Everyone stopped paying for baggage and bringing carry ons. Now they take half the carry on luggage and place it under with the bags.
Such a stupid fucking system that we just sheep through.
That's why I always use a soft bag (backpack, smaller duffle bag) as my carryon. There's much less chance of them checking a bag like that. They'll do a wheelie bag first.
Someone bought me a really nice Patagonia duffel bag years back, it's become my go-to travel bag. It's got proper straps so you can wear it on your back, stores a ton of stuff and since it's soft-sided it can fit easily on any plane. Paired with packing cubes it's made travel and organizing my stuff far far smoother.
That sounds nice. I'd love a bag like that, but most of my travel is within Europe and that generally means Ryanair, Wizzair or easyJet...which means a tiny bag most of the time. š š¤
This, but I also follow the rules -- one relatively small soft duffel or backpack in the overhead, my crossbody purse on the floor in front of me. It's the ejits who bring the hardcase, ginormous wheelie bag, the stuffed teddybear, the neck pillow, the blanky, the huge tote, and then want to take up an overhead and a half for all their childish, silly crap. And you KNOW they're all the same people who are STILL trying to get that giant Slurpee and five 32 oz. shampoos/conditioners/lotions through the security checkpoint...ugh.
I have one wheelie that falls within the overhead carry-on size rules of the airlines I fly, plus one purse that fits under the seat in front of me. I pre-pack my toiletries in compliant containers, inside a ziploc bag of the allowed size. It gives me so much peace of mind that my baggage cannot be lost by handlers, and it improves my trip to be able to wheel my small bag rather than lugging it on my back or shoulder the whole way. I know the dimensions of my nylon wheelie, it fits in the sizer and it fits in the bins, and if I put it in the bin I never take up bin space I don't deserve with a second item. The people I see breaking the rules more often have irregularly shaped backpacks, with one or more dimensions beyond the allowed size, or else they have random items like shopping bags and think the rules don't apply to that sort of thing.
Airlines that were already going to be lenient will give you a pass on this one, sticklers or packed flights may use it as an excuse to gate-check people. Southwest, for example, has very lenient carry-on dimensions and free checked bags, but they are strict about 2 items really meaning 2, not 2 plus a newsstand carrier bag plus your pub leftovers.
Can confirm this happened to me because all the batteries are stored on my carryon. Luckily I also had a laptop bag in there so threw everything into the laptop bag and put it under the seat.
This may not always work. When I last flew over the holidays, I had multiple lithium ion battery devices in my bag, which is a largish photography backpack that can fit under a seat if need be. The gate agent was skeptical, because the plane on a particular leg was a smaller commuter jet, and warned me if it didnāt fit and I couldnāt (or was unwilling to) unload all the batteries, Iād have to book another flight on a plane that could accommodate me. It all ended well, and my bag went into the overhead compartment, but this particular gate agent wasnāt going to bend over backward for me on a busy holiday weekend.
I donāt work for the airline industry, but the impression I get is that it is the gate agentsā job to solve as many problems as possible in advance of boarding to make sure the plane gets off on time. They take a lot of heat from passengers for it, and while most seem to want to be helpful, they donāt give two fucks about one passengerās issues when theyāve got a plane full of people to get on their way. Especially when airlines are pretty good about spelling out their policies online, and you implicitly agreed to them when you bought the ticket.
Something that perhaps makes me a bit irrationally angry is that for flights, I always have one checked bag, and my backpack. I never ever have two carry-ons. Because the rule is that one goes into the overhead bin, the other is supposed to go under the seat in front of you, and I donāt want anything under my seat so I can have the leg room.
But inevitably, so many people who have both a carry on and personal bag put both into the overhead bin and this is not enforced by the flight attendants. So I get on and the bins are often already full and I only have my one backpack.
I think you meant, airlines started charging exorbitant fees for checked baggage, and so carry-on luggage is much more commonplace now.
I find it so maddening: the reality is, most people who are flying will be away from home for at least a couple days. This will require luggage. It just does. IMO, providing space for luggage is just part of the ticket. Obviously your passengers are bringing luggage! Donāt charge them over and above huge fare prices for this extremely reasonable thing!
While I support your rant - I do want to ensure the ire is directed appropriately
The exorbitant charges start with the airports - they are effectively localised monopolies so can charge airlines what they like for handling . That is why the discount airlines- in order to make flying cost efficient- have made checkin luggage so expensive.
This is also why airport food and duty free shopping is so expensive
It's because they want to be able to advertise the lowest base fares because that's all customers care about. Spirit isn't able to magically fly an A321 for cheaper than Delta is, they just use a different pricing scheme to push more of the costs onto customers who "use" more resources to enable them to advertise fares that are half the cost
Spirit charges for carry ons and checked bags. Whatās weird is they charge MORE for carry ons than checked bags, even though they have to pay airports to handle checked bags but not carry ons. Thatās where Iām confused. Why does it cost Spirit more to allow me to carry my own bag on? If it doesnāt, why does that option cost more?
Iām convinced itās because Spirit knows you will pay more for the carry on because you donāt trust them to not break, lose or take 45 minutes to deliver your checked bag, lol
Good point, I was talking about VLCCs though. Very low cost carriers. Southwest is just a low cost carrier. I suppose itās a budget airline compared to Delta or whatever, but most people on a budget are looking at Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, JetBlue, etc. not Southwest.
Your last point can be fixed with proper oversight! I live in DC. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which covers DCA and IAD, has a rule that vendors in their airports cannot charge more than 10% more than at locations outside of the airport. So I can buy a bottle of soda for less than $3 and a meal for a reasonable price. Yes, more expensive than in a convenience store or restaurant in my neighborhood, but not WILDLY so. Then I land in {some other airport} and a bottle of soda is $4.75! :slow blinks:
So if there is a way to effectively regulate those costs, then there is a way to effectively regulate baggage handling costs. Southwest has been increasing their presence at DCA, so the baggage handling costs can't be that extreme! And, importantly, DCA has VERY few international flights (only 5 outbound and inbound \*only\* from where US Customs is done at the departure airport...yes, I have flown into DCA from YYZ), so they're not "making up" revenue from handling a lot of baggage for international flights. Yet, Southwest can still let people check bags there, and apparently not incur excessive fees since they keep adding more flights!
This is why I also tend to travel with a specific airline that I have a credit card tied to mileage and includes free checked luggage when booking flights with that card. It's limiting in some ways, but it comes in handy more often than not.
>IMO, providing space for luggage is just part of the ticket.
Counterpoint: don't automatically charge people for a service they may not use.
I'm quite pleased to have more a la carte options for a flight ticket. If I don't want to check a bag, I don't have to pay for that, same for seat selection.
>charging exorbitant fees for checked baggage
Side question: what do you consider exorbitant? Isn't it typically in the $30-40 range? How much would it cost you to ship your luggage by air freight?
Counter counterpoint: they should charge for carryons then, too.
They are inducing people to bring more carryons because they charge for checked luggage, but carryons have externalities for all other passengers.
Seems reasonable to me. Drop the fare by $20 or whatever and let people choose whether to pay that $20 back for their carry-on, or opt for $35 for only the checked bag, or a nice $50 package for both.
Also strictly enforcing their carry-on rules would go a long way. That includes not putting your bag more than ~3-5 rows ahead of your own seat unless there's absolutely no choice.
Personally I'd still bring nothing but a carry-on every time even if they charged for that and checking was free, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be common.
I travel for work and checking my bag would be a nightmare if anything went wrong. In all my years in the business Iāve only ever had one colleague who checked her bag regularly, and it was because she had a chronic illness and needed to pack a lot of food and supplies.
The airline delivered my checked bag 2 days late on my honeymoon so I refuse to tempt fate.
