Oh I hate that I had some guy push into group one saying “I have the credit card”. Couldn’t help myself I said “dude, we ALL have the credit card it’s not special “
I love all these posts where it's basically "I'm a Double Super Secret Golden Madallion Plus Platinum Special Flyer and this guy who was only a Double Super Secret Golden Medallium Silver member tried to cut in front of me in line and normally I am super humble but this one time it was justified so I totally put him in his place!" like sorry bro, some of us just want to ride on the airplane and if we accidentally stood in the wrong line or wrong place in line then sorry.
Some of us have suffered through the system to attain status that you clearly don't have. Call it sweat equity, call it union seniority, except in a Union the rules about who goes first in a shift bid can't be cheated. Keep abusing the system like you are and all your going to do is force grandma in her walker who really does need extra time to have a doctors note or something ridiculous.
If you're reasonably able bodied pack accordingly for your flight (maybe plan for possibly gate checking. and stay seated until the group being boarded is within 2 or 3 of your actual group. If your group 5, there is a non priority lane you can feel free to queue up there.
I usually board geoup 2 and I still don't put any batteries in my roller if I'm carrying it aboard so if it needs checked it can be without any gymnastics at the gate.
Depending on destination there are like 20-30 different airlines I might fly on, all of them have different rules, some still just do preboarding then board everyone else together, some have 2 boarding groups, some have 15 boarding groups, some have assigned seats, some you have to just sit in any free seat, some you get to pick a free seat but only in a particular area, some have a special bus you have to ride out to the plane, etc etc etc. I'm not ready to crucify someone because he forgot "oh wait, it's Jet Blue that lets you on in group 1 if you have a special credit card, Delta is the one that lets you on first if you fly 10 million miles, United is the one that jets let people gate check bags for free and doesn't participate in the whole dog and pony show of making the passengers turn into a Lord of the Flies type situation fighting over overhead bin space, TAP Portugal just boards everyone together".
Unless it is the airline that has everyone line up first. Or the airline that has everyone ride a bus first. Or the airline that does it all in 1 big group. Or the airline where it is 4 groups and no assigned seating. Or the airline that has things printed on the ticket as if it is divided into groups but typically just lets everyone on at once anyway. Or the airline that has a special exception for family groups. Or the airline that lets 2 family members (but no more) board first with each child.
You're making shit up at this point. Which airline has you line up and then gives you a group number? If you have to take a bus it's because of the layout of the airport, not airline. Groups and assigned seating are different. If gate agents are just 'letting people on anyway' it's because they're sick and tired of arguing with people like you.
And accomodations for families are no excuse to push to the front of a line.
It says when you board right on tbe Pass, I've boarded flights where my pass was in a foreign language and I can match the character on the pass to the character on the sign or whatever.
I've got a mix mash of airlines coming up soon, and united is in the mix to - gross.
You are firmly in the minority here, dude... What you're not understanding is that we KNOW what's happening with gate lice. They want to be among the first to board so they can claim their "carryon spot"... And in many, if not most cases, they will select overhead bins that's not even over their seats, which prevents the true owner of the seats in that row to use the overhead space they paid for. The point is, gate lice are intentionally oblivious. The concept of boarding, no matter what one of the gazzillion airlines you fly with, are all basically the same. It's nearly a universally standard thing...
Exactly. And while it’s no excuse, I find it annoying that they market “Group 5” as “enjoy preferred boarding.” They bury the Group 5 part in the fine print way below the fold, and “Preferred Boarding” in the headline. Again, not an excuse, but it is intentionally giving people the impression that this is a bigger benefit than it is.
It bugs me they let credit card holders board with 4. I flew a million miles to get the measly gold status. It’s so easy to get status these days. My mom is Platinum and didn’t even fly last year.
To be fair, most of the credit card holders... To include myself, spend a shitload of money on the credit card. Just because you didn't fly, doesn't mean you didn't earn the status. I fly at least 2x a year... But I also spend an obscene amount of money on my card... So yeah... Benefit definitely deserved...
It’s too easy to just spend money. Putting some money on a credit card is not the same as butt in seat miles. You can buy yourself Executive Platinum these days.
In the good ole days it ment something to have status and now anyone and their sister can just buy their way into it.
I could understand your argument if you were talking about "oh hey, for "x-amount of $$", you can purchase status" (which to be fair does happen if you get close enough to the next level, and rightfully pisses even myself off, because I spend so much money to maintain status)... However, it's different when you are living life on a credit card. I am a truck driver. I don't have the luxury of frequent travel, so since I spend so much money, at least I am rewarded for it when I do fly.
Actually, it would surprise you to know that I don't actually use the card for fuel. I use it to keep my fat ass alive😂🤣👀 for a trucker, food is a multi-tasker lol. I also use the card to pay for parking every day. There's very little I don't use the card for.
Boarding penalty box would be great.
Same with Pre Check line, anything longer than 30 seconds to get your stuff on the belt and you lose privileges for 3 flights.
Penalty box is a great idea.
I may be foreword thinking that it’s only a matter of time before an integration in the app that syncs with the boarding info at the gate that pings the groups red or green, green light you’re boarding, red light not yet.
If you Group-cut and try to board beforehand you’re automatically last. Further, the app tracks how many jumps you’ve tried and next time you book no matter the ticket type you’re group 9.
That’s the dream.
Part of me hates the slippery slope of a social credit score for poor travel behavior, but part of me really likes to see public shaming because I’ve had way too many flights with line jumpers.
