cordelli

Yeah, that's what has been lost in some of the discussion. I can understand the people who do it a few minutes before the flight. I can understand those who come from the RCC and don't want to bother sitting down.

I sort of get the people who say they line up early in case they are late on another flight and there's no overhead

That was not the case here. People lined up way before the plane came in. At 8 when the RCC closed the line on the red carpet was already long. The plane did not arrive until 8:45, boarding after the mechanical thing was delayed about another hour. When we got to the gate we thought another flight was boarding then realized it's people lining up for a missing airplane.

Now I don't know when people started lining up, I was happily mixing yogurt covered raisins and trail mix in the RCC, but I do know they stayed in that line for at least 1 hour and 45 minutes while there were tons of seats at the gate. Eventually some sat on the floor, but nobody moved (made for a fun mess when the plane came in).

In contrast to the flight back from ORD, nobody was on the red carpet until they announced boarding would start in five minutes, than three or four people moved over to the line.

I just don't understand why a dozen or so people would have stood for probably two hours or more for the first few people in the line. They would have been the first on the plane anyways, but choose to stand or sit in the middle of that gate for hours.

dgcpaphd

" - - -announce to the world - - - (bolding mine)"

And, how do you know this?
-

chasgoose

I'm not saying I like Southwest better, although if I have to fly coach I do love their exit row...but they do manage to board their planes in about 15-20 minutes. I have never seen United, Continental, Delta, even come close to that on similarly sized planes.

PTravel

That's because they require that all passengers self-police the boarding order. It's just a little too "4th grade" for me.

walukanis

Honestly... I hate seeing people line up and stand there for an hour... Its just soo stupid and makes place even more crowded. Why not just sit on your back side and wait till you are called? What difference does it really make if you get your carry on in the over head or not? I always check in my luggage and never have to worry about it, then I casually pick it up on my way out. It takes 5 minutes of my life but adds a whole lot of comfort.

Greg

WineCountryUA

Count me in on the carry-on crowd. But not the standing in the line for xx minutes crowd, I have had no trouble with carry on as long as I have board before or with group 1.

At SFO (my home base) and most hubs, it takes longer than 5 minutes to check (and you have to be at the counter sooner to make the luggage deadline) and much longer than 5 minutes to retrieve one's luggage (SFO is 30 minutes min and typically 45). When traveling with +1 we always check (some things you just accept) and I really notice the extra time (average 1 hour total) for checking.

ONTRandy

I don't think I've ever been in a situation where checking/picking-up adds 5 minutes to the trip. I too travel +1 sometimes, and that's usually a check luggage event (though after a looooong wait a few months ago, she's starting to see the light).

emanon256

So don't look at them Now, I agree, an hour is a bit odd, but how does it bother you if someone is in line or not?


What difference does it make? Its a HUGE difference. Usually I end up in bulkhead, and sadly, not on the Air Bus Twins, so whatever I have with me has to go in an over head, even if I check my bag, my laptop still needs to go in an over head. What do you propose as a solution?

5 minutes? Get to the airport early, wait in line, check the bag, go to security........get off plain, go to carousal, wait some more.....

DEN has been better lately the few times I have needed to check, but still 20-30 extra waiting for my bag and about 15 when dropping it off. (Used to be longer when waiting for my bag) LGA still take about 45min to an hour to get my bag. When someone travels every week, adding minimum of 45 minutes each way, or 1.5 hours a week so you don't have have to see them in line is a lot to ask.

fastair

Perhaps we should "roll out the red carpet" when we start our pre-boarding announcements and roll it up after the flight? I don't think that would work though as all the red carpets at ORD that weren't screwed into the floor were stollen.

BlueHenFlyer

Yeah, but maybe only 1 in 1,000 of the gate lice I see actually bothers to do this. Most of the ones who are lice stand around in the front of the plane like they own it (actually most of the worst lice are seated in coach) and screw around with the 27 bags they brought - all of which MUST go into the overhead. I can state with confidence that most of the gate lice I see put both bags in the overhead - in first or coach. Nothing worse than getting to a connection late (sitting in first) and seeing the OH clogged by briefcases and computer backpacks that could have been put under the seat.

Javan69

I'll admit to being a 1K gate louse if only b/c I almost always only bring a backpack -- NOT a hiker backpack, but like a large school pack -- and esp. if I'm in a bulkhead row, I've got to compete with people who think small suitcases constitute appropriate overhead carry-ons. I don't even both trying to stow my top hat most of the time; just hold it in my lap.

ButIsItArt

Tja, bet that cost UA a fortune in powdered sugar!

tkruger206

Whenever they call pre-boarding for special needs etc. and everyone lines up, I always lean over to the random person sitting next to me and say... "I don't know about those people, but I have a reserved seat".

It gets a laugh about 1/2 the time.

zombietooth

You better believe that if there were stollen around the Red Carpet, I would be the one stealing them!

Ich liebe Strudel, Pfeffernusse und Stollen. Sie schmecken sehr gut!

ccharles

Taken, no doubt, for use at home in the pursuit of forbidden pleasures... Installed in a walk-in closet with a couple of full-length mirrors, I can well imagine the thief standing on one, complete with carryon, Blackberry, and bluetooth headset, preening and admiring himself with sidelong glances as he murmurs "Do you know who I am???".