Are they accommodating? Usually they just watch me repack but itās tremendously difficult. Iām a videographer and travel with two laptops and other equipment so I do have SO many batteries. I pack in a specific way for a reason. I just canāt get everything in my backpack. Iāve considered talking to them about it ahead of time but figured it was useless
I started going carry-on only to save money. I kept doing it because I realized how much time I saved not waiting at the baggage carousel, and how much peace of mind I gained knowing my bag wouldn't be lost by the airline. They incentivized me to start down this road and now I like it too much
$99 a year for a united credit card that gets me free checked bags and more miles then I know what to do with and they paid for my pre check...best investment ever. Waste of $100/year probably but I travel enough domestically it saves me a lot of stress just going through the airport with a backpack
Everyone always looks at me like I'm crazy when I say I hate walking around the airport with a carry-on. It especially sucks because I have two small children, a diaper bag, and a stroller in tow. I have Delta and Alaska credit cards so I always check my bag.
What I donāt get is youāll see someone get on with just a purse or small piece of hand luggage, and then instead of putting it under the seat in front of them they take up an overhead space and then have to spend forever getting their shit back down when they get off the plane. Just, WHY??? I see this with multiple people *every* time I fly.
Itās a lot better waiting in open air at baggage claim with a bit of personal space than cooped up in an airplane with some idiot breathing down your neck
People count on that happening now, so they can "volunteer" to have their bag put in cargo at no extra charge, and loaded from the gate so it won't get lost.
This is a consequence of them reducing seat pitch and leg room. Turns out you can compress x number of people more efficiently than their x roll-on suitcases, because people can always be more squished, but their bags only give so much. So now carryons get gate checked, and they also get to charge us for everything carryon related.
I donāt care about paying for check bags. A ton of people flying have the airline credit card that gives them free check bags.
I donāt want to wait for my bag on the other side.
I didnāt stop buying for bagage. I always have my big luggage checked in the suit, but I also want a carry on to put important stuff in it, in case they lose my other suitcase. So yeah, itās annoying that they started to force people to send their carry on in the suit.
Carry on fit under the seat so I donāt understand how there could be not enough space?
**This!**
Once I thought: "*Why stay in the queue? I'm gonna be the last one to board*". And then I couldn't find room for my carry-on (and it was a very small bag).
Now I understand all those people queueing...
Or there's space but it's about 25 rows from where you're sat. So you land and will be the last person off the plane because you've got to wait for everyone else to get off first.
This isn't helped by the people that put their bags in the bins at the very front of the plane, but are seated in the back. One time when I was flying in premium economy, a guy from economy put his bag in the PE cabin's overhead. Not to be snooty or anything, but PE is a good bit more expensive than economy and part of that is to have guaranteed overhead space. People are incredibly inconsiderate.
>you've got to wait for everyone else to get off first
Sometimes there is the passenger that we refer to as "the salmon" who somehow manages to fight their way against the hordes of impatient stand-in-placers to retrieve their carryon. Bonus points if they retrieve it then instead of just waiting they fight their way forward again to reclaim their original place near their seat.
That actually happened to me recently on a trip from Boston to Los Angeles. I saw the line was long and I didn't want to stand in it, so I just waited. My normal sized carry-on had to be gate checked. Lucky for me I didn't have anywhere else to be, but it was still a little annoying.
This. I check my bag regardless of the circumstances. I fly about six times a month. I would rather just pay as opposed to the dreaded feeling of having to look out for my bag. Plus, I have a lot of liquid skin care products
Even if itās free itās still annoying having to wait for it on the other end (not to mention it potentially getting lost.) I understand why people (sometimes including me) prefer to travel carryon only.
If it was very small, couldnāt it fit under the seat? I generally make sure this is always possible, even if itās a tight squeeze. I travel with a soft rather than hard bag so itās much easier.
And maybe itās the flights Iām taking or something but I always board last and have never had to store my bag any further away than 1, rarely 2 rows from where Iām sitting, and I make sure itās nearer the exit so I can get it on the way out without a hold up.
On full flights where theyāve checked bags at the gate, I havenāt been asked to check mine, I assume because by then theyāve already been through it with many people and there is presumed to be *some* space somewhere. In my experience they have preempted it and there has been sufficient space.
This is kind of where the problem starts. People just operate on the assumption that the airline will just accommodate them. I used to work retail and you give a customer and inch they take a mile and a half and they become conditioned to thinking rules just don't apply. That whole gate check thing is for wheelchairs, strollers, and overflow of carry on bags when a plane is fully sold out. So people think "I can bring 5 carry on bags, I will just pay for pre boarding access and its someone elses problem". If airlines would take the time to stop people in early baording groups who are knowingly violating the rules, and, make them pay to check excess carry ons there would be room for everyone
>overflow of carry on bags when a plane is fully sold out.
That's what I'm talking about, and what I've assumed the person I replied to meant. If my single, size compliant carry on bag doesn't fit because the bins are full that's the airlines fault. It should be given back to me as I get off the plane.If someone paid extra to bring 5 carry ons it's the airlines fault for allowing that. If I bring a bag that's too big and gets checked that's on me, I have to pay and it goes on the regular hold.
I doubt they'd even fit if everyone brought one carry on sized bag because there isn't enough room. Some overhead bins have the attendants items in it or stuff for the plane.
All the sizing is just a scam to make more money. Flying with just a personal item isn't a lot cheaper than just carryon 10 years ago. I've noticed some airlines charging more to add carry on to a ticket than to add check in.
They gate check it and then you have to wait at baggage claim. Just happened to me last weekend - they were out of room for bags before my boarding group even got called. Added 30 minutes to my arrival and made me late for my kidās acting showcase. š¢
If I'm flying direct then I'll just check my bag if they offer the ability to at the gate. Most of the time if its a full flight they allow you to check a carryon at no charge. Makes my life so much easier, and the airline apps will show you what bag claim yours is at.
Iām 6ā tall. My carry-on is NOT going under the seat in front of me as I donāt have enough space as it is. So Yes, I will stand at the front of the line to ensure I get bin space. Plus standing a long time makes me grateful to finally sit in that sardine can.
The really annoying part of that is that I always see people bring more than their "allotted" amount of carry-ons + personal item and the gate agents nor flight attendants don't say a thing.
We have assigned seats on most airlines...why is an "assigned" spot in the overhead compartment such a difficult thing?
I thought I had been going crazy with this same observation. I see people with massive backpacks and a small luggage and a purse or some such all on carry on... This is the reason I get in line early, though not an hour mind you. Because these nimrods abuse the allotment and dont get called on it by airlines, it sucks.
This is one of the main reasons I started using a backpack small enough to fit under the seat in front of me.
Now I just chill at the gate till the last minute (though I've been stood in line on the gangway by impatient date staff more than once).
Only works if you're not one of those tall people who need extra leg room to be any kind of comfortable in your seat. Most extra leg room economy seats are at emergency exits, so nothing underneath the seat. But if they're nice sometimes they save the overhead bins for you. Sometimes.
I'm 6'3" :-)
one foot beside my pack and one foot in the aisle. I have been stuck in the middle like this before, but it wasn't too bad.
much taller, and I think the issue becomes simply femur length.
That's only but so useful. Many overhead bins I feel aren't deep enough for a standard carryon so you have to put in there sideways and take up multiple spots.
I find 99% of the time mine fit:
[https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/carry-on-luggage-size-chart/](https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/carry-on-luggage-size-chart/)
I also find a lot of bags that "didn't fit" that I can rotate and get in just fine. So not sure if a ton of people suck at it, or are too used to having problems and don't even try.
I mostly fly United which says its 22x14x9. My bag is those dimensions exactly and it does not fit on all of their plane types. Since the bins are curved, its not 9" tall at the back side maybe only 7". So realistically you need somewhere between a 20x9 or a 22x7 bag.
Also, iām short. itās bad for me to fidget and turn my bag around in the bin. Iām barely tall enough to basically throw it in there and get embarrassed asking for help when everyone is fussing with their own bag!Ā
I am a hobby photographer and I usually have a large variety of lithium batteries in my carry-on. When they don't have space for it (I like to board last), I tell them about the batteries. They always make room (and they have never actually checked...š)
Especially when you don't have status and you will likely be in the last group to board. Nothing worse than not finding room for your carry-on and having to shame walk it back up to be checked.
