Gate lice’ beware: American Airlines is catching early boarders

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why the overhead bin above the seat is not reserved for that seat - unless that person is not using it, in which case anyone could use it. If I have a seat, I should also have space for my bag above my seat.

[Anonymous]

Nothing ever more than a small bag is ever really needed for carry on.

Nope. When I travel to my kids' competitions or tournaments, I carry on as much of their gear and equipment as I can. We have seen too many baggage issues over the years. If airlines want people to carry on fewer bags, they should be better about not losing or delaying luggage and stop charging for checked bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SW is awful in some ways, and I know they are getting rid of their boarding system, but…it worked. People really “respected the number,” at least from what I saw.

Again, it was imperfect, but no one I ever saw argued with A26 going before A27; it is right there on the ticket.

Nah ... people cheated. One person would buy early boarding and then save 6 seats. The flight attendants did nothing about it.

What?

You can pay for early board and there aren't assigned seats. If a group wants to sit together, they pay for one person to board early. That person grabs seats for the whole party.

What airline(s)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SW is awful in some ways, and I know they are getting rid of their boarding system, but…it worked. People really “respected the number,” at least from what I saw.

Again, it was imperfect, but no one I ever saw argued with A26 going before A27; it is right there on the ticket.

Nah ... people cheated. One person would buy early boarding and then save 6 seats. The flight attendants did nothing about it.

What?

You can pay for early board and there aren't assigned seats. If a group wants to sit together, they pay for one person to board early. That person grabs seats for the whole party.

What airline(s)?

Sourthwest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they actually boarded by rows/sections, then flight attendants could actually monitor where people are putting their carryons.

We’ve all seen people put their roller bag and backpack and jacket in the overhead bin. Nobody stops them.

Fwiw, I’ve seen gate agents tell people trying to board early that their group hasn’t been called yet and they are asked to wait.

Everyone lines up early, so they could easily put up signage by rows/sections or simply call by rows. Since you have to pay to be closer to the front, those rows should be called first.

Actually, I get ticked off when I pay to check a bag and then am told that I have to put my backpack at my feet to make room for a freeloading carry-on. That's the whole point of enduring the inconvenience of waiting for my bag.

Exactly. It punishes people who carry on less. I actually shifted to a rolling small suitcase specifically because I was asked to put my knapsack at my feet, taking up my foot space. Instead of being rewarded for carrying on less, people with knapsacks end up with less foot space.

What is a “knapsack”?

Look it up! You might call it a backpack.

But why would you say “knapsack” if you are talking about a backpack?

Because it’s an equally acceptable term for it?

If you are 8 million years old, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why the overhead bin above the seat is not reserved for that seat - unless that person is not using it, in which case anyone could use it. If I have a seat, I should also have space for my bag above my seat.

This would make sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why the overhead bin above the seat is not reserved for that seat - unless that person is not using it, in which case anyone could use it. If I have a seat, I should also have space for my bag above my seat.

This would make sense.

It only makes sense if there are enough overhead bins for all passengers- there aren't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until we get rid of the crazy carryon wheeled suitcase epidemic, we will never be able to board the plane back to front. That was a relic from back when many more people checked bags and overhead space was not at a premium.

People have learned that they can pack light and not risk airlines losing luggage and not have to wait for an hour by the carousel. Charging for bags created it, but now that people see how convenient it is, you'd have to actually incentives checked bags rather than just make it free again

The incentive for checking bags is not having to drag your suitcase all over the airport or fight over overhead space.

The majority of travelers are not in enough of a hurry that waiting at baggage for 15-20 minutes is that big of a deal. You aren't a head of state or CEO.

Airports and airlines have gotten way better about lost luggage in recent years. Technology does a lot to address this. But you can also help avoid human error by just supervising them tagging your bag and making sure the destination and name on the bag are correct before checking it. Also getting to the airport on time and checking in on time. If you do all this the odds of your bag being lost are actually quite low.*

*Excepting certain budget airlines here -- I don't fly airlines like Spirit that cut tons of corners and screw over customers but I also don't care if people carry onto those planes because I will never be one. I don't care what Spirit passengers do.

Not your call to make. I get to decide. And I’ve dealt with waits for my luggage WAY longer than “15-20 minutes” especially in locations like Florida which can have extensive lightning delays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we please just start boarding from the rear on up line people up according to their seat number, with the back of the plane at the front of the line? I guarantee this will speed things up tremendously. The flight attendants can monitor to make sure people don’t put their carry-ons in any space other than what is allotted to their seat.

I would love this if I weren't 10000% certain the people in rows 26-31 would put their luggage in the overheads at the front of the plane on the way back.