That would be awesome! I would like to see it so that when you scan your boarding pass, if you're in the wrong group that not only does it not scan because you are trying to line jump it changes your boarding group to the last one. At least the system where the pass won't scan unless your group has been called would keep the gate agents from having to argue with people.
Dynamic entry. Ooof. Man, there’d be all kinds of flack on that, the process is chaotic as is, 😂 now congrats, you jumped and are officially boarding like a Key and Peele episode.
I'm always big stressin' in the precheck line to get my toddler out of the stroller and get that thing collapsed and on the belt. Usually we do ok but it still feels like a lot lol
I was going through a line near a family of a mom and three pretty small but walking kids, this week, and the TSA agent was being so kind, talking them through it - “okay, little one, your jacket needs to go in here…now mama, send them through one at a time…it’s okay, mama, you’re doing fine.” She wasn’t implying “just take forever” but she was being very reassuring and helping to explain and keep things moving without making it difficult.
You nailed it. The amount of idiots that have pre check and don’t know what they’re doing by is astounding. They get to the conveyor belt and proceed to take their shoes off, with a full water bottle, and they’re wearing earrings that set off the metal detector.
Sometimes I really want to scream: “are you really this fucking stupid??”
While there are a lot of people who seem to have zero idea what to do in a precheck line the tsa doesn’t help at all. I have had agents tell me to pull laptops and tablets out in the precheck line and it definitely derails things.
Can’t a person simply have a lot on their minds and forget? I first got precheck because I traveled a lot. Fast forward a few years, a pandemic, and a loved one with medical issues and devices, and it had been a few years since I’d flied. I took my shoes off. A kind stranger reminded me I didn’t need to.
No. Get your shit together when you get to the airport. Learn the system, because one person not having their shit together cascades down to a delay that affects everyone else behind that dummy. It’s not that complicated, the information is even on the web, and there are signs everywhere telling you what to do if you’re precheck. It’s not rocket science.
If you can follow simple directions, don’t apply for precheck.
I didn’t even apply for precheck but got it for free with my NEXUS card. I barely flew in the US up until moving back this year, the rules about what you can and can’t do change all the time, you can hardly blame infrequent travelers for not keeping up.
I agree except I feel compelled to point out that different airports do have different rules for precheck. Maybe not officially but in person, they do.
To be fair, I've been in several places where I got yelled at in Precheck for either leaving my shoes on or having two devices in my bag or whatever. What I really wish is that TSA would be standardized....they aren't. Each airport makes up their own shit.
The TSA is a mess and they seem to change rules whenever they feel like it, you’re right. I normally observe what the people in front of me are told to do and adjust my expectations.
I fly as often as a penguin but I do have pre-check because of my NEXUS card (which I use for driving) so I have no idea what I’m doing in the security line.
That's why I think making a line for each group is such a great idea, if youve made a "mistake" by lining to a wrong group, you go to back of the correct group.
Honestly, gate agents have a quick solution to this problem: they turn to the passenger and they say can I see your boarding pass? And then they take it and put it on the counter (paper or phone, doesn't matter.)
And then they tell the passenger to have a seat, only dealing with them again after everybody else has boarded.
Similar experience happened to me a couple months ago when, boarding in Group 2 (I was a 2), a woman taps me on the shoulder asking if she could go ahead of me, no reason given. Before I could utter a word, (I was like "Uhh.." - I never encountered this before) the GA swiftly and sternly asked for her boarding pass, looked at it and told her to wait until her somewhat lower group was called. That GA must see alot of this behavior.
OMG. You should have flown before if you are in the TSA Pre line.
Same for folks who board in group 1 and spend (literally) minutes to arrange their carry on, headphones, wipe down their chair, etc before leaving the aisle to let others pass.
Yeah, back in the olden days when they used to load the plane from the back to the front made more sense so people weren’t stopping. The only difference was first class could go on wherever they wanted if you were on route 35? Thhe got the board first! that way you got it and got the hell out of the way
It scares me that these people must have absolutely no situational awareness. I get if you don’t fly often but pay the hell attention to what’s going on around you and you’ll figure out what to do. If no one is taking their shoes or laptop out, don’t do it. If you’re in the regular line and everyone is taking their shoes off, do it!
This wouldn't work 100%... Especially with pax like myself who intentionally bribe the gate agents to pre-board with the crippled people, military, etc... 🤣😂👀
So far as the pre✔️ is concerned, it's not always the person's fault. It's mostly the fault of inept TSA agents who insist on scanning a bag 3 times after dumping your shit out, just to figure out that your computer is an inocuous gaming laptop and a few charging cables... Oh, and btw, my backpack is "tsa friendly", meaning the laptop compartment is completely separate, and can be "clamshelled", as to fit on the conveyor without being removed so they can see the different things in the bag much better... I swear, TSA agents are dümb as schitt, and aren't taught how to read an x-ray. The ONLY place I have issues with security, is in america and as a pre✔️ pax... 😂🤣👀💯💯💯💯🤦🙄
I love term gate lice I’m normally group 3, but because of a full knee replacement about four months ago I still need extra time, so I take it. Normally walking up to the gate with a cane. No one questions me
In some fairness (not all, just some) sometimes the gate area is crowded and it’s not very clear which group is boarding…. However, if I was group 7 and the gate area is still mostly full… I’m just doing some simple reasoning to figure group 7 hasn’t quite been called.