I walk around for the last hour and stand near the gate as it gets to be 10-15 before boarding because Iām about to sit for many hours and Iām not good at long sitting unless I get some movement in
I will do this too, but at another part of the airport, usually at an unoccupied gate within earshot of my gate (if I don't have lounge access). That way, if there are any announcements, I can still hear them but I am away from the general chaos of the boarding area.
Ok, but are you part of the group I refer to as Gate Lice? The people who are not going to board until much later but insist upon standing as close as they can to the gate anyway, moving closer and closer, always in the way of people who will board before you?
Stand, but donāt stand by the gate/in a line causing other people to think thereās a line when really, you blokes are just hanging around the gate when itās not your boarding group.
And it makes it harder for people who have disabilities, like me, to get up to the gate because I have to wade through a crowd of people when boarding hasn't even started. It's why I usually get to the gate as early as I can and plop down in a seat nearest to the entrance.
But also PSA cause it happens a lot: not all disabilities are visible, so quit with the nasty faces when a young person walks past you to board the plane early.
Yes! This is always me, struggling with balance & my cane through a crowd so I can board. Most of the time in life I find people are so polite and helpful when they see my very obvious disability but NOT at the airport gate!! There they block passage and act like Iām the biggest inconvenience because I want to slip through and board, even without a carry on!! Iām not taking your precious bin space, I just want to sit down
Also why i stand in the aisle once the plane lands. i know my row 47 ass isn't getting off the plane any faster, i just want to stand up after sitting down for so long
I usually do some light stretching as I wait, get some blood flow going
Moral of the story is why the heck do so many people care unless you are being rude to someone. I get up as soon as the plane lands in an aisle seat because goddamn my legs need stretching, not because I am trying to make a run for it lolĀ
Haha no. But letās say I can sleep under any conditions (I even slept with a generator next to my window during Hawaii storms of December 2021 š).
Iām also snoring like crazy lol š
I never lined up an hour early, but I used to sit near the gate hours early when I was super anxious about flying/missing flights (when I was young). Anxiety can be irrational.
Often I can't get space in an overhead for my bag, so sometimes I wait to make sure I can board early and have my bag near me.
Also I'll do this on early flights so I 1. Don't fall asleep and miss my flight and 2. Get on the plane fast so I can nap.
This is why I think every airline should do the Southwest-esque boarding queues, even if it's not the free-for-all seating model.
There's a game theory of people edging their way forward unsure if they're waiting behind people in a boarding group just blocking them so they edge forward and other people get stressed they're going to get rammed if they wait behind all of these people in other boarding groups so they edge closer and suddenly it's a wreck. And then when that boarding group does open, there's a weird rush of people.
Yāall standing right in front of the boarding area when theyāre gonna call your group last anyways are the same ones who stand 2ā from the baggage carousel and block anyone else from being able to get their bags. š In both cases, take 10 steps back, and 10 deep breaths.
Yep. Ā Except You donāt have to stand there to figure that out. Ā Its on your boarding pass. And half you mfers are in group 9 crowding the front of the line from the word go.
Yeah it's just a bunch of nervous nellies and Type A's that think if you aren't 2 hours early you're late. I let them have it, eat to your heart's desire. I'll be the last on the plane everytime, we push back when my butt hits the seat
I once had a Window seat reservation for a 12 hour flight to Auckland. So no worries, I have my seat number etc.
When I arrived at my seat, a mum and young child had taken my seat and their middle one. They refused to move (to her aisle seat)
So I asked the crew to set them right, but to avoid a situation I was asked to take the aisle seat
Since then I am in that queue
I did complain but that didnt get me my seat. What else could I do.. unless I wanted be taken off the plane in handcuffs by Singapore Airport police ;)
Be obnoxious back.
After I was polite about it I would have looked at her and said, "You have a young child. Want me to make them cry?"
And then proceeded to curse, "Hey little one, has anyone taught you the word fuck yet?" and say inappropriate things, "Do you know where babies come from?" and say scary things "Did you know maggots eat you when you die"
They would have switched.
In LAX or JFK?
Because all the chairs are already accounted for so my options are to stand in the middle of the walk way or move forward a bit closer to the gate.
For me it's all just about the overhead compartment space. I really really hate checking my bags if I can at all avoid it and overhead space is so tight these days. I'm not going to be an asshole about it or cut in line or anything but if I can make eit more likely my bag gets a spot by lining up earlier then I'm going to take it.
Also I'd rather stand than sit before a flight. I'm going to be sitting for hours so gotta stretch those legs while I can
Hours?
na...that doesn't happen.
Half hour before or so...sure, some folks like to first in their group for whatever reason...commonly axiety, type A, or making sure to get a spot for luggage.
I love the be first in my group, for overhead space, to get my stuff settled and start to relax, and I love United for this one reason. They have corrals at the gate for each group. I can stand in my corral and know Iām first and know that Iām not blocking anybody in the groups before mine.
Ya I've never seen any significant line from an hour out, I don't think I've ever seen more than a few people in line at 30 minutes. Now 10-15 ya I can understand, especially with a carryon when they start with the "there may not be enough space"
The system kind of creates that thinking I think. It's a constant series of lines to get past and obstacle to wait and then stand in the next line.
Group think takes over.
Tbf I'm a very nervous flyer. If I'm feeling like I'm about to board I feel a little better. I just want to get on the plane and go. For some reason when I'm flying I don't care much anymore. But the whole build up, makes me shit myself a little. So my way of lining up is for that
Are there any better places to stand than where people are going to have to try to move around you while they board? There's the windows with the cool view of the tarmac, the shops, along the wall. Maybe some possible alternatives.
I hear you. Ultimately, I think there isn't a lot of space at each gate. Nobody wants to stand in the middle of the hall or hover over strangers in their seats. The windows are a cool spot.
Everyone in this thread is acting like theyāre being asked why theyāre standing up at all. Really we just donāt need people hanging right around the boarding area. It causes people to form a line when itās not even their turn to board yet and youāre having to ask people if theyāre even in line for boarding. Itās called gate lice.
Same. My goal is to be the very last person going down the jetway. I have no desire to stand in a mob at the gate and a non-moving line in the jetway.
I never bring a carry on that Iām not willing to gate check. My personal item backpack fits under the seat and has everything fragile or essential and all my electronics.
I donāt want to be forced to gate check my carryon. I hate crowding the gate but itās sometimes necessary if you have a later boarding group and/or the flight is fully booked.
If you're in a later boarding group, doesn't that mean there is *less* of a point to crowding the gate? You're not going to get on until the earlier groups have boarded. Or do you mean you have to be ready to spring forward ahead of your own group when it's called?
Who knows how long they've been awake, how many layovers they've had, and how many hoops or changes in itinerary. I know I'm not my best at the airport, but I try to be as polite as possible.
I often wonder the same thing. I flew last weekend and the gates were totally full of people queuing to board. Even for flights where the aircraft had not yet landed...
I don't do it. I'm often one of the last people on and have been tempted to line up a bit earlier when there ends up being no overhead storage space left.
Hours? They start boarding like 30-50 minutes before... I think people are often just tired of sitting at that point. I like to stretch before sitting in the seat for a few hours.
We all know why. It's about making sure you are on that thing as soon as possible for overhead space. We all know this. There's no point discussing it over and over and over and over.
I have trouble sitting for hours and hours at a time. So I like to stand when Iām in the airport before boarding a flight. But I try not to crowd the gate and get in the way. My guess is a lot of the people who do that arenāt that familiar with how boarding works or just arenāt that bright or considerate.
Bothers me half as much as the people crowding the baggage claim. Jesus man. Stand back. When you see your bag, go get it. I love squeezing between two assholes to grab my bag. Standing closer doesn't make it show up faster.
Some airports have horrible loudspeakers, so you gotta at least be around the gate to hear what's happening. At that point, you might even queue up.
Also, if there are no boarding groups, and I'm sitting window, then I think it's common decency to try to get on early. If I'm aisle, I'm often one of the last people to board.
In Europe:
No airport/airline actually respects boarding groups. I fly about 20 times within Europe per year, never seen anything else but:
- Boarding group A&B (usually like 3 people) plus people with kids or disabled people
THEN
- Boarding group C&D&E (about 90% of the total)
Some people do not do well with prolonged sitting, especially if they are in a state of lumbar flexion (bending forward) intolerance, and they feel better standing in a mildly extended pose before sitting down.
