisely. I'm often at the RCC or another lounge and I get there after they start boarding. I just say things like "have they boarded first class?" and "excuse me" and wend my way to the RC.

fly747first

I don't think you read my entire comment. I asked the gate agent and he told me that I was the pax with the highest status, i.e., PremExec.

Also, for future reference, it is rather unlikely to find many 1Ks on a leisure market such as MCO.

Flyingeagle

A recent trend I have been seeing are boarding passengers put their luggage in the first overhead bin that has space and then continue to the back of the plane.

I don't need to be first in line on the Red Carpet but I have no problem taking the middle of the road approach (not first in line or last) to make sure I have overhead bin space.

jgg204

yes, i have noticed this too. passengers walking down the aisle with their bags put their bags in the very first overhead bin that's available. this totally screws up the whole system and slows down the entire boarding process. i think it's about time that airlines put dividers in the overhead bins that ensure that every passenger is entitled to a 14" width slot for their luggage and you can put whatever you want into that slot as long as it fits. each slot has a seat assignment on it thus you are always guaranteed to have a space. if the flight is not full and there is excess overhead space, FA's can remove the dividers for abnormally shaped items such as document rolls etc

cordelli

So last night in Newark I'm waiting for a flight, and there's over a dozen people lined up on the Red Carpet. Because of weather, the flight was already delayed well over an hour.



The plane we were flying out on had not even come in yet, it wasn't due for another half hour. Yet they lined up because they needed to be first on board.

The plane lands, and goes from a weather to a mechanical delay while they work on a toilet leak. Good news for those making connections in Chicago with no hopes of making them, they would get a hotel now instead of sleeping at the airport.

So instead of 7:20, we didn't take off till after ten. Yet those dozen or so never moved, as they may have to give up being the precious first or second person on board.

There were plenty of seats at the gate, and they even announced once it may be a while, people may want to sit down.

Nobody moved. It was way too funny, the posturing so you could be first on board (even though you still would be first if you were sitting) by standing for hours.

fastair

Don't you know who they were? They achieved their goal of being noticed as evidenced by this thread. Sad news as they most likely wanted to be admired, envied, and respected. Are you saying you didn't feel these things for them?

spgaston

This happens across all airlines, but the UA Red Carpet is by far the worst. I have witnessed these weirdos (my humble reader, by chance? ) standing for over 2 hours for a delayed flight, unwilling to sacrifice their spot in line to go and have a seat.

PDXPremier

I haven't figured out the point of the lining up on the red carpet business either....even if there are no seats at the gate, I would still rather wander around the gate area aimlessly instead of being hearded into some "red carpet" holding bin (does anyone else enjoy staring at the departures screens and seeing which flights are late or cancelled? )...maybe they mistakenly thought they were on WN ^

rajsbasi

I think its because some people think its a magic carpet like in Aladin, if they stand on it long enough it will rise up and whisk them off someplace lol

rankourabu

lol, so typical of the red carpet, never fails.

The dude in the front is so typical of gate lice its not even funny. The extended handle rollaboard, probably a bluetooth headset....



We do have a very long gate lice thread around here already dont we?

LilZeppelin

i love to zoom in and through red carpet onboard when most people are boarding. I like to increase my chances of not having to gate-check my carry-on. But I almost feel a bit awkward doing that, since other people look at me doing that. But then again, they can do MR to achieve status to go through red carpet too if they want.

PTravel

I line up on the Red Carpet because overhead bin space in F is limited and I will never gate check a bag. However, if a flight is delayed 2 hours, I'll just head back to the RCC.

Diplomatico

THIS.

However, I will add that overhead bin space is limited because (in my experience) the F cabin passengers are some of the worst offenders when it comes to oversized and multiple carry-ons that will only fit sideways in the bin.