How long does it take to disembark?

[Duffa]

Having noted the obsession with row 6 in multiple discussions about the best seats, I deliberately chose a seat right at the back of my QF flight from Melbourne to Canberra (Row 59, I think) last week. Just to see how long it would take to get out!
And how long was I delayed from the time of door opening? A massive 4 minutes! And that was despite waiting for all those "sitters", who don't get up until the 6 seats in front of them have cleared and then proceed to get their hand luggage down and put on their coat before moving off.

So, if you row 6'ers are running your business lives with a four minute error margin then I might ask Drron to send you some Valium.

 

[nlagalle]

So, if you row 6'ers are running your business lives with a four minute error margin then I might ask Drron to send you some Valium.

Try queuing for a cab behind those 50 odd rows of people now in front of you.. Then you'll see the benefit

 

[wallacej]

Row 59, i thought they only run the 700's out of and to cbr, only 30 rows or less from memory.

And if you went virgin, you would get out the back door and often beat the first six rows into the terminal

sent from the place closest to the airport I just arrived at.

 

[Duffa]

Try queuing for a cab behind those 50 odd rows of people now in front of you.. Then you'll see the benefit

Point taken.
But I can knock off 15 of those rows with a brisk walk from the gate, another 20 at the luggage carousel and 10 rows who are getting in to their cars. So now I'm only 8 rows behind you! Breathing heavily and sweating profusely, I'll admit, but only 40 seconds back!

 

[Duffa]

Row 59, i thought they only run the 700's out of and to cbr, only 30 rows or less from memory.

What was I thinking? Of course it was row 29, not 59. Sorry.
So that makes me even closer to that cab!!

 

[wallacej]

Too funny great entertainment at this time of day

sent from the place closest to the airport I just arrived at.

 

[Ewing]

Row 59, i thought they only run the 700's out of and to cbr, only 30 rows or less from memory.

QF run a 763 from MEL on some weekday mornings.

And I agree with nlagalle. I wouldn't want to be waiting in that taxi rank behind a 763 worth of pax.

 

[nlagalle]

Row 59, i thought they only run the 700's out of and to cbr, only 30 rows or less from memory.

And if you went virgin, you would get out the back door and often beat the first six rows into the terminal

sent from the place closest to the airport I just arrived at.

QF don't have any '700's...

 

[simongr]

Excellent - happy for you to spread this message to as many people as you can - the fewer people chasing the front rows the better.

 

[beardoc]

I tend not to worry about the front rows in economy - instead I aim for the exit rows. A little further back, and I can get some space. I like the exit row chat too. Often the FA has a little chat about things other than the safety brief, so it's enjoyable.

 

[simongr]

Also row 4 on the 73x has a LOT of leg room...

 

[ashleyn]

Point taken.
But I can knock off 15 of those rows with a brisk walk from the gate, another 20 at the luggage carousel and 10 rows who are getting in to their cars. So now I'm only 8 rows behind you! Breathing heavily and sweating profusely, I'll admit, but only 40 seconds back!

Nice work Duffa, also for those folks who stress about how long they sit at a particular red light and maybe run the light because they hate to wait, time it next time and you might just find that the wait was around 2 minutes. Is your life so frantic and stressful that you can't wait a couple of minutes ?
Back on post, let the pax in the row in front take the time to gather all their cough and kids and whatever and go before you, you'll have wasted another 45 seconds of your life but feel good about it. Perhaps even help someone get their 15kg bag from the overhead (hmm, not sure about that one). Then as Duffa says, if it's really killing you, go the sprint up the race and get back that 45 seconds.

 

[harvyk]

Being closer to the front and HLO means that you can be out the door of the airport in a few minutes and thus it can be the difference between just making an airport bus / train or missing it. It also puts you in a better position in the taxi queue which can make a big difference with the big birds. Can also put you in much better positon in the customs queues when flying internationally (assuming no express pass)

So its not so much being first off the plane as it's been first in the queues at your destination.

Such differences can easily add to making the process half an hour quicker depending on how well the airport is set up. (based on my own experience and timings)

 

[medhead]

I've timed this a few times, being at the gate when a late 737 has arrived and it has taken roughly 10 minutes between the first and last passenger to get off.

In sydney the difference between gate 7 and 2 can mean the difference between getting this train or the one in 5 or 10 minutes, which is the difference between getting the connecting train now or in 5 to 10 minutes, which turns into a 30+ minute difference getting to work.

I'm just not interested in 4 or 10 minutes delays. Plus row 4 = good leg room.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Simo]

Too long sometimes.

I also hate how some people put there luggae 10 rows behind them then get other paxs to pass it all down and say be careful don't tip it...

 

[drewbles]

What was I thinking? Of course it was row 29, not 59. Sorry.
So that makes me even closer to that cab!!

Try the rear row on a 747, or a 767. Your 4 minutes will increase significantly. Add in the flight arriving at a gate close to the kerbside exit. That wipes off all your fast walking advantage. Add in an elderly couple or people with children trying to deplane.

There's a lot of good reasons to not want to be down the back of the bus

 

[eastwest101]

An entertaining thread - as others have noted - assuming hand luggage only - its really all about what (if any) queue you are trying to beat - customs (if international), priority baggage (futile/fail) or often the next plane/train/bus or the front vs the back of a taxi queue. The more familiar you are with the destination the more you know about what happens getting off the plane, especially with tight connections!

Sometimes its nice to be able to take your time and be the last off as you can chat with the crew.

Its a shame that in the airports where they do have rear stairs that it is so hit & miss about how quickly or if at all you can exit the rear door of a single aisle aircraft. If there is a good chance of it happening I often choose the back as it is less crowded and quicker to get out in some places. Exit row usually beats the front rows of Y in my opinion though.

 

[JohnK]

I think you were extremely lucky.

I have been in row in 7 or 8 and it has taken at least 5 minutes do disembark.

There have also been many times where I am in row 4 and have got out of the aircraft fairly quickly and find no one behind me in the aerobridge. And when disembarking in BNE on a Sunday night at gates 16-21 sometimes I am almost at the Qantas Lounge and look behind and can only see one or 2 people behind me. Where are the others? Looking for their carry on and holding everyone up.

But yes I do understand your point. A few minutes here or there and I miss the airtrain and wait another 30 minutes to go on top of the already delayed arrival.

Can we pleave leave the rows at the front for those who actually care about getting out quickly?

 

[RickyT84]

Its a shame that in the airports where they do have rear stairs that it is so hit & miss about how quickly or if at all you can exit the rear door of a single aisle aircraft. If there is a good chance of it happening I often choose the back as it is less crowded and quicker to get out in some places. Exit row usually beats the front rows of Y in my opinion though.

I find the use of real stairs (on JQ at least) depends on a) the weather, b) the time of the flight and c) how quickly they want to turnaround the aircraft.

In respect of a), it is clear that if the weather is nasty, the rear stairs are not used. In respect of b), I find it if the flight arrives late in the evening, at least in MEL, rear stairs are not used.

I still prefer the seats toward the front, as other posters have pointed out, the 1/2 mins delay in the aisle could mean missing the train/bus when you leave the airport.

 

[Awesom Andy]

So while you are sweating and breathing heavily, waiting in the taxi queue, I'm already in the taxi. I think I'll stick to row 4-6.