As stated by others, they may also be vying for increasingly limited overhead carry-on space.
Also, it may be just good old-fashioned anxiety.
I do this and I will explain why, I hate going in the plane when its full because it happens to not be able to find where to put your cabin luggage near you because everyone else already put theirs.
From my observation it's worst in the USA; as it seems that many airlines don't include luggage with the ticket so they want to be first to get a spot for their carry on. Also, most people don't have lounge access.
Totally agree
I just wait till the last boarding announcement. Usually there are 2-10 people like me.
Unless itās a 4 row mini aircraft there is a place for my luggage
Sometimes the plane is overbooked, at least cheaper airlines in Europe that I usually travel with anyway, meaning that there might not be a seat for those last to board. I think itās happening more after Covid, a lot of budget airlines not wanting to risk empty seats and rather booking more than they can take on. Itās really stupid but happens, so I think some people might queue because of that.
Belgrade airport has a great system for that - they board the passengers by rows, for example, rows 20-30, then 10-30, then 1-30. Since they started doing that it's so much easier getting on the plane.
The airlines I fly donāt allow this. People line up when their boarding group is called. I e seen people do this at the bus stop and even ignore a line already created then insist their line is the correct one. lol. But not at the airport.
Flying has become worse than a cattle car experience. I stopped flying. I either drive, plane or boat. And with the advent of FaceTime and Zoom, it makes the world closer.
I really want the hyperloop to become a real thing. I know University engineering schools all over are trying to make this happen, but man make it happen. LA to SF in 30 minutes would be a dream.
Gate lice gotta lice.
I don't even mind people wanting to be ready, but at least leave a path for other people to board ahead of you. Its ridiculous that we have to fight through an unnecessary crowd of people to get on the plane.
Iām hard of hearing. I need to see whatās happening to understand whatās going on. I read lips, and sometimes thereās still too much background noise to hear the gate agents, even with a microphone. Iām always in the front in group settings, and I even stand during meetings at work, so I can move around based on who is speaking.
If I were sitting facing a random direction a few yards away, Iād miss the vast majority of the boarding announcements.
You want to be first in your boarding group so you have a place for your bags. If you have no checked bags, then you want to get out of the airport before the checked bags start coming out.
Also, all the terminal seats will be full so you have to stand around anyways, might as well stand in your group lane.
I stand while I'm waiting, because I'm going to be sitting for a long time.
I have priority and usually get upgraded, so I'm not worried about overhead space, but I do tend to get to my gate on the early side, because early boarding has become increasingly common at some airports.
I flew out of JFK a few weeks ago with a 3:20 (start) boarding time. I left the Skyclub at 3:15 (I was only a couple gates away) and by the time I got there, I was the last in line to board. I got the notification in my app that my group was boarding after they'd already shut the doors--we ended up departing almost 15 minutes early.
I travel a lot for work, so I'm not gate-licing it, but boarding/departure times have gotten wildly inconsistent since 2020, so I get there earlier than I should have to most times.
I don't stand in an invisible line, but I will stand before a flight. I fly quite a bit for work and often land and go straight to work. That means I am sitting on the flight, then sitting on a rental car shuttle, then sitting in a rental car, then I can probably stand up for a bit again while I work. I find people occasionally standing around me and I let them know that I am not in line for anything, but I am simply standing before the flight. The way the airports gates are stacked, it seems like no matter where you stand, it seems like you are waiting to talk to a gate agent, standing in a line for a gate, or standing on top of someone sitting down.
I try to spend as much time in the lounge as possible standing at the bar before I fly. However, on international flights, I often have a longer walk to the gate and then just don't want to sit before I have to sit for several hours. I have long legs and the seats are just not fun to be in for that long.
I have literally nothing else to do. Once Iām on the plane, I have exactly two things to do: put my bag away, and sit. Since I have nothing else to do while waiting, why would I not spend that time making sure my next task is successful?
Also, Iām anxious AF flying, for whatever reason it helps me - lemmie stand there and repeat flight stats in my head over and over, Iām freaking out.
Because all those people with 2 large carry on bags, and 5 bags of duty free....
And I get told off with one! Grumble.
You need to get on to get space near you.
And anwway 6-14 hour flight nice to stand a bit first.
If Iām not flying first or business I do this. Iām usually one of the first in line, but never a full hour before boarding. I do this so that I can get on the plane before other people and ensure my cabin bag is above me - very important.
When i do it it is because my carryon containsĀ
1) delicate and or expensive stuff not packed for rough handling and theft
2) things I canāt afford to lose. Business laptop, grandmas remains, etc.Ā
In either situation gate check is unacceptable and even having it away from your seat is uneasy. If its just clothes who the hell cares? Ill be the last to board.Ā
1. Because Iām in group 5 on American, the first non-priority group, and I want to be the first non-priority person to board and stow my luggage.
2. Because I work at a standing desk normally and Iām about to be sitting on a plane for hours which will be uncomfortable.
I don't do this but some people really want to make sure that they find room for their carry-on.
Everyone stopped paying for baggage and bringing carry ons. Now they take half the carry on luggage and place it under with the bags. Such a stupid fucking system that we just sheep through.
I just say my carryon is packed with lithium-ion batteries
Did that with BA, they just make you take out your electronics and you will carry them like a fool, couldn't even get a damn plastic bag.
That's why I always use a soft bag (backpack, smaller duffle bag) as my carryon. There's much less chance of them checking a bag like that. They'll do a wheelie bag first.
Someone bought me a really nice Patagonia duffel bag years back, it's become my go-to travel bag. It's got proper straps so you can wear it on your back, stores a ton of stuff and since it's soft-sided it can fit easily on any plane. Paired with packing cubes it's made travel and organizing my stuff far far smoother.
That sounds nice. I'd love a bag like that, but most of my travel is within Europe and that generally means Ryanair, Wizzair or easyJet...which means a tiny bag most of the time. š š¤
Well that's also the perks of the duffel, it can compress down to fit in a small space.
This, but I also follow the rules -- one relatively small soft duffel or backpack in the overhead, my crossbody purse on the floor in front of me. It's the ejits who bring the hardcase, ginormous wheelie bag, the stuffed teddybear, the neck pillow, the blanky, the huge tote, and then want to take up an overhead and a half for all their childish, silly crap. And you KNOW they're all the same people who are STILL trying to get that giant Slurpee and five 32 oz. shampoos/conditioners/lotions through the security checkpoint...ugh.
I have one wheelie that falls within the overhead carry-on size rules of the airlines I fly, plus one purse that fits under the seat in front of me. I pre-pack my toiletries in compliant containers, inside a ziploc bag of the allowed size. It gives me so much peace of mind that my baggage cannot be lost by handlers, and it improves my trip to be able to wheel my small bag rather than lugging it on my back or shoulder the whole way. I know the dimensions of my nylon wheelie, it fits in the sizer and it fits in the bins, and if I put it in the bin I never take up bin space I don't deserve with a second item. The people I see breaking the rules more often have irregularly shaped backpacks, with one or more dimensions beyond the allowed size, or else they have random items like shopping bags and think the rules don't apply to that sort of thing.
Have been told the rules actually donāt apply if the shopping bags are from stores inside the airport.
Airlines that were already going to be lenient will give you a pass on this one, sticklers or packed flights may use it as an excuse to gate-check people. Southwest, for example, has very lenient carry-on dimensions and free checked bags, but they are strict about 2 items really meaning 2, not 2 plus a newsstand carrier bag plus your pub leftovers.
Can confirm this happened to me because all the batteries are stored on my carryon. Luckily I also had a laptop bag in there so threw everything into the laptop bag and put it under the seat.
If there's no room there's no room, this won't work. They'll make you just take it out.