People would deliberately put their stuff at the front of the plane so they don’t have to log it from the back upon arrival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why the overhead bin above the seat is not reserved for that seat - unless that person is not using it, in which case anyone could use it. If I have a seat, I should also have space for my bag above my seat.

Me either. Just design the planes so overhead space is labeled.

[Anonymous]

One of the issues is that people wheel on “carryons” that are too big. They place them in the overhead sideways and rarely are they called out. And sometimes they bring on their wheelie and their “personal item”
Which is a massive duffle bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they actually boarded by rows/sections, then flight attendants could actually monitor where people are putting their carryons.

We’ve all seen people put their roller bag and backpack and jacket in the overhead bin. Nobody stops them.

Fwiw, I’ve seen gate agents tell people trying to board early that their group hasn’t been called yet and they are asked to wait.

Everyone lines up early, so they could easily put up signage by rows/sections or simply call by rows. Since you have to pay to be closer to the front, those rows should be called first.

Actually, I get ticked off when I pay to check a bag and then am told that I have to put my backpack at my feet to make room for a freeloading carry-on. That's the whole point of enduring the inconvenience of waiting for my bag.

Exactly. It punishes people who carry on less. I actually shifted to a rolling small suitcase specifically because I was asked to put my knapsack at my feet, taking up my foot space. Instead of being rewarded for carrying on less, people with knapsacks end up with less foot space.

What is a “knapsack”?

Look it up! You might call it a backpack.

But why would you say “knapsack” if you are talking about a backpack?

Because it’s an equally acceptable term for it?

If you are 8 million years old, I guess.

It’s a British term. Either PP is foreign born or trying to sound worldly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they actually boarded by rows/sections, then flight attendants could actually monitor where people are putting their carryons.

We’ve all seen people put their roller bag and backpack and jacket in the overhead bin. Nobody stops them.

Fwiw, I’ve seen gate agents tell people trying to board early that their group hasn’t been called yet and they are asked to wait.

Everyone lines up early, so they could easily put up signage by rows/sections or simply call by rows. Since you have to pay to be closer to the front, those rows should be called first.

Actually, I get ticked off when I pay to check a bag and then am told that I have to put my backpack at my feet to make room for a freeloading carry-on. That's the whole point of enduring the inconvenience of waiting for my bag.

Exactly. It punishes people who carry on less. I actually shifted to a rolling small suitcase specifically because I was asked to put my knapsack at my feet, taking up my foot space. Instead of being rewarded for carrying on less, people with knapsacks end up with less foot space.

What is a “knapsack”?

Look it up! You might call it a backpack.

But why would you say “knapsack” if you are talking about a backpack?

Because it’s an equally acceptable term for it?

If you are 8 million years old, I guess.

It’s a British term. Either PP is foreign born or trying to sound worldly.

It's not a "British" term, it is a common English word with a German root. Amazing what people will argue about here, let alone insult someone over.

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=knapsack

DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Until we get rid of the crazy carryon wheeled suitcase epidemic, we will never be able to board the plane back to front. That was a relic from back when many more people checked bags and overhead space was not at a premium.

People have learned that they can pack light and not risk airlines losing luggage and not have to wait for an hour by the carousel. Charging for bags created it, but now that people see how convenient it is, you'd have to actually incentives checked bags rather than just make it free again

The incentive for checking bags is not having to drag your suitcase all over the airport or fight over overhead space.

The majority of travelers are not in enough of a hurry that waiting at baggage for 15-20 minutes is that big of a deal. You aren't a head of state or CEO.

Airports and airlines have gotten way better about lost luggage in recent years. Technology does a lot to address this. But you can also help avoid human error by just supervising them tagging your bag and making sure the destination and name on the bag are correct before checking it. Also getting to the airport on time and checking in on time. If you do all this the odds of your bag being lost are actually quite low.*

*Excepting certain budget airlines here -- I don't fly airlines like Spirit that cut tons of corners and screw over customers but I also don't care if people carry onto those planes because I will never be one. I don't care what Spirit passengers do.

Not your call to make. I get to decide. And I’ve dealt with waits for my luggage WAY longer than “15-20 minutes” especially in locations like Florida which can have extensive lightning delays.

DP.

You're going to wait one way or another.

Wait on the plane for everyone to stow their wheeled carryons (slows boarding/takeoff dramatically), then wait for the process to reverse on landing.

Or wait at the luggage carousel.

Me, I'd rather wait in the airport. Ban the effing carryons.

[Anonymous]

I am on a flight now and the instructions printed inside the overhead bins are crystal clear - if you have a rolling suitcase, turn it on its side and put it in wheels first. Yet people are laying them flat, horizontally, thereby taking up the space that could be used for three bags. Amazing. I wish the flight attendant would be able to ask people to set their bags in correctly but that would take even more time during boarding.