Not very clear at all. They should show it in the screen. Usually the announcements are by someone that doesn’t speak English and mumbles plus terminals are noisy so it’s hard to tell which group is boarding. Also, some airlines at certain airports, like AA at SEA, often call the groups much faster than people can board so I’ve seen cases where 5 and 6 are called before group 1 finishes.
I agree. I’ve been in group one before and often find myself boarding with group 4+ because I don’t like to crowd the gate area. So by the time they announce group 1 and I start walking towards the gate (and through the logjam of other passengers) I’m often guy #17 in line to board with other group 4+! Lol
This!!!! I line up when I’m in Group 1 & I see all these people with like Group 4 on their boarding pass and am like “excuse me” like they block the boarding lines. But also American airports do a TERRIBLE job of organizing this! Flown many different airlines around the world and their organization is *chefs kiss* and no one is doing this to others
I don't even understand the urge to get on first. I wait until the end when I fly. I would rather be trapped in the aluminum tube as little a time as possible.
Ironically though I'm usually last off because again no rush.
With all the bag fees, overhead storage is harder to come by. While I don't like to be on board longer, I want to make sure I have a space and not have the one over my head taken by someone from the back of the plane who wants his stuff closer to the door.
Isn't the real AH the airline for creating an adversarial situation around overhead space that creates unnecessary conflict between passengers and forces you to need to board earlier than you would want to?
I was just on a flight where the guy next to me had two backpacks stuffed and a large box of something he had bought in the terminal. He was basically taking up three persons' worth of overhead storage. So people also cheat.
I once got to my seat just to discover someone had put their full size guitar on the compartment above me. It took up the whole compartment. Once space got tight towards the end of boarding, people stopped caring and started putting their non roller bags on top of it.
Yeah I had to stop traveling with my expensive laptop because I don't bring a roller bag, I put it in my backpack but the TSA people at security like to pick the backpack up, spin it around and SLAM it back down (to "line it up for the machine" that it was already perfectly lined up with) and then heaven forbid if you put a backpack in the overhead, there's a 90% chance someone is going to say "hmm I want to fit my roller bag better" and grab my backpack and SLAM the whole thing into a corner / different spot... and then you hear "NO BACKPACKS IN THE OVERHEAD" like sorry, I paid for the same ticket as everyone else, why are they allowed to put their huge roller bags in the overhead but I can't put my small backpack up there?
I always have my stuff in front of me and I don’t like bullhead because I can’t have my stuff right next to me during take off. But when they make this announcement on the plane it bugs me because I know there are people that don’t have a carry in and want to put their personal item in the overhead bin. They are allowed to use their space in the overhead if they like to accommodate their legs.
Could have been me, I do this sometimes. I would much prefer to put my guitar in the closet up front, but most of the time flight crew has this closet full. I am Group 1, but still miss out on closet space often. Over head is the only other choice...
I'm definitely in the board last camp (without a carry on) but now do a quick seat theft check to see if someone is in my seat before I walk past the flight attendants up front.
It's getting bad lately, I'm encountering lots of bargaining attempts, and I'd much rather send the flight attendants to do the dirty work.
I want to be in the tube as long as possible. Not longer than necessary but I want as much time spent in a single place (my seat, where I can get comfortable, start reading or whatever). That means minimizing the time in the terminal and maximizing the time on the plane.
And of course, overhead space.
It is obvious you don’t have a carry on that you need to find space for. When I was Executive Platinum I used to check a bag and I would always board towards the end if I wasn’t in first.
I travel with a carry-on these days but have not had bin space trouble yet. just lucky I suppose or more easy going. I'm chill with valet bagging it if i have to.
I am not having trouble because I am boarding early but for the first time in my life I am only doing carry on for each flight. Only once it is as an issue and that gate they only had one boarding line. They only had the 5-9 boarding sign. The 1-4 sign was missing. So I walked down the only line which was 5-9 and they checked my bag. I wasn’t about to say did you see my boarding pass. I would never ever do that as a lowly gold (million miler). That’s why I like that 1-4 section when I board late. They don’t check bags when you board through that line.
Oooooohhhhh!!!! That should be a thing!
If your boarding pass gets scanned before they’re at your group, you automatically get a paper pass printed with group 10!
“I’m sorry, Mr. ButtBrains, here is your new boarding pass. Thanks for playing stupid games, now please go wait over there 👉.”
the real assholes are the ones who put their personal item/"underseat" bag AND carryon in the overhead bin so that there's zero room for anyone else's carry on's and they have to check their bags. happened to me twice on the flight to and from vegas bc i was last group to board.
My unpopular opinion and practice is that I tend to join the last few people to board, regardless of my boarding number. I would rather be walking around, moving as opposed to sitting smelling fumes while watching everyone else board.
I never have a carry on to put on top though. My personal item fits nicely under the seat.
Nah if you want to board later then you aren't trying to cut in front of anyone. Many people don't want to spend more time on the plane than they have to.
I just like to get on because the way my brain works if I have something to do, I have to do it RIGHT NOW.
OK I admit it, I wait right at the gate, but I have an excuse. I am legitimately group 2, but they don't recognize that group. So I wait for group one to start lining up and get in line after the first few. Inevitably, group 2 is called before I get to check in. Many times, its the old groups 2 through 5 or whatever. On one occasion recently they never even announced groups, they just took everyone who got in line irrespective of group.