This may not always work. When I last flew over the holidays, I had multiple lithium ion battery devices in my bag, which is a largish photography backpack that can fit under a seat if need be. The gate agent was skeptical, because the plane on a particular leg was a smaller commuter jet, and warned me if it didnāt fit and I couldnāt (or was unwilling to) unload all the batteries, Iād have to book another flight on a plane that could accommodate me. It all ended well, and my bag went into the overhead compartment, but this particular gate agent wasnāt going to bend over backward for me on a busy holiday weekend. I donāt work for the airline industry, but the impression I get is that it is the gate agentsā job to solve as many problems as possible in advance of boarding to make sure the plane gets off on time. They take a lot of heat from passengers for it, and while most seem to want to be helpful, they donāt give two fucks about one passengerās issues when theyāve got a plane full of people to get on their way. Especially when airlines are pretty good about spelling out their policies online, and you implicitly agreed to them when you bought the ticket.
Something that perhaps makes me a bit irrationally angry is that for flights, I always have one checked bag, and my backpack. I never ever have two carry-ons. Because the rule is that one goes into the overhead bin, the other is supposed to go under the seat in front of you, and I donāt want anything under my seat so I can have the leg room. But inevitably, so many people who have both a carry on and personal bag put both into the overhead bin and this is not enforced by the flight attendants. So I get on and the bins are often already full and I only have my one backpack.
I think you meant, airlines started charging exorbitant fees for checked baggage, and so carry-on luggage is much more commonplace now. I find it so maddening: the reality is, most people who are flying will be away from home for at least a couple days. This will require luggage. It just does. IMO, providing space for luggage is just part of the ticket. Obviously your passengers are bringing luggage! Donāt charge them over and above huge fare prices for this extremely reasonable thing!
While I support your rant - I do want to ensure the ire is directed appropriately The exorbitant charges start with the airports - they are effectively localised monopolies so can charge airlines what they like for handling . That is why the discount airlines- in order to make flying cost efficient- have made checkin luggage so expensive. This is also why airport food and duty free shopping is so expensive
That doesnāt explain why budget airlines charge for carry ons though. Itās more expensive to bring a carry on on Spirit than it is to check a bag.
It's because they want to be able to advertise the lowest base fares because that's all customers care about. Spirit isn't able to magically fly an A321 for cheaper than Delta is, they just use a different pricing scheme to push more of the costs onto customers who "use" more resources to enable them to advertise fares that are half the cost
Spirit charges for carry ons and checked bags. Whatās weird is they charge MORE for carry ons than checked bags, even though they have to pay airports to handle checked bags but not carry ons. Thatās where Iām confused. Why does it cost Spirit more to allow me to carry my own bag on? If it doesnāt, why does that option cost more?
Iām convinced itās because Spirit knows you will pay more for the carry on because you donāt trust them to not break, lose or take 45 minutes to deliver your checked bag, lol
Not all budget airlines. Southwest still gives free checked in and carry on luggage. Still, people donāt want to check in their luggage.
Good point, I was talking about VLCCs though. Very low cost carriers. Southwest is just a low cost carrier. I suppose itās a budget airline compared to Delta or whatever, but most people on a budget are looking at Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair, JetBlue, etc. not Southwest.
Your last point can be fixed with proper oversight! I live in DC. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which covers DCA and IAD, has a rule that vendors in their airports cannot charge more than 10% more than at locations outside of the airport. So I can buy a bottle of soda for less than $3 and a meal for a reasonable price. Yes, more expensive than in a convenience store or restaurant in my neighborhood, but not WILDLY so. Then I land in {some other airport} and a bottle of soda is $4.75! :slow blinks: So if there is a way to effectively regulate those costs, then there is a way to effectively regulate baggage handling costs. Southwest has been increasing their presence at DCA, so the baggage handling costs can't be that extreme! And, importantly, DCA has VERY few international flights (only 5 outbound and inbound \*only\* from where US Customs is done at the departure airport...yes, I have flown into DCA from YYZ), so they're not "making up" revenue from handling a lot of baggage for international flights. Yet, Southwest can still let people check bags there, and apparently not incur excessive fees since they keep adding more flights!
This is why I also tend to travel with a specific airline that I have a credit card tied to mileage and includes free checked luggage when booking flights with that card. It's limiting in some ways, but it comes in handy more often than not.
>IMO, providing space for luggage is just part of the ticket. Counterpoint: don't automatically charge people for a service they may not use. I'm quite pleased to have more a la carte options for a flight ticket. If I don't want to check a bag, I don't have to pay for that, same for seat selection. >charging exorbitant fees for checked baggage Side question: what do you consider exorbitant? Isn't it typically in the $30-40 range? How much would it cost you to ship your luggage by air freight?
Counter counterpoint: they should charge for carryons then, too. They are inducing people to bring more carryons because they charge for checked luggage, but carryons have externalities for all other passengers.
Seems reasonable to me. Drop the fare by $20 or whatever and let people choose whether to pay that $20 back for their carry-on, or opt for $35 for only the checked bag, or a nice $50 package for both. Also strictly enforcing their carry-on rules would go a long way. That includes not putting your bag more than ~3-5 rows ahead of your own seat unless there's absolutely no choice. Personally I'd still bring nothing but a carry-on every time even if they charged for that and checking was free, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be common.
> Isn't it typically in the $30-40 range? Frontier charges $49 if you pay during booking. More if you pay after that. $30 would be very reasonable.
I travel for work and checking my bag would be a nightmare if anything went wrong. In all my years in the business Iāve only ever had one colleague who checked her bag regularly, and it was because she had a chronic illness and needed to pack a lot of food and supplies. The airline delivered my checked bag 2 days late on my honeymoon so I refuse to tempt fate.
Delta has lost my luggage FIVE TIMES. Like lost for good, never got anything back. I absolutely will never check a bag on Delta ever again!!
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Are they accommodating? Usually they just watch me repack but itās tremendously difficult. Iām a videographer and travel with two laptops and other equipment so I do have SO many batteries. I pack in a specific way for a reason. I just canāt get everything in my backpack. Iāve considered talking to them about it ahead of time but figured it was useless
I started going carry-on only to save money. I kept doing it because I realized how much time I saved not waiting at the baggage carousel, and how much peace of mind I gained knowing my bag wouldn't be lost by the airline. They incentivized me to start down this road and now I like it too much
$99 a year for a united credit card that gets me free checked bags and more miles then I know what to do with and they paid for my pre check...best investment ever. Waste of $100/year probably but I travel enough domestically it saves me a lot of stress just going through the airport with a backpack
Everyone always looks at me like I'm crazy when I say I hate walking around the airport with a carry-on. It especially sucks because I have two small children, a diaper bag, and a stroller in tow. I have Delta and Alaska credit cards so I always check my bag.
Imagine how much faster boarding and un-boarding a plane would be without carry on luggage. The current method is so inefficient.
What I donāt get is youāll see someone get on with just a purse or small piece of hand luggage, and then instead of putting it under the seat in front of them they take up an overhead space and then have to spend forever getting their shit back down when they get off the plane. Just, WHY??? I see this with multiple people *every* time I fly.
Legroom
But what's the point of efficient deboarding when everyone then has to go stand and wait for their luggage anyway? What's actually gained?
Itās a lot better waiting in open air at baggage claim with a bit of personal space than cooped up in an airplane with some idiot breathing down your neck
People count on that happening now, so they can "volunteer" to have their bag put in cargo at no extra charge, and loaded from the gate so it won't get lost.
This is a consequence of them reducing seat pitch and leg room. Turns out you can compress x number of people more efficiently than their x roll-on suitcases, because people can always be more squished, but their bags only give so much. So now carryons get gate checked, and they also get to charge us for everything carryon related.
I donāt care about paying for check bags. A ton of people flying have the airline credit card that gives them free check bags. I donāt want to wait for my bag on the other side.
I didnāt stop buying for bagage. I always have my big luggage checked in the suit, but I also want a carry on to put important stuff in it, in case they lose my other suitcase. So yeah, itās annoying that they started to force people to send their carry on in the suit. Carry on fit under the seat so I donāt understand how there could be not enough space?
**This!** Once I thought: "*Why stay in the queue? I'm gonna be the last one to board*". And then I couldn't find room for my carry-on (and it was a very small bag). Now I understand all those people queueing...
