Pre-board if no roller bag?
Dec 28, 2009, 7:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
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Pre-board if no roller bag?
Hi- Just experienced this for the first time:
Gate agent for SFO->FLL announced something like: "And now we'd like to pre-board any passengers traveling light, ie those with only one small bag that will fit under the seat. No rollerboard bags please", and virtually the entire plane boarded without regard to seating area.
Is this normal? Seems a good way to discourage business travelers, who have learned to travel light, but do obey the rules with a small roller bag and briefcase!
Gate agent for SFO->FLL announced something like: "And now we'd like to pre-board any passengers traveling light, ie those with only one small bag that will fit under the seat. No rollerboard bags please", and virtually the entire plane boarded without regard to seating area.
Is this normal? Seems a good way to discourage business travelers, who have learned to travel light, but do obey the rules with a small roller bag and briefcase!
Dec 28, 2009, 8:38 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 100
That's very interesting.. was this lumped up with the F, MCS boarding announcement? I didn't hear it this morning when I boarded LAX-JFK, but I flew MCS, so I didn't hear the rest of the announcements.
Although I imagine SFO-FLL isn't a very business heavy flight - so I guess they were hoping that few would board.
I can't think of a good reason not to let people with only bags that fit underneath board early...
Although I imagine SFO-FLL isn't a very business heavy flight - so I guess they were hoping that few would board.
I can't think of a good reason not to let people with only bags that fit underneath board early...
Dec 28, 2009, 9:51 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2004
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I agree 100% with your analysis. It's a terrible system for business travelers, who already have sparse incentive (in terms of perks) to be loyal to VX with Elevate being such a crude program.
Dec 28, 2009, 1:16 pm
#4
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Great gimmick to get people to pay to check bags however....
Dec 28, 2009, 6:42 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Posts: 4,051
In my experience, at the gate, when they announce that you can pre-board if you don't have a bag, they offer to check your bags for free if you want to take advantage.
Jan 6, 2010, 3:03 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
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Posts: 2,274
After thinking about this, it would work much better if they embellished the announcement a bit - something telling people they can pre-board if they only have one small bag AND it will fit under the seat in front of them.
Jan 10, 2010, 10:40 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: UA 1k, AA lifetime Gold, Marriott lifetime plat
Posts: 173
Was on LAX-BOS in December and they announced that anyone willing to gate check their bag for free could pre-board.
I found this rather annoying sitting in F and having to wait for the crowd to get their bags gate checked before I could board. I normally would not mind too much, but it was the red-eye and my ambien was starting to kick in...
I found this rather annoying sitting in F and having to wait for the crowd to get their bags gate checked before I could board. I normally would not mind too much, but it was the red-eye and my ambien was starting to kick in...
Jan 12, 2010, 10:37 pm
#8
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Had my first experience on VX last weekend, LAS-SFO. First they boarded First and a "priority row" (was that exit row? Doesn't the A320 have two?). Then they announced that those with just a personal item that can go under the seat could now board (ahead of group A). Half the plane seemed to board. My wife boarded with her small backpack, that she put under the seat. I didn't because I wanted my stuffed backpack to go into the overhead. But it was frustrating to see several people board with equally huge backpacks or even two bags. My wife told me that many of those with just a "personal item" shoved it in the overhead, thus completely defeating the point of letting them board early.