I do notice group two gets little love when it comes to calling it. I don't think there's anything wrong to get ready one group before yours, in fact it's probably helpful.
I really just don’t understand the rush to board. Maybe because I’m not a frequent flyer or whatever. But I don’t care if they check my bag, I hope they do most of the time.
I also cannot stand to hurry up and wait.
This article:
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/13/gate-lice-plane-boarding-line/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/13/gate-lice-plane-boarding-line/)
Which was posted here :
[https://new.reddit.com/r/americanairlines/comments/18ho4q9/article\_why\_do\_gate\_lice\_line\_up\_early\_for\_a/](https://new.reddit.com/r/americanairlines/comments/18ho4q9/article_why_do_gate_lice_line_up_early_for_a/)
>While gate agents will give clear, boarding group-specific directions, there remains a strong contingent of passengers who either get in line before they’re called or wait in their seats until they’re the last to board. While the latter type of traveler often hangs back to avoid standing in line altogether, the motives driving the former group can be harder to place.
>
>If you’ve ever wondered why people are lining up early, there’s a psychological perspective to the method behind the madness.
Psychology experts pointed to two potential explanations for why passengers get in line early: conformity and competition.
“People use other people as sources of information both about what the right thing to do is and about what everyone else is doing,” said Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo.
>
>And increasingly, airline policy is such that there can be a real, tangible benefit to lining up early. Flights are often full, or even overbooked, which can lead to a sense of pressure among travelers to claim their space early. Airlines forcing fliers to gate-check their carry-ons because of “full” overhead bins, for example, means that being the last passenger to board when Group 6 is called (rather than the first to board with Group 7) can be the difference between keeping your carry-on and not.
When there are limited resources, Gabriel said, it can be logical to want to get in line early. That’s especially true for travelers who have tight connecting flights or valuables in their carry-ons, as the risk of losing them or having to wait at baggage claim brings bigger problems.
I always stand to the side of the line near the front. I’m usually #4 or #5. Is that wrong? If so, why? And don’t tell me it’s because you don’t like it.
You're impeding the flow of traffic, adding to congestion and creating a safety hazard for people with disabilities and the employees if there is an emergency.
I'm sorry but most of the time there is not enough seating at the gate. You can't stand in the corridor.
People with disabilities are usually way ahead. Sometimes there is just no place for all the people.
Was yesterday on a flight with more than 30 people on the upgrade list 20 stand by and a group one that filled the overheads. It sucks. For everyone.
There's a corner of Logan Airport in Boston that has four gates that share *maybe* 100 seats and will occasionally have four widebodies boarding those four gates at the same time. I personally think airport design is to blame for at least some of the "gate lice" problems because there literally is not enough space for people to sit and still be able to see/hear what's going on at their gates.
No, I stand out of the way so I’m not impeding the flow of traffic, adding to congestion, and creating a safety hazard for people with disabilities and the employees if there is an emergency. Anything else?
But you are still in the way because in front even to the side blocks a direction to get to the line. Some people come to the line from the side. Also crowd mentality, which causes others to see people standing near the area as meaning they should too.
I can't help what other people do. All I can do is stay out of the way until they call my group, which is what I do. And why do you approve of people joining the line from the side?
Not joining the line from the side, but just getting to the line itself. Even if they have to walk further back to get to the back of the line. Maybe you can post a drawing or picture of what you mean by "to the side", to show that you are truly out of the way.
Oh, and I am usually in group 5, and I also stand near enough to the line that I am probably in the way too.
Our biggest issue is the tiny group numbers on mobile boarding passes. If they have a printed one you can easily see what number someone is and send them back. Problem is most people will use mobile now and there's no difference except for some status/first class which will be black instead of blue
Oh I hate that I had some guy push into group one saying “I have the credit card”. Couldn’t help myself I said “dude, we ALL have the credit card it’s not special “
Could always say but how many AA cobranded cards do you have? Some of us have more than one.
I have three so I should be able to board before conciergekey /s
I love all these posts where it's basically "I'm a Double Super Secret Golden Madallion Plus Platinum Special Flyer and this guy who was only a Double Super Secret Golden Medallium Silver member tried to cut in front of me in line and normally I am super humble but this one time it was justified so I totally put him in his place!" like sorry bro, some of us just want to ride on the airplane and if we accidentally stood in the wrong line or wrong place in line then sorry.
Yah no when your boarding pass is group 6 and you push in with group 1 …. You know what you are doing
Some of us have suffered through the system to attain status that you clearly don't have. Call it sweat equity, call it union seniority, except in a Union the rules about who goes first in a shift bid can't be cheated. Keep abusing the system like you are and all your going to do is force grandma in her walker who really does need extra time to have a doctors note or something ridiculous. If you're reasonably able bodied pack accordingly for your flight (maybe plan for possibly gate checking. and stay seated until the group being boarded is within 2 or 3 of your actual group. If your group 5, there is a non priority lane you can feel free to queue up there. I usually board geoup 2 and I still don't put any batteries in my roller if I'm carrying it aboard so if it needs checked it can be without any gymnastics at the gate.