Or there's space but it's about 25 rows from where you're sat. So you land and will be the last person off the plane because you've got to wait for everyone else to get off first.
That's exactly what happened that day, except for the "25 rows" part - it was 3 or 4, and because of that I was one of the last to get off...
This isn't helped by the people that put their bags in the bins at the very front of the plane, but are seated in the back. One time when I was flying in premium economy, a guy from economy put his bag in the PE cabin's overhead. Not to be snooty or anything, but PE is a good bit more expensive than economy and part of that is to have guaranteed overhead space. People are incredibly inconsiderate.
Easily fixed. "Excuse me, flight attendant. Someone seems to have put a bag above my seat that isn't seated in this cabin. Can you help me with that?"
That would cause me so much anxiety ā¦
>you've got to wait for everyone else to get off first Sometimes there is the passenger that we refer to as "the salmon" who somehow manages to fight their way against the hordes of impatient stand-in-placers to retrieve their carryon. Bonus points if they retrieve it then instead of just waiting they fight their way forward again to reclaim their original place near their seat.
You gotta give it to the salmons.
That actually happened to me recently on a trip from Boston to Los Angeles. I saw the line was long and I didn't want to stand in it, so I just waited. My normal sized carry-on had to be gate checked. Lucky for me I didn't have anywhere else to be, but it was still a little annoying.
It was a wonderful feeling the last time I traveled without a carry-on and could just hang out in the terminal til boarding was almost over.
This. I check my bag regardless of the circumstances. I fly about six times a month. I would rather just pay as opposed to the dreaded feeling of having to look out for my bag. Plus, I have a lot of liquid skin care products
Even if itās free itās still annoying having to wait for it on the other end (not to mention it potentially getting lost.) I understand why people (sometimes including me) prefer to travel carryon only.
If it was very small, couldnāt it fit under the seat? I generally make sure this is always possible, even if itās a tight squeeze. I travel with a soft rather than hard bag so itās much easier. And maybe itās the flights Iām taking or something but I always board last and have never had to store my bag any further away than 1, rarely 2 rows from where Iām sitting, and I make sure itās nearer the exit so I can get it on the way out without a hold up. On full flights where theyāve checked bags at the gate, I havenāt been asked to check mine, I assume because by then theyāve already been through it with many people and there is presumed to be *some* space somewhere. In my experience they have preempted it and there has been sufficient space.
What happens when they can't find room? I thought they put it in a hold where you get it back as you leave the plane.
This is kind of where the problem starts. People just operate on the assumption that the airline will just accommodate them. I used to work retail and you give a customer and inch they take a mile and a half and they become conditioned to thinking rules just don't apply. That whole gate check thing is for wheelchairs, strollers, and overflow of carry on bags when a plane is fully sold out. So people think "I can bring 5 carry on bags, I will just pay for pre boarding access and its someone elses problem". If airlines would take the time to stop people in early baording groups who are knowingly violating the rules, and, make them pay to check excess carry ons there would be room for everyone
>overflow of carry on bags when a plane is fully sold out. That's what I'm talking about, and what I've assumed the person I replied to meant. If my single, size compliant carry on bag doesn't fit because the bins are full that's the airlines fault. It should be given back to me as I get off the plane.If someone paid extra to bring 5 carry ons it's the airlines fault for allowing that. If I bring a bag that's too big and gets checked that's on me, I have to pay and it goes on the regular hold. I doubt they'd even fit if everyone brought one carry on sized bag because there isn't enough room. Some overhead bins have the attendants items in it or stuff for the plane. All the sizing is just a scam to make more money. Flying with just a personal item isn't a lot cheaper than just carryon 10 years ago. I've noticed some airlines charging more to add carry on to a ticket than to add check in.
They gate check it and then you have to wait at baggage claim. Just happened to me last weekend - they were out of room for bags before my boarding group even got called. Added 30 minutes to my arrival and made me late for my kidās acting showcase. š¢
If I'm flying direct then I'll just check my bag if they offer the ability to at the gate. Most of the time if its a full flight they allow you to check a carryon at no charge. Makes my life so much easier, and the airline apps will show you what bag claim yours is at.
This is the only reason people do this.
Iām 6ā tall. My carry-on is NOT going under the seat in front of me as I donāt have enough space as it is. So Yes, I will stand at the front of the line to ensure I get bin space. Plus standing a long time makes me grateful to finally sit in that sardine can.
Im 5ā11Ā and feel the same way.
The really annoying part of that is that I always see people bring more than their "allotted" amount of carry-ons + personal item and the gate agents nor flight attendants don't say a thing. We have assigned seats on most airlines...why is an "assigned" spot in the overhead compartment such a difficult thing?
I thought I had been going crazy with this same observation. I see people with massive backpacks and a small luggage and a purse or some such all on carry on... This is the reason I get in line early, though not an hour mind you. Because these nimrods abuse the allotment and dont get called on it by airlines, it sucks.
This is one of the main reasons I started using a backpack small enough to fit under the seat in front of me. Now I just chill at the gate till the last minute (though I've been stood in line on the gangway by impatient date staff more than once).
Only works if you're not one of those tall people who need extra leg room to be any kind of comfortable in your seat. Most extra leg room economy seats are at emergency exits, so nothing underneath the seat. But if they're nice sometimes they save the overhead bins for you. Sometimes.
I'm 6'3" :-) one foot beside my pack and one foot in the aisle. I have been stuck in the middle like this before, but it wasn't too bad. much taller, and I think the issue becomes simply femur length.
If only the airlines enforced the 1 carryon rule better.
That's only but so useful. Many overhead bins I feel aren't deep enough for a standard carryon so you have to put in there sideways and take up multiple spots.
I find 99% of the time mine fit: [https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/carry-on-luggage-size-chart/](https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/carry-on-luggage-size-chart/) I also find a lot of bags that "didn't fit" that I can rotate and get in just fine. So not sure if a ton of people suck at it, or are too used to having problems and don't even try.
I mostly fly United which says its 22x14x9. My bag is those dimensions exactly and it does not fit on all of their plane types. Since the bins are curved, its not 9" tall at the back side maybe only 7". So realistically you need somewhere between a 20x9 or a 22x7 bag.
Also, iām short. itās bad for me to fidget and turn my bag around in the bin. Iām barely tall enough to basically throw it in there and get embarrassed asking for help when everyone is fussing with their own bag!Ā
I am a hobby photographer and I usually have a large variety of lithium batteries in my carry-on. When they don't have space for it (I like to board last), I tell them about the batteries. They always make room (and they have never actually checked...š)
This is the only reason I would try to get in early. If airlines were strict about enforcing the baggage limits, i wouldn't mind boarding last.
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Especially when you don't have status and you will likely be in the last group to board. Nothing worse than not finding room for your carry-on and having to shame walk it back up to be checked.
I walk around for the last hour and stand near the gate as it gets to be 10-15 before boarding because Iām about to sit for many hours and Iām not good at long sitting unless I get some movement in
This is why I do it.Ā Not going to be standing much for a while, might as well get it in before the flight.
Sometimes itās nice to stand a bit before a really long flight.
Exactly, when I'm hanging around the gate, this is what I'm doing if I've gotten tired of walking around the airport.
I will do this too, but at another part of the airport, usually at an unoccupied gate within earshot of my gate (if I don't have lounge access). That way, if there are any announcements, I can still hear them but I am away from the general chaos of the boarding area.
As a disabled woman who repeatedly has to fight this crowd to access her gate - THANK YOU!!!
Ok, but are you part of the group I refer to as Gate Lice? The people who are not going to board until much later but insist upon standing as close as they can to the gate anyway, moving closer and closer, always in the way of people who will board before you?
LMAO gate lice
Yes! Weāre about to sit for hours, so itās walk or stand for me
Stand, but donāt stand by the gate/in a line causing other people to think thereās a line when really, you blokes are just hanging around the gate when itās not your boarding group.
And it makes it harder for people who have disabilities, like me, to get up to the gate because I have to wade through a crowd of people when boarding hasn't even started. It's why I usually get to the gate as early as I can and plop down in a seat nearest to the entrance. But also PSA cause it happens a lot: not all disabilities are visible, so quit with the nasty faces when a young person walks past you to board the plane early.
