Standing in line if you have assigned seats???!!

[maps]

We've been flying SWA for a few years and so I was happy recently to fly US Airways and have assigned seats.

However, at the airport, when it was time to board, masses of people hoarded to just in front of the door. Why??

My husband nervously asked if I was sure I had a seat assignment and even I started questioning myself. But no, our zone was called and we had to push through all these people in order to get on. This happened both ways.

Am I missing something?

The only rationale I could come up with is that they wanted overhead storage ( I couldn't believe some of the bags being brought on).

Why would people stand in line if they have assigned seating? Just curious.

Thanks

 

[bavaria]

It happens on pretty much every flight I am on (and I fly every other week.) Definitely an overhead bin space, and until airlines crack down on fliers taking the kitchen sink on board, I think that it will continue to be a struggle.

United does a great job of boarding by status and then by section, and the gate agents will often loudly reject someone who tries to push ahead if their section hasn't been called. They get sent to the back of the line....

Having said that however, I am really tired of getting pushed out of the way by male business travellers who seem to have a hard time believing that a youngish looking female could be an elite flier/business class flier as I board with the elite group.

My recent trip home to Germany was the worst - even with a seperate business class line, people were physically pushing each other through the turnstiles, and this with preboarding starting one hour before flight time. Absolutely unnecessary....

 

[DebbieB]

It's the overhead storage. Everyone wants to get on so that they can find spots for all their bags. The last ones on often have to gate check the bags because there is no room left. I wish they would enforce the size and number of bags rules.

 

[bavaria]

May also be pillows and blankets; I always take one right away when I board, and use them right away. But I do hear lots of people asking for them; airlines no longer carry one per seat (if they ever did in the last 20 years)

I've actually had passengers try and take my blanket off my lap as they passed, thinking that I was asleep!

 

[rdsx28]

I agree with you all. The "Carry ons" being brought on are suitcases and the majority need to be checked. There is nothing more annoying to me when you are trying to get off the plane and someone cannot pull there "Carry On" down the aisle to get off the plane. I know people do it so they don't have to use baggage claim but it is unfair to the rest of us who need to store our actual carry ons.I truly wish they would enforce this policy! Huge duffle bags and pull suitcases are not carry ons in my opinion! Thanks for listening to my pet peeve!

 

[goofy4tink]

I agree with you all. The "Carry ons" being brought on are suitcases and the majority need to be checked. There is nothing more annoying to me when you are trying to get off the plane and someone cannot pull there "Carry On" down the aisle to get off the plane. I know people do it so they don't have to use baggage claim but it is unfair to the rest of us who need to store our actual carry ons.I truly wish they would enforce this policy! Huge duffle bags and pull suitcases are not carry ons in my opinion! Thanks for listening to my pet peeve!

I'm with you. When we flew PanAm out of Worcester, in November '01, they allowed no carryons at all. You could bring a purse, that was it. My friend had her expensive camera equipment with her, but had to check it. She did get a receipt for it, as did I for my video camera stuff, and they stowed it in a seperate bin. No problems with that at all.
However, I have to say that that plane took off in record time. People boarded, sat down, strapped in and off we went. There are really a lot of bags going on planes that could be checked. We tend to bring a tote bag for each person traveling...a backpack, tote bag, that sort of thing. It goes underneath our seats. Only one time have we needed to use the overhead bin. It takes forever for people to paw through everyone else's bags in order to get to theirs, and then pull it down, hopefully without banging someone in the head! I do wish the airlines would get stricter.

I do have to wonder about those that are clumped around the entry to the jetway though. We all have assigned seats, they are boarding by zone. We don't even get up from our seats until they call the zone just before ours. Of course, we than have to weave our way through those standing there.

 

[salmoneous]

While part of the reason may be overhead space, part of it is just human nature. People have this psychological need to be competitive, or wait in line or something.

As a mostly-SW flyer, you see something similar from people who are waiting in the A line. Why? But at least on SW, the people are waiting in an orderly line, not just lurking near the gate waiting to pounce the second their group is called.

 

[NotUrsula]

Same thing as the bozos who get a FastPass and then stand around blocking the front of the ride's FP Return entrance until the time comes up.

There is a herd mentality about queues. When one forms, many people feel compelled to go stand in it. It is a longstanding joke among SWA frequent business travellers that if you arrive early in the gate area and there are no seats available, the fastest way to get one is to go stand in line at the A gate. Other people will immediately get up to stand behind you, and within 5 minutes you will have your pick of chairs.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree that it is very likely an issue of getting overhead bin storage space for carry-ons. I bought a new suitcase well under the max size for carry on luggage because I'm so tired of waiting at baggage claim. I still had to check my bag after I boarded a recent flight on US Air because I waited to board until my row was called and when I finally got to my seat, not only had everyone else boarded before their row was called, all the overhead space was taken up and I was forced to check my bag. You should have seen the people on the flight with their oversized carry on luggage and 3-4 pieces of baggage each.

On my return flight, I ignored the boarding order and boarded with the first group. A gate attendant looked at my seat number and said to me, "You must have changed seats," but she didn't stop me from boarding before my row was called. And I had plenty of room to store my suitcase in the overhead bin.

As long as most airlines do nothing to enforce their carry on rules, then why do they think that people are going to comply? It's my experience that they don't.

Why? But at least on SW, the people are waiting in an orderly line, not just lurking near the gate waiting to pounce the second their group is called.

I've seen PLENTY of mob scenes/disorderly boarding at SWA gates.

 

[pooh2001]

We fly SWA.
Have been lucky and have gotten our A boarding passes.

We arrive at the airport 1.5 hours early - check out bags and 'camp' out on the A line. The kids have gameboys and cards. We bring books/magazines. A conversation usually stikes up between passengers on the A line. We have never had a pushing shoving match.

I like the 24 hour pre-boardng pass option online. I just had to have the front desk do it for me at WDW - we did not bring a printer for the thinkpad.
We plan a stay in moring the day before we leave - DH does laundry, I pack and get our A baording passes.

 

[Brian Noble]

"Look Marge! There is a line! We must get in it immediately!"

I have noticed that gate agents for all airlines have gotten much better recently at publicly turning away people who are trying to board early.