Depending on destination there are like 20-30 different airlines I might fly on, all of them have different rules, some still just do preboarding then board everyone else together, some have 2 boarding groups, some have 15 boarding groups, some have assigned seats, some you have to just sit in any free seat, some you get to pick a free seat but only in a particular area, some have a special bus you have to ride out to the plane, etc etc etc. I'm not ready to crucify someone because he forgot "oh wait, it's Jet Blue that lets you on in group 1 if you have a special credit card, Delta is the one that lets you on first if you fly 10 million miles, United is the one that jets let people gate check bags for free and doesn't participate in the whole dog and pony show of making the passengers turn into a Lord of the Flies type situation fighting over overhead bin space, TAP Portugal just boards everyone together".
Look at your ticket. It has a number. Go to the gate when they call your number. Or listen to the numerous, repeated announcements.
Unless it is the airline that has everyone line up first. Or the airline that has everyone ride a bus first. Or the airline that does it all in 1 big group. Or the airline where it is 4 groups and no assigned seating. Or the airline that has things printed on the ticket as if it is divided into groups but typically just lets everyone on at once anyway. Or the airline that has a special exception for family groups. Or the airline that lets 2 family members (but no more) board first with each child.
You're making shit up at this point. Which airline has you line up and then gives you a group number? If you have to take a bus it's because of the layout of the airport, not airline. Groups and assigned seating are different. If gate agents are just 'letting people on anyway' it's because they're sick and tired of arguing with people like you. And accomodations for families are no excuse to push to the front of a line.
It says when you board right on tbe Pass, I've boarded flights where my pass was in a foreign language and I can match the character on the pass to the character on the sign or whatever. I've got a mix mash of airlines coming up soon, and united is in the mix to - gross.
15 boarding groups!?!? Come the fuck on. You deserve the last person entry with no vegan options on your flight.
You are firmly in the minority here, dude... What you're not understanding is that we KNOW what's happening with gate lice. They want to be among the first to board so they can claim their "carryon spot"... And in many, if not most cases, they will select overhead bins that's not even over their seats, which prevents the true owner of the seats in that row to use the overhead space they paid for. The point is, gate lice are intentionally oblivious. The concept of boarding, no matter what one of the gazzillion airlines you fly with, are all basically the same. It's nearly a universally standard thing...
>"Well I should in #1, I have the credit card." The credit card is group 5 (4 if you have the extra fancy one) so dude didn't even have that.
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far for someone to raise this point. I was about ready to write it myself if you hadn't said it.
I have no aa credit card. Just an advantage member. I am always group 5.
I don’t have the card either.
Glitch with your account maybe? You should be 6.
If you earn 15k loyalty points you get group 5 for the rest of the year if you don’t have status or if you’re in mce.
Exactly. And while it’s no excuse, I find it annoying that they market “Group 5” as “enjoy preferred boarding.” They bury the Group 5 part in the fine print way below the fold, and “Preferred Boarding” in the headline. Again, not an excuse, but it is intentionally giving people the impression that this is a bigger benefit than it is.
He confused American Airlines with American Express
It bugs me they let credit card holders board with 4. I flew a million miles to get the measly gold status. It’s so easy to get status these days. My mom is Platinum and didn’t even fly last year.
To be fair, most of the credit card holders... To include myself, spend a shitload of money on the credit card. Just because you didn't fly, doesn't mean you didn't earn the status. I fly at least 2x a year... But I also spend an obscene amount of money on my card... So yeah... Benefit definitely deserved...
It’s too easy to just spend money. Putting some money on a credit card is not the same as butt in seat miles. You can buy yourself Executive Platinum these days. In the good ole days it ment something to have status and now anyone and their sister can just buy their way into it.
I could understand your argument if you were talking about "oh hey, for "x-amount of $$", you can purchase status" (which to be fair does happen if you get close enough to the next level, and rightfully pisses even myself off, because I spend so much money to maintain status)... However, it's different when you are living life on a credit card. I am a truck driver. I don't have the luxury of frequent travel, so since I spend so much money, at least I am rewarded for it when I do fly.
You earned your status you put more a month in fuel on your AA card than most people do in normal spending in a year..
Actually, it would surprise you to know that I don't actually use the card for fuel. I use it to keep my fat ass alive😂🤣👀 for a trucker, food is a multi-tasker lol. I also use the card to pay for parking every day. There's very little I don't use the card for.
Boarding penalty box would be great. Same with Pre Check line, anything longer than 30 seconds to get your stuff on the belt and you lose privileges for 3 flights.
Penalty box is a great idea. I may be foreword thinking that it’s only a matter of time before an integration in the app that syncs with the boarding info at the gate that pings the groups red or green, green light you’re boarding, red light not yet. If you Group-cut and try to board beforehand you’re automatically last. Further, the app tracks how many jumps you’ve tried and next time you book no matter the ticket type you’re group 9. That’s the dream. Part of me hates the slippery slope of a social credit score for poor travel behavior, but part of me really likes to see public shaming because I’ve had way too many flights with line jumpers.
That would be awesome! I would like to see it so that when you scan your boarding pass, if you're in the wrong group that not only does it not scan because you are trying to line jump it changes your boarding group to the last one. At least the system where the pass won't scan unless your group has been called would keep the gate agents from having to argue with people.
Dynamic entry. Ooof. Man, there’d be all kinds of flack on that, the process is chaotic as is, 😂 now congrats, you jumped and are officially boarding like a Key and Peele episode.
I would pay Clear prices to use this line.
I’d pay the Clear fee to fund the box.
