Does Delta allow preboarding with kids?

[crashbb]

If only your situation was the majority then it would dawn on the airline (i.e. won't be decided upon tomorrow) that letting kids preboard would be a good idea.

You statement makes no sense. The fact that many/most airlines have done away with pre-boarding for children would indicate that the PP's situation is NOT the majority.

Since most planes board from the front but have the rows at the back board first, there shouldn't be many people sitting in front of one's row when one boards (even if without pre-boarding), assuming one doesn't board at the end of their group. There will be some (frequent flyers, people with mobility issues, etc.) but there shouldn't be many.

 

[crashbb]

Extra time to board and get settled, unlike vehicular right of way at an intersection, is quietly taken and used, not given or proffered.

I'm sure airlines would beg to differ. They get to choose to whom and when they would like to GIVE pre-boarding. It is not up to a passenger to decide to TAKE unoffered pre-boarding. Unless they choose to only fly airlines/routes on which pre-boarding is offered.

 

[seashoreCM]

I'm sure airlines would beg to differ. They get to choose to whom and when they would like to GIVE pre-boarding. It is not up to a passenger to decide to TAKE unoffered pre-boarding. Unless they choose to only fly airlines/routes on which pre-boarding is offered.

Psst! I didn't say "pre-boarding".

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

This really belongs on the Parallel Universe board rather than the Families board. Perhaps we can get a moderator to move it.

The reason why children preboard is to speed up the overall boarding process (if it does).

The reason why children are denied preboarding is to speed up the overall boarding process (if it does).

I would not rush things and work up a sweat just because the business travelers who say they can be seated quicker than all those families and squalling children failed to hustle themselves so there would be more time when your turn came. And, please take it easy so you don't hit people on the head down the aisle.

If only your situation was the majority then it would dawn on the airline (i.e. won't be decided upon tomorrow) that letting kids preboard would be a good idea.

Extra time to board and get settled, unlike vehicular right of way at an intersection, is quietly taken and used, not given or proffered.

 

[bavaria]

Honestly, no - there is no reason that I should board first. Unless it looks like everyone else is traveling as a pack mule and fear that they'll be no room in the overhead bin, I am quite happy to board near the end.

And, the airline(s) I mainly fly do think I should be able to board first - I just rarely make use of the "honour".

I should have clarified - while most people may qualify for some form of pre-boarding/early boarding, most choose to board with their zone or after their zone. I could usually claim to fall within 2-3 categories but I usually wait til the end to board.

If only your situation was the majority then it would dawn on the airline (i.e. won't be decided upon tomorrow) that letting kids preboard would be a good idea.

Extra time to board and get settled, unlike vehicular right of way at an intersection, is quietly taken and used, not given or proffered.

Pardon my ESL skills, but if you are saying that people should board ahead of their zone, I do not recommend doing this. (If that is not what you are saying, perhaps someone could clarify this for me)

I have several times pointed out that on UA when people try and board ahead of their zone, the GAs will send those people to the very back of the line, so someone holding a zone 2 boarding pass may find themselves boarding with zone 4.

 

[lillykat]

We flew with DD when she was 15 months last Sept/Oct with Delta. We flew from LGA if that makes any difference. They had NO problem with allowing my DH to preboard with our car seat so he could install it and I boarded with DD when our row was called. It may depend on how many people are trying to preboard at the time to whether they allow it or not. They allowed us to do the same thing on the return flight as well.

 

[crisi]

I should have clarified - while most people may qualify for some form of pre-boarding/early boarding, most choose to board with their zone or after their zone. I could usually claim to fall within 2-3 categories but I usually wait til the end to board.

It seems like more and more people are starting to think that being "last on" is as much a benefit as being "first on" - the group of hangers back (which has always been noticeable on a primarily business flight) seems to be getting larger and larger. Some airlines are boarding first class (I when I fly first class, I really don't mind sitting in that seat early, and getting my beverage before we even pull out from the gate - but then, when I fly first class its always an upgrade on a business trip and I don't have my kids with me), then priority, then everyone else in one big call and I suspect it has to do with so many people ignoring their "early call" zone for a later one. I wonder if eventually the airlines will have to undertake something to pull out of the gate on time for all the folks who want to get on after everyone else boards.

 

[bavaria]

I don't know which airlines you fly, but UA has a very strictly enforced boarding process, and I applaud them for it. There is a GA at ORD who starts the announcements early and very diplomatically tells passengers that the rules are the rules, and he does enforce them. He has received a number of GTEMs from me as a result.