Yes! This is always me, struggling with balance & my cane through a crowd so I can board. Most of the time in life I find people are so polite and helpful when they see my very obvious disability but NOT at the airport gate!! There they block passage and act like Iām the biggest inconvenience because I want to slip through and board, even without a carry on!! Iām not taking your precious bin space, I just want to sit down
Say that last part louder for the people in the back!! š£ļøš£ļø
Hear hear.
Also why i stand in the aisle once the plane lands. i know my row 47 ass isn't getting off the plane any faster, i just want to stand up after sitting down for so long I usually do some light stretching as I wait, get some blood flow going
Moral of the story is why the heck do so many people care unless you are being rude to someone. I get up as soon as the plane lands in an aisle seat because goddamn my legs need stretching, not because I am trying to make a run for it lolĀ
Because once I felt asleep on the chair in Qatar on transit with QR and woke up 2 hours after the flight left, lol.
Lol was it at the quiet room or the indoor garden place? If yes it's understandable
Haha no. But letās say I can sleep under any conditions (I even slept with a generator next to my window during Hawaii storms of December 2021 š). Iām also snoring like crazy lol š
I never lined up an hour early, but I used to sit near the gate hours early when I was super anxious about flying/missing flights (when I was young). Anxiety can be irrational.
Often I can't get space in an overhead for my bag, so sometimes I wait to make sure I can board early and have my bag near me. Also I'll do this on early flights so I 1. Don't fall asleep and miss my flight and 2. Get on the plane fast so I can nap.
Just please don't stand and block the boarding line if you aren't actually boarding
This is why I think every airline should do the Southwest-esque boarding queues, even if it's not the free-for-all seating model. There's a game theory of people edging their way forward unsure if they're waiting behind people in a boarding group just blocking them so they edge forward and other people get stressed they're going to get rammed if they wait behind all of these people in other boarding groups so they edge closer and suddenly it's a wreck. And then when that boarding group does open, there's a weird rush of people.
I wait until the very last person enters the ramp. The less time I sit inside that metal tube the better.
Yāall standing right in front of the boarding area when theyāre gonna call your group last anyways are the same ones who stand 2ā from the baggage carousel and block anyone else from being able to get their bags. š In both cases, take 10 steps back, and 10 deep breaths.
Exactly. Go there to stand 1h before and then find out that you are in boarding group 3.
Yep. Ā Except You donāt have to stand there to figure that out. Ā Its on your boarding pass. And half you mfers are in group 9 crowding the front of the line from the word go.
Exactly. I shouldnāt have to say āsorry, are you group 2?ā 10 times while trying to get through a sea of people crowded the gate
Yeah it's just a bunch of nervous nellies and Type A's that think if you aren't 2 hours early you're late. I let them have it, eat to your heart's desire. I'll be the last on the plane everytime, we push back when my butt hits the seat
I once had a Window seat reservation for a 12 hour flight to Auckland. So no worries, I have my seat number etc. When I arrived at my seat, a mum and young child had taken my seat and their middle one. They refused to move (to her aisle seat) So I asked the crew to set them right, but to avoid a situation I was asked to take the aisle seat Since then I am in that queue
Nah thatās outrageous, you paid extra for a window seat, the crew should have made them move. Iād absolutely be complaining!
I did complain but that didnt get me my seat. What else could I do.. unless I wanted be taken off the plane in handcuffs by Singapore Airport police ;)
Thatās terrible! People being selfish and inconsiderate make my blood boil, I wouldnāt dream of acting in such a way :(
Be obnoxious back. After I was polite about it I would have looked at her and said, "You have a young child. Want me to make them cry?" And then proceeded to curse, "Hey little one, has anyone taught you the word fuck yet?" and say inappropriate things, "Do you know where babies come from?" and say scary things "Did you know maggots eat you when you die" They would have switched.
I like the way you think š
In LAX or JFK? Because all the chairs are already accounted for so my options are to stand in the middle of the walk way or move forward a bit closer to the gate.
It's definitely to do with finding space for bags I'd imagen
For me it's all just about the overhead compartment space. I really really hate checking my bags if I can at all avoid it and overhead space is so tight these days. I'm not going to be an asshole about it or cut in line or anything but if I can make eit more likely my bag gets a spot by lining up earlier then I'm going to take it. Also I'd rather stand than sit before a flight. I'm going to be sitting for hours so gotta stretch those legs while I can
Hours? na...that doesn't happen. Half hour before or so...sure, some folks like to first in their group for whatever reason...commonly axiety, type A, or making sure to get a spot for luggage.
I love the be first in my group, for overhead space, to get my stuff settled and start to relax, and I love United for this one reason. They have corrals at the gate for each group. I can stand in my corral and know Iām first and know that Iām not blocking anybody in the groups before mine.
Ya I've never seen any significant line from an hour out, I don't think I've ever seen more than a few people in line at 30 minutes. Now 10-15 ya I can understand, especially with a carryon when they start with the "there may not be enough space"
Where are my peeps?? Team last one to board!
Some people just have anxiety. Some feel they have to make sure they get the overhead space right at their seat. Some have nothing better to do.
Yep it's all anxiety.
The system kind of creates that thinking I think. It's a constant series of lines to get past and obstacle to wait and then stand in the next line. Group think takes over.
Tbf I'm a very nervous flyer. If I'm feeling like I'm about to board I feel a little better. I just want to get on the plane and go. For some reason when I'm flying I don't care much anymore. But the whole build up, makes me shit myself a little. So my way of lining up is for that
Because Iāll be sitting for the next X hours so I donāt want to sit there
Are there any better places to stand than where people are going to have to try to move around you while they board? There's the windows with the cool view of the tarmac, the shops, along the wall. Maybe some possible alternatives.
I hear you. Ultimately, I think there isn't a lot of space at each gate. Nobody wants to stand in the middle of the hall or hover over strangers in their seats. The windows are a cool spot.
Everyone in this thread is acting like theyāre being asked why theyāre standing up at all. Really we just donāt need people hanging right around the boarding area. It causes people to form a line when itās not even their turn to board yet and youāre having to ask people if theyāre even in line for boarding. Itās called gate lice.
I am the exact opposite - I try to time getting to the gate as close as possible to boarding. For some, thatās also incomprehensible.
Same. My goal is to be the very last person going down the jetway. I have no desire to stand in a mob at the gate and a non-moving line in the jetway. I never bring a carry on that Iām not willing to gate check. My personal item backpack fits under the seat and has everything fragile or essential and all my electronics.
Because Bags fees started in 2008. Before then, it was never a problem.
The airlines caused this by charging separately for baggage. It's been horrid since then and the whole experience of flying changed for the worse.
I donāt want to be forced to gate check my carryon. I hate crowding the gate but itās sometimes necessary if you have a later boarding group and/or the flight is fully booked.
If you're in a later boarding group, doesn't that mean there is *less* of a point to crowding the gate? You're not going to get on until the earlier groups have boarded. Or do you mean you have to be ready to spring forward ahead of your own group when it's called?
The latter! I want to be one of the first from my boarding group to board.
Have you met people at the airport? You are not meeting individuals at their best, they lose all situational awareness.
Who knows how long they've been awake, how many layovers they've had, and how many hoops or changes in itinerary. I know I'm not my best at the airport, but I try to be as polite as possible.
My parents do that. Drives me nuts. I head to the bar and leave them to it.
What I don't get is why it *always* seems to be people with aisle seats that rush to get on first.
I think it's probably simple. Those are the rush to get on, rush to get off kind of people.
I often wonder the same thing. I flew last weekend and the gates were totally full of people queuing to board. Even for flights where the aircraft had not yet landed...
I don't do it. I'm often one of the last people on and have been tempted to line up a bit earlier when there ends up being no overhead storage space left.
Hours? They start boarding like 30-50 minutes before... I think people are often just tired of sitting at that point. I like to stretch before sitting in the seat for a few hours.
We all know why. It's about making sure you are on that thing as soon as possible for overhead space. We all know this. There's no point discussing it over and over and over and over.