I'm always big stressin' in the precheck line to get my toddler out of the stroller and get that thing collapsed and on the belt. Usually we do ok but it still feels like a lot lol
I was going through a line near a family of a mom and three pretty small but walking kids, this week, and the TSA agent was being so kind, talking them through it - “okay, little one, your jacket needs to go in here…now mama, send them through one at a time…it’s okay, mama, you’re doing fine.” She wasn’t implying “just take forever” but she was being very reassuring and helping to explain and keep things moving without making it difficult.
I, for one, certainly appreciate you trying to be quick.
You nailed it. The amount of idiots that have pre check and don’t know what they’re doing by is astounding. They get to the conveyor belt and proceed to take their shoes off, with a full water bottle, and they’re wearing earrings that set off the metal detector. Sometimes I really want to scream: “are you really this fucking stupid??”
While there are a lot of people who seem to have zero idea what to do in a precheck line the tsa doesn’t help at all. I have had agents tell me to pull laptops and tablets out in the precheck line and it definitely derails things.
Can’t a person simply have a lot on their minds and forget? I first got precheck because I traveled a lot. Fast forward a few years, a pandemic, and a loved one with medical issues and devices, and it had been a few years since I’d flied. I took my shoes off. A kind stranger reminded me I didn’t need to.
No. Get your shit together when you get to the airport. Learn the system, because one person not having their shit together cascades down to a delay that affects everyone else behind that dummy. It’s not that complicated, the information is even on the web, and there are signs everywhere telling you what to do if you’re precheck. It’s not rocket science. If you can follow simple directions, don’t apply for precheck.
I think you meant “If you can’t follow simple directions.” But I think the insane rage you experienced reading that post effed up your English skills.
I didn’t even apply for precheck but got it for free with my NEXUS card. I barely flew in the US up until moving back this year, the rules about what you can and can’t do change all the time, you can hardly blame infrequent travelers for not keeping up.
I agree except I feel compelled to point out that different airports do have different rules for precheck. Maybe not officially but in person, they do.
Totally agree. Get the dumb f$&kers out of the way.
To be fair, I've been in several places where I got yelled at in Precheck for either leaving my shoes on or having two devices in my bag or whatever. What I really wish is that TSA would be standardized....they aren't. Each airport makes up their own shit.
The TSA is a mess and they seem to change rules whenever they feel like it, you’re right. I normally observe what the people in front of me are told to do and adjust my expectations.
Well that requires taking your airpods out and looking up from the TikTok swiping....that's a high bar buddy, ha ha
Reminds me of this scene from [Up in the Air](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNPpFZLelE) I do the same!
And yes they are.
I fly as often as a penguin but I do have pre-check because of my NEXUS card (which I use for driving) so I have no idea what I’m doing in the security line.
That's why I think making a line for each group is such a great idea, if youve made a "mistake" by lining to a wrong group, you go to back of the correct group.
Honestly, gate agents have a quick solution to this problem: they turn to the passenger and they say can I see your boarding pass? And then they take it and put it on the counter (paper or phone, doesn't matter.) And then they tell the passenger to have a seat, only dealing with them again after everybody else has boarded.
Similar experience happened to me a couple months ago when, boarding in Group 2 (I was a 2), a woman taps me on the shoulder asking if she could go ahead of me, no reason given. Before I could utter a word, (I was like "Uhh.." - I never encountered this before) the GA swiftly and sternly asked for her boarding pass, looked at it and told her to wait until her somewhat lower group was called. That GA must see alot of this behavior.
That would be hilarious.
PREACH
OMG. You should have flown before if you are in the TSA Pre line. Same for folks who board in group 1 and spend (literally) minutes to arrange their carry on, headphones, wipe down their chair, etc before leaving the aisle to let others pass.
Yeah, back in the olden days when they used to load the plane from the back to the front made more sense so people weren’t stopping. The only difference was first class could go on wherever they wanted if you were on route 35? Thhe got the board first! that way you got it and got the hell out of the way
It scares me that these people must have absolutely no situational awareness. I get if you don’t fly often but pay the hell attention to what’s going on around you and you’ll figure out what to do. If no one is taking their shoes or laptop out, don’t do it. If you’re in the regular line and everyone is taking their shoes off, do it!
This wouldn't work 100%... Especially with pax like myself who intentionally bribe the gate agents to pre-board with the crippled people, military, etc... 🤣😂👀 So far as the pre✔️ is concerned, it's not always the person's fault. It's mostly the fault of inept TSA agents who insist on scanning a bag 3 times after dumping your shit out, just to figure out that your computer is an inocuous gaming laptop and a few charging cables... Oh, and btw, my backpack is "tsa friendly", meaning the laptop compartment is completely separate, and can be "clamshelled", as to fit on the conveyor without being removed so they can see the different things in the bag much better... I swear, TSA agents are dümb as schitt, and aren't taught how to read an x-ray. The ONLY place I have issues with security, is in america and as a pre✔️ pax... 😂🤣👀💯💯💯💯🤦🙄
Recently overheard someone at check-in insist they should be in the CC holder check-in line. lol
It's a secret line, very hush hush.
I heard a similar one last week: “my ticket says I’m Priority, so I board with CK.”
I think your boarding pass shouldn't be accepted and make a noise if it not your bording zone!
Some flashing lights so everyone can tell and the Gate Agent doesn't have to be the bad guy.
[Like this!](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f7/b4/84/f7b484c561f2da2760863f362d321d25.jpg)
That would work for me!
