Queuing for the priority queue? What the?

[marki]

Yes, so I am enjoying a night's accomodation and a few drinks at AA's expense.

But I think we are getting OT.

OT means On Topic .... Right

 

[Jurahn]

I did have 2 hours, but it shrank a bit!

We just got back from Sweden yesterday and had a very tight connection at FRA, which had "shrunk" to be even tighter when LH changed the departure time of our ARN-FRA flight twice, and left us with only 1 hour to connect to our FRA-SIN flight. After transiting through FRA for the first time ever on the way there (and thinking, cr*p, this is a confusing airport to find your way around - not to mention the seemingly never-ending passport control and security checks), then finding the ARN-FRA was almost always late, also not being able to select seats for that flight either (booked with SQ but operated by LH, so no seat selection for you) and envisioning us being allocated seats right at the back of the plane and taking forever to disembark, made me sure that we'd NEVER make the connection.

We were actually given seats near the front of the economy cabin, but then the connection shrunk even further when we were delayed leaving ARN, arriving at FRA 25 mins late AND at a bus gate out on the apron, and I thought oh hell, that's it. Not sure whether it was LH or SQ or a combination of both with the arrangements at FRA, but amazingly, we made the flight. There was a bus with a "minder" waiting specifically for us and 2 other pax for the SQ flight and it whisked us away to a network of road tunnels underneath the terminal - off the bus, through passport control, back on the bus, driven back out on the tarmac again all the way across to the SQ plane - our minder then shepherded us up several flights of stairs to the gate, out through the gate, hand passports and boarding passes over for checking, back to the gate, scanned the boarding pass - *beep* (and not the upgrade type either!). "Can you just take your passports and luggage stubs over to my colleague please", handed those over, type type type she went, back to the gate, scanned the boarding pass - *beep* again, message "not boarded - seating issue" comes up on the screen for both of us. Dammit, they've given away our (paid for) exit row seats, I thought. But no, a bit more typing on the computer by one of the other CSOs at the counter, and we were through and finally in our seats with 8 minutes to spare. WHEW!! Unfortunately as the compartment above us was completely filled with infant life vests and (being very late to board) all the other compartments were chock full (thanks to - as per Juddles' post - people bringing multiple carry-on items, especially large roller cases), so had to put our hand luggage some rows back, which of course delayed us considerably when getting off the plane in SIN, but we were happy just to have made the flight, as we didn't want to get stranded in FRA for another 12-24 hours. Even happier when it turned out our bags had made the connection as well, and dutifully turned up in the first 5 minutes or so of waiting at the baggage carousel in PER just after midnight!

Anyway, back OT .

 

[medhead]

Just two points I will make, (acknowledging in advance they are just my opinion)

1.- As for the rush to board to find space for carryon luggage, this is a result of people carrying more and more stuff on board. I do on many occasions travel HLO but I also believe that those attempting to travel HLO cause half the problem of lack of locker space! I tend to travel in business, and these days it is these pax I often see with the maximum size roller, a second carry bag, and a laptop, etc.

Agree. I travel with a 105cm bag and a laptop bag 98% of the time. Both are also within the 7kg weight limit. Some of the monstrous hand luggage others have is a disgrace. But then that doesn't stop me needing to get on board early to make sure my legal hand luggage makes the overhead near me.

2.- As far as jumping up as soon as the light goes off, I am sorry, but I will disagree with the sanity of this until the end of time! There is just no reasonable way of describing this as anything but an irrational herd-mentality, herd-learnt behavior. It is aquired by passengers when they start to fly. Standing up as soon as allowed does not get you off the plane any quicker (maybe you may squeeze past one or two out of the 300 pax in the plane, and doing so probably involved you forcing your bodily proximity on them to an extent which you would never dream of inflicting in any other public space)

That's a relief to know that I don't know my own body at all. That I don't have to deal with a 1 in a million condition that has plagued me for most of my life. I'm actually reacting to a Pavlovian behavioural response. Thanks for the enlightenment.

 

[Quickstatus]

Agree. I travel with a 105cm bag and a laptop bag 98% of the time. Both are also within the 7kg weight limit. Some of the monstrous hand luggage other have is a disgrace. But then that doesn't stop me needing to get on board early to make sure my legal hand luggage makes the overhead near me.



I'm actually reacting to a Pavlovian behavioural response.