UA also uses magic carpet boarding as do most of the other airlines I fly, and this seems to reduce some of the entitlement issues as it makes it a clear definition between those with boarding priveleges and 'regular' boarders. If a magic carpet boarder chooses to board during general boarding, general boarding is stopped until the magic carpet boarder clears. It is as simple as the GA saying 'excuse me' to the regular boarding, turning to the magic carpet boarder, scanning their pass, and then returning to regular boarding.

I don't see issues with people boarding near the end - someone has to be last, and often it is someone coming off another connection. On my flights the people boarding at the end are not holding up flights; the vast majority of my UA flights this year departed the gate on time or even early.

I suspect that on American domestic flights there will always be enough people wanting to board early who offset those who choose to allow others that option.

 

[crashbb]

I must say that I have never seen people hanging back long enough to cause a problem. They may join the end of the line once the line gets short, but they are still joining a line (meaning that there is still a fairly steady flow of passengers onto the plane). Once boarding starts, people around the gate all seem to get ready to board.

This, of course, does not include the idiots who decide to stop for one last drink/purchase/snack and show up at the gate after everyone else has boarded.

 

[crisi]

I must say that I have never seen people hanging back long enough to cause a problem. They may join the end of the line once the line gets short, but they are still joining a line (meaning that there is still a fairly steady flow of passengers onto the plane). Once boarding starts, people around the gate all seem to get ready to board.

This, of course, does not include the idiots who decide to stop for one last drink/purchase/snack and show up at the gate after everyone else has boarded.

I haven't seen it to the point where its a problem. But someone gets to be first, someone gets to be last, and a whole lot of us need to be in the middle. I'm just wondering if the secret is out on "last one on wins" - and if that is going to cause problems in the longer term.

And why do those last second idiots always come on carrying a bag that BARELY would fit in an empty overhead. Then need to find a spot in a full overhead for their carryon? Last flight I took we were delayed ten minutes because the last person to board had a carryon that wouldn't fit. The FA finally found a spot for it, and the biggest guy on the plane pushed it it - I'm not sure her suitcase made it unscathed.

 

[kevschickee]

I don't know which airlines you fly, but UA has a very strictly enforced boarding process, and I applaud them for it. There is a GA at ORD who starts the announcements early and very diplomatically tells passengers that the rules are the rules, and he does enforce them. He has received a number of GTEMs from me as a result.

UA also uses magic carpet boarding as do most of the other airlines I fly, and this seems to reduce some of the entitlement issues as it makes it a clear definition between those with boarding priveleges and 'regular' boarders. If a magic carpet boarder chooses to board during general boarding, general boarding is stopped until the magic carpet boarder clears. It is as simple as the GA saying 'excuse me' to the regular boarding, turning to the magic carpet boarder, scanning their pass, and then returning to regular boarding.

I don't see issues with people boarding near the end - someone has to be last, and often it is someone coming off another connection. On my flights the people boarding at the end are not holding up flights; the vast majority of my UA flights this year departed the gate on time or even early.

I suspect that on American domestic flights there will always be enough people wanting to board early who offset those who choose to allow others that option.

Really who has a sense of entitlement?

 

[PlutoPony]

Really who has a sense of entitlement?

Well, to qualify for Premier Status on UAL (i.e. red carpet treatment) you have to fly 25k miles or 30 segments in a calendar year. That's a LOT of flying, and most of time these are not booked as the low fares. If you're an airline, bleeding red ink, my guess is you'll want to do what you can to make those fliers continue to use your airline - that's just good business sense.

You probably wouldn't go out of your way to give someone who flies once/year and paid say $200 the same benefits. That's not a personal slap at anyone, but rather "business 101" so to speak.

Edited to add: I might be wrong on Premier getting the "red carpet treatment" - didn't UAL change their FF tiers? It may now take Premier Executive (50k miles) or 1K (100,000 miles annually) for that perk. Any way you look at it, flying that much means you're probably away from home a whole lot more than I want to be so getting a few perks would be nice imo

 

[seashoreCM]

For all (spelled "omnibus" in Latin) including those for whom English is a scond language ...

It is courteous not to deliberately hang back and board at the very end knowing you will need extra time to get settled. Instead ask the gate agent early in the game if you can board early so he can appraise the situation and decide whether your pre-boarding will help him. Whatever he says, you comply with. Then when you get on board, go about your normal business, correction go about your business normally, getting settled.