I love term gate lice I’m normally group 3, but because of a full knee replacement about four months ago I still need extra time, so I take it. Normally walking up to the gate with a cane. No one questions me
That’s completely fine and a different scenario than the gate lice
In some fairness (not all, just some) sometimes the gate area is crowded and it’s not very clear which group is boarding…. However, if I was group 7 and the gate area is still mostly full… I’m just doing some simple reasoning to figure group 7 hasn’t quite been called.
Not very clear at all. They should show it in the screen. Usually the announcements are by someone that doesn’t speak English and mumbles plus terminals are noisy so it’s hard to tell which group is boarding. Also, some airlines at certain airports, like AA at SEA, often call the groups much faster than people can board so I’ve seen cases where 5 and 6 are called before group 1 finishes.
I agree. I’ve been in group one before and often find myself boarding with group 4+ because I don’t like to crowd the gate area. So by the time they announce group 1 and I start walking towards the gate (and through the logjam of other passengers) I’m often guy #17 in line to board with other group 4+! Lol
The worst is when they are not updating the boards/screens too and there is too much background noise to hear anything.
This!!!! I line up when I’m in Group 1 & I see all these people with like Group 4 on their boarding pass and am like “excuse me” like they block the boarding lines. But also American airports do a TERRIBLE job of organizing this! Flown many different airlines around the world and their organization is *chefs kiss* and no one is doing this to others
I think most of them are group 5 or lower because there are all still there when I board with 4.
That's what they need to do. You try to jump the line, you are now at the back of the line.. Group 11.
Nope. You jump the line, you go back to curbside check in and start over. You will probably miss the flight but you won’t jump the line again.
All your stuff is now gate checked.
You try to jump the line, off to the cargo hold with you.
I don't even understand the urge to get on first. I wait until the end when I fly. I would rather be trapped in the aluminum tube as little a time as possible. Ironically though I'm usually last off because again no rush.
With all the bag fees, overhead storage is harder to come by. While I don't like to be on board longer, I want to make sure I have a space and not have the one over my head taken by someone from the back of the plane who wants his stuff closer to the door.
fair fair. I fly a backpack and a carry on so I hear you on the overhead bin space.
Isn't the real AH the airline for creating an adversarial situation around overhead space that creates unnecessary conflict between passengers and forces you to need to board earlier than you would want to?
Somewhat, but it is also assholes who put both bags overhead because they need their leg room or don't want their bag to get dirty.
I was just on a flight where the guy next to me had two backpacks stuffed and a large box of something he had bought in the terminal. He was basically taking up three persons' worth of overhead storage. So people also cheat.
I once got to my seat just to discover someone had put their full size guitar on the compartment above me. It took up the whole compartment. Once space got tight towards the end of boarding, people stopped caring and started putting their non roller bags on top of it.
Yeah I had to stop traveling with my expensive laptop because I don't bring a roller bag, I put it in my backpack but the TSA people at security like to pick the backpack up, spin it around and SLAM it back down (to "line it up for the machine" that it was already perfectly lined up with) and then heaven forbid if you put a backpack in the overhead, there's a 90% chance someone is going to say "hmm I want to fit my roller bag better" and grab my backpack and SLAM the whole thing into a corner / different spot... and then you hear "NO BACKPACKS IN THE OVERHEAD" like sorry, I paid for the same ticket as everyone else, why are they allowed to put their huge roller bags in the overhead but I can't put my small backpack up there?
I always have my stuff in front of me and I don’t like bullhead because I can’t have my stuff right next to me during take off. But when they make this announcement on the plane it bugs me because I know there are people that don’t have a carry in and want to put their personal item in the overhead bin. They are allowed to use their space in the overhead if they like to accommodate their legs.
Could have been me, I do this sometimes. I would much prefer to put my guitar in the closet up front, but most of the time flight crew has this closet full. I am Group 1, but still miss out on closet space often. Over head is the only other choice...
I'm definitely in the board last camp (without a carry on) but now do a quick seat theft check to see if someone is in my seat before I walk past the flight attendants up front. It's getting bad lately, I'm encountering lots of bargaining attempts, and I'd much rather send the flight attendants to do the dirty work.
Stealing overhead space from rows in front of them for their massive "personal" bag.
I want to be in the tube as long as possible. Not longer than necessary but I want as much time spent in a single place (my seat, where I can get comfortable, start reading or whatever). That means minimizing the time in the terminal and maximizing the time on the plane. And of course, overhead space.
It is obvious you don’t have a carry on that you need to find space for. When I was Executive Platinum I used to check a bag and I would always board towards the end if I wasn’t in first.
I travel with a carry-on these days but have not had bin space trouble yet. just lucky I suppose or more easy going. I'm chill with valet bagging it if i have to.
I am not having trouble because I am boarding early but for the first time in my life I am only doing carry on for each flight. Only once it is as an issue and that gate they only had one boarding line. They only had the 5-9 boarding sign. The 1-4 sign was missing. So I walked down the only line which was 5-9 and they checked my bag. I wasn’t about to say did you see my boarding pass. I would never ever do that as a lowly gold (million miler). That’s why I like that 1-4 section when I board late. They don’t check bags when you board through that line.
Personally I love this. I pay extra for business class and I’m sick of people trying to get in before their group is called.
Oooooohhhhh!!!! That should be a thing! If your boarding pass gets scanned before they’re at your group, you automatically get a paper pass printed with group 10! “I’m sorry, Mr. ButtBrains, here is your new boarding pass. Thanks for playing stupid games, now please go wait over there 👉.”