Pavlov's experiment is validated on airplanes. Passengers have long associated the seat belt off with getting off the airplane - so they stand up!. I dont recall any salivating though.....Still nothing wrong with standing up as a reflex....

 

[medhead]

Pavlov's experiment is validated on airplanes. Passengers have long associated the seat belt off with getting off the airplane - so they stand up!. I dont recall any salivating though.....Still nothing wrong with standing up as a reflex....

Well there are a few people who jump up when the bell dings for the rear door FA to tell the CSM the doors are disarmed. I'm just not one of them.

 

[Simo]

I am a shocker... I hate hanging around the gate. I also don't like window seats on short flights as I just want to get over and get to work...

 

[ap_spd]

on 737 / E90 flights I prefer the last row aisle seat; board late so no need to line up at priority line, middle seat mostly empty as for some reason people still want 3B/3D instead of 29B and then if luck has it get off the plane real quick as well.

 

[medhead]

on 737 / E90 flights I prefer the last row aisle seat; board late so no need to line up at priority line, middle seat mostly empty as for some reason people still want 3B/3D instead of 29B and then if luck has it get off the plane real quick as well.

Great option for those who can use stairs easily.

 

[Warks]

on 737 / E90 flights I prefer the last row aisle seat; board late so no need to line up at priority line, middle seat mostly empty as for some reason people still want 3B/3D instead of 29B and then if luck has it get off the plane real quick as well.

I tried that once not long ago and was treated to "Odor de Toilette" for most of the flight. Never again.

 

[JohnK]

OT means On Topic .... Right

It also means Off Topic....

 

[G00r]

Equally as interesting is when you stand back at any train platform.
Most train services are of uniform carriage configuration, 4 or 8 cars, doors at either end of each carriage.
People will spread out along a platform while waiting, but as soon as a train approaches, everyone starts to walk forward.
Why!
It isn't a case of all the doors being at one end or another. . There's no good end or bad end.
If you wanted to board 'at that spot', why didn't you move there beforehand?

Stand, wait for it to stop, move to closest door n board.

Thank you to all those who queue and board early. I personally very much enjoy a last minute dash from the bar (at final boarding call) straight to my assigned seat as watching unintelligible sheep show no consideration (take one step laterally to let others pass while you sift through your luggage!) for fellow travelers during regular boarding, stresses me out.

 

[Warks]

During my longish wait to board this week I thought I'd grab a couple of photos to compare.
It's not quite a queue as people stand back about 2m from the gate but might as well be.



Meanwhile over at no priority:

[tumbleweeds]

Interestingly I used to see people queuing at the ordinary gate but no one at the priority gate. Somewhere it got switched.

On this particular flight even if I'd waited to be last to board I still would have spent 90 minutes on board before take-off!

 

[Moody]

Overnight stays I cope with a spare shirt + socks/jocks/toiletries crammed into my laptop bag. Not so concerned about early PB. Multiple nights means a small wheelie bag in addition. In that case I tend to leave the lounge a few minutes before boarding and am keen to get on earlyish so that I can get both bags + suit jacket above me.

Now for the off-topic bit about de-planing.

I select as forward aisle as I can get with my status, which is rows 5-7 on a 737. I stand up like Pavlov's Dogs because it takes me a few minutes to get my jacket on and bags down and small items squared away and phone checked .... by which time we are off.

When I have to wait for colleagues further down the back of the plane it becomes crystal clear why this is a smart move, as I have waited up to 10 minutes for my loser mates to join me. That is because the apathetic (but definitely not stupid) plebs down the back have no idea how to efficiently get off the plane. It's like they love queuing. Weird!

 

[WethereX]

Business pax should get first dibs,,, then FFers, then the rest,,, sick of the Priority scrum at the gates, especially SYD to anywhere,,,, its nuts. I just wait till just on departure time and head to the gate,,, only had them calling me once. then mosy into the J cabin.

 

[ap_spd]

I remember from last weeks trip from Melbourne. A long line at Priority Boarding lane and as soon as the announcement to board was called everyone rushed towards the General boarding lane which was originally empty.. Maybe something is observed elsewhere ?

 

[Milefest]

Business pax should get first dibs,,, then FFers, then the rest,,, sick of the Priority scrum at the gates, especially SYD to anywhere,,,, its nuts. I just wait till just on departure time and head to the gate,,, only had them calling me once. then mosy into the J cabin.

Fragmenting the boarding process into too many stages will increase the boarding time.