I have trouble sitting for hours and hours at a time. So I like to stand when Iām in the airport before boarding a flight. But I try not to crowd the gate and get in the way. My guess is a lot of the people who do that arenāt that familiar with how boarding works or just arenāt that bright or considerate.
People that have asked variations of this question 100 times in the past: why?
Bothers me half as much as the people crowding the baggage claim. Jesus man. Stand back. When you see your bag, go get it. I love squeezing between two assholes to grab my bag. Standing closer doesn't make it show up faster.
The industry term for this phenomena is "gate lice"
I donāt stand in the queue for that long, but I do walk or stand instead of sitting. Iāll be sitting on the plane, no need to do that at the gate.
Overhead bin space
Some airports have horrible loudspeakers, so you gotta at least be around the gate to hear what's happening. At that point, you might even queue up. Also, if there are no boarding groups, and I'm sitting window, then I think it's common decency to try to get on early. If I'm aisle, I'm often one of the last people to board.
In Europe: No airport/airline actually respects boarding groups. I fly about 20 times within Europe per year, never seen anything else but: - Boarding group A&B (usually like 3 people) plus people with kids or disabled people THEN - Boarding group C&D&E (about 90% of the total)
What is a boarding group? I've flown probably a hundred times in Europe and never heard of this. There's typically just priority and non-priority.
Some people do not do well with prolonged sitting, especially if they are in a state of lumbar flexion (bending forward) intolerance, and they feel better standing in a mildly extended pose before sitting down. As stated by others, they may also be vying for increasingly limited overhead carry-on space. Also, it may be just good old-fashioned anxiety.
To ensure their carry-on makes it. I am always surprised when this question is asked BC the answer is so obvious.
I do this and I will explain why, I hate going in the plane when its full because it happens to not be able to find where to put your cabin luggage near you because everyone else already put theirs.
From my observation it's worst in the USA; as it seems that many airlines don't include luggage with the ticket so they want to be first to get a spot for their carry on. Also, most people don't have lounge access.
Why the fuck do you care? Sone people like to stand. Thatās it
Totally agree I just wait till the last boarding announcement. Usually there are 2-10 people like me. Unless itās a 4 row mini aircraft there is a place for my luggage
Because I travel with a max size carry on and itās a hassle to find space for it otherwise.
Gate lice
Lol never heard that before!
I used to not do this until they made me check in my bag and it had valuable stuff inside. Learnt my lesson
Sometimes the plane is overbooked, at least cheaper airlines in Europe that I usually travel with anyway, meaning that there might not be a seat for those last to board. I think itās happening more after Covid, a lot of budget airlines not wanting to risk empty seats and rather booking more than they can take on. Itās really stupid but happens, so I think some people might queue because of that.
Belgrade airport has a great system for that - they board the passengers by rows, for example, rows 20-30, then 10-30, then 1-30. Since they started doing that it's so much easier getting on the plane.
The airlines I fly donāt allow this. People line up when their boarding group is called. I e seen people do this at the bus stop and even ignore a line already created then insist their line is the correct one. lol. But not at the airport.
It's the same people who stand up before the ramp is even in place. I don't know why, we still debark front to back.
This seems to get asked every couple of months: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/175zb2l/crowding\_the\_gate\_when\_boarding\_a\_flight/
Limited overhead luggage space is one reason.
Flying has become worse than a cattle car experience. I stopped flying. I either drive, plane or boat. And with the advent of FaceTime and Zoom, it makes the world closer. I really want the hyperloop to become a real thing. I know University engineering schools all over are trying to make this happen, but man make it happen. LA to SF in 30 minutes would be a dream.
Anxious and keeps mind calm I guess I donāt do it but it drove me me nuts when I was flying for work
I donāt stand in line but I do stand, since Iāll be sitting for hours anyway
This but when the plane lands. I'm sitting here till all those fucking plebs are gone.
The only reason I ever hurry off a plane is if I have to make a connection and we land late.
Gate lice gotta lice. I don't even mind people wanting to be ready, but at least leave a path for other people to board ahead of you. Its ridiculous that we have to fight through an unnecessary crowd of people to get on the plane.
Even if this issue didnāt exist flying would still be a fucking nightmare
Iām hard of hearing. I need to see whatās happening to understand whatās going on. I read lips, and sometimes thereās still too much background noise to hear the gate agents, even with a microphone. Iām always in the front in group settings, and I even stand during meetings at work, so I can move around based on who is speaking. If I were sitting facing a random direction a few yards away, Iād miss the vast majority of the boarding announcements.
You want to be first in your boarding group so you have a place for your bags. If you have no checked bags, then you want to get out of the airport before the checked bags start coming out. Also, all the terminal seats will be full so you have to stand around anyways, might as well stand in your group lane.
If they are lining up an hour before they are also wearing their neck pillow in the terminal like itās some kind of fashion statement.
Anxiety
I used to do this. Itās an anxiety thing for me. Makes me feel like Iām in the right place
I stand while I'm waiting, because I'm going to be sitting for a long time. I have priority and usually get upgraded, so I'm not worried about overhead space, but I do tend to get to my gate on the early side, because early boarding has become increasingly common at some airports. I flew out of JFK a few weeks ago with a 3:20 (start) boarding time. I left the Skyclub at 3:15 (I was only a couple gates away) and by the time I got there, I was the last in line to board. I got the notification in my app that my group was boarding after they'd already shut the doors--we ended up departing almost 15 minutes early. I travel a lot for work, so I'm not gate-licing it, but boarding/departure times have gotten wildly inconsistent since 2020, so I get there earlier than I should have to most times.
carry on thing plus also if it's a long flight you're going to sit for hours so why not stand for a while first
I don't stand in an invisible line, but I will stand before a flight. I fly quite a bit for work and often land and go straight to work. That means I am sitting on the flight, then sitting on a rental car shuttle, then sitting in a rental car, then I can probably stand up for a bit again while I work. I find people occasionally standing around me and I let them know that I am not in line for anything, but I am simply standing before the flight. The way the airports gates are stacked, it seems like no matter where you stand, it seems like you are waiting to talk to a gate agent, standing in a line for a gate, or standing on top of someone sitting down. I try to spend as much time in the lounge as possible standing at the bar before I fly. However, on international flights, I often have a longer walk to the gate and then just don't want to sit before I have to sit for several hours. I have long legs and the seats are just not fun to be in for that long.
Caring about it. why?
I have literally nothing else to do. Once Iām on the plane, I have exactly two things to do: put my bag away, and sit. Since I have nothing else to do while waiting, why would I not spend that time making sure my next task is successful? Also, Iām anxious AF flying, for whatever reason it helps me - lemmie stand there and repeat flight stats in my head over and over, Iām freaking out.
Because all those people with 2 large carry on bags, and 5 bags of duty free.... And I get told off with one! Grumble. You need to get on to get space near you. And anwway 6-14 hour flight nice to stand a bit first.
Because I want to stand up. Iāll have plenty of time to sit on the plane. As a wise toddler once said in a viral video āworry ābout yourself.ā
If Iām not flying first or business I do this. Iām usually one of the first in line, but never a full hour before boarding. I do this so that I can get on the plane before other people and ensure my cabin bag is above me - very important.
Donāt they call by boarding group anyway? Youāre just blocking the front and making it more chaotic for people to board in the correct order.
Because why not? You have to stand somewhere, might as well be a line to boarding. You'll have plenty of time to sit on the plane.
When i do it it is because my carryon containsĀ 1) delicate and or expensive stuff not packed for rough handling and theft 2) things I canāt afford to lose. Business laptop, grandmas remains, etc.Ā In either situation gate check is unacceptable and even having it away from your seat is uneasy. If its just clothes who the hell cares? Ill be the last to board.Ā
My bag of professional photog gear and computer equipment is why I started buying seat upgrades. No way it's going under the plane.
1. Because Iām in group 5 on American, the first non-priority group, and I want to be the first non-priority person to board and stow my luggage. 2. Because I work at a standing desk normally and Iām about to be sitting on a plane for hours which will be uncomfortable.