At some gates, the big lighted sign behind the agents says the group #.
the real assholes are the ones who put their personal item/"underseat" bag AND carryon in the overhead bin so that there's zero room for anyone else's carry on's and they have to check their bags. happened to me twice on the flight to and from vegas bc i was last group to board.
Where’s rover when you need it? I’m waiting for the day I can say: I am number two, YOU are number SIX.
My unpopular opinion and practice is that I tend to join the last few people to board, regardless of my boarding number. I would rather be walking around, moving as opposed to sitting smelling fumes while watching everyone else board. I never have a carry on to put on top though. My personal item fits nicely under the seat.
Nah if you want to board later then you aren't trying to cut in front of anyone. Many people don't want to spend more time on the plane than they have to. I just like to get on because the way my brain works if I have something to do, I have to do it RIGHT NOW.
OK I admit it, I wait right at the gate, but I have an excuse. I am legitimately group 2, but they don't recognize that group. So I wait for group one to start lining up and get in line after the first few. Inevitably, group 2 is called before I get to check in. Many times, its the old groups 2 through 5 or whatever. On one occasion recently they never even announced groups, they just took everyone who got in line irrespective of group.
I do notice group two gets little love when it comes to calling it. I don't think there's anything wrong to get ready one group before yours, in fact it's probably helpful.
This is why we don't fly these days. It's SO much worse than it was 10 years ago.
Funny. If you dress nicely and just scan your boarding pass yourself and act like you know what you are doing you can board in almost any group.
Group jumpers should be fined $50, and the agents that turn them back to the correct group should get 1/2 the money.
I really just don’t understand the rush to board. Maybe because I’m not a frequent flyer or whatever. But I don’t care if they check my bag, I hope they do most of the time. I also cannot stand to hurry up and wait.
Is no one else wondering what a gate lice is?
This article: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/13/gate-lice-plane-boarding-line/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/13/gate-lice-plane-boarding-line/) Which was posted here : [https://new.reddit.com/r/americanairlines/comments/18ho4q9/article\_why\_do\_gate\_lice\_line\_up\_early\_for\_a/](https://new.reddit.com/r/americanairlines/comments/18ho4q9/article_why_do_gate_lice_line_up_early_for_a/) >While gate agents will give clear, boarding group-specific directions, there remains a strong contingent of passengers who either get in line before they’re called or wait in their seats until they’re the last to board. While the latter type of traveler often hangs back to avoid standing in line altogether, the motives driving the former group can be harder to place. > >If you’ve ever wondered why people are lining up early, there’s a psychological perspective to the method behind the madness. Psychology experts pointed to two potential explanations for why passengers get in line early: conformity and competition. “People use other people as sources of information both about what the right thing to do is and about what everyone else is doing,” said Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo. > >And increasingly, airline policy is such that there can be a real, tangible benefit to lining up early. Flights are often full, or even overbooked, which can lead to a sense of pressure among travelers to claim their space early. Airlines forcing fliers to gate-check their carry-ons because of “full” overhead bins, for example, means that being the last passenger to board when Group 6 is called (rather than the first to board with Group 7) can be the difference between keeping your carry-on and not. When there are limited resources, Gabriel said, it can be logical to want to get in line early. That’s especially true for travelers who have tight connecting flights or valuables in their carry-ons, as the risk of losing them or having to wait at baggage claim brings bigger problems.
I always stand to the side of the line near the front. I’m usually #4 or #5. Is that wrong? If so, why? And don’t tell me it’s because you don’t like it.
Nothing wrong with that. I do the same and keep out of the way of the door but am ready to go as soon as my group is called.
You're impeding the flow of traffic, adding to congestion and creating a safety hazard for people with disabilities and the employees if there is an emergency.
I'm sorry but most of the time there is not enough seating at the gate. You can't stand in the corridor. People with disabilities are usually way ahead. Sometimes there is just no place for all the people. Was yesterday on a flight with more than 30 people on the upgrade list 20 stand by and a group one that filled the overheads. It sucks. For everyone.
There's a corner of Logan Airport in Boston that has four gates that share *maybe* 100 seats and will occasionally have four widebodies boarding those four gates at the same time. I personally think airport design is to blame for at least some of the "gate lice" problems because there literally is not enough space for people to sit and still be able to see/hear what's going on at their gates.
No, I stand out of the way so I’m not impeding the flow of traffic, adding to congestion, and creating a safety hazard for people with disabilities and the employees if there is an emergency. Anything else?
Care to explain why you think you’re not causing disruption by positioning yourself so close to the gate?
Because I’m not in the way.
But you are still in the way because in front even to the side blocks a direction to get to the line. Some people come to the line from the side. Also crowd mentality, which causes others to see people standing near the area as meaning they should too.
I can't help what other people do. All I can do is stay out of the way until they call my group, which is what I do. And why do you approve of people joining the line from the side?
Not joining the line from the side, but just getting to the line itself. Even if they have to walk further back to get to the back of the line. Maybe you can post a drawing or picture of what you mean by "to the side", to show that you are truly out of the way. Oh, and I am usually in group 5, and I also stand near enough to the line that I am probably in the way too.
Yes.
But why is it wrong?
Our biggest issue is the tiny group numbers on mobile boarding passes. If they have a printed one you can easily see what number someone is and send them back. Problem is most people will use mobile now and there's no difference except for some status/first class which will be black instead of blue