The seats are assigned. People have been standing in line for 15 minutes now. Why on earth would anyone want to stand there, when they could just sit and wait until the line clears?
I understand wanting to get off a plane ASAP, but boarding? You just end up sitting on the plane, waiting for everyone else to get on.
Even worse, people have to pay to be in an earlier boarding group. I think they use limited overhead bin space as a hostage.
I’m actually in that group 1 position right now, in a LatAm A320 premium economy seat. Besides the service upgrade and baggage allowance, it’s just economy with the center seat reserved. Oh, and free messaging WiFi, too, which somehow includes Lemmy Sync.
People’s mentality after waiting at the airport for six hours for a six hour flight …
THIS IS THE LAST HELICOPTER OUT OF VIETNAM!!!
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Because airlines have hiked the cost of checked luggage to absurd levels so a large number of people have roller suitcase carryons. I have a small messenger bag I travel with that’s soft-sided and I want to get on early so I can make sure it’s over my head in case some asshole tries to cram their bag in over mine.
One airline now charges for carry on. Checking in a small bag is free!
Who is that? I want to give them all my fucking money.
Overhead space for carry-on bags.
CGP Grey has a good video on a better way to board planes.
I know he acknowledges the capitalistic barrier to this solution but the other issue I see most often are folks simply not being there by boarding time. These methods all assume you would have everyone ready to board in their respective groups at once. I would imagine that throwing a few folks out of order in even the modified Steffen approach could bring down the theoretical time by quote a bit.
I like Bill Burrs stance as well
I think the reason people aren’t there at their zone’s boarding time is because they only print the initial boarding time on the ticket and just wing it after that.
People are posting a lot of maybe more rational reasons, but I think there’s another answer that’s more in line with just being a human. Airports suck, air travel, generally, sucks and the whole process is riddle with both intentional and also just unavoidable misery. Every time a new step in the sequence of unpleasant and boring steps that is air travel nears, we start to anticipate it and get anxious to move on to that next step in the process. It doesn’t make it faster, it likely only makes the misery arguably worse, but some times people just can’t help trying to mentally hasten things even if in reality nothing is hastened at all.
Do you have anywhere to be instead?
On bench I guess
Well, you do it. Other people is not so afraid of a little “exercise”
Stand, don’t stand, I don’t care. But I’m sitting in the marked disabled seats, with a gate checked walker, and only similarly disabled people or people wrangling little kids are getting on before me, so standing in front of me only tempts me to run into the back of your legs with my walker to bulldoze you out of my way. Leave those of us with extra trouble moving a little space, please!
In general, people should mind their surroundings and those around them just a little bit. So many people find it OK to just stand talking in front of doors, stairs, even escalators.
no doubt. major pet peeve of mine, people enter a building (IE store) and just STOP blocking the entrance. I get you need to get you bearings but step out of the wat to do it!
I literally chill til the very end of boarding before I get on. Like you said, my seat is assigned, it ain’t changing, and I’m packed light enough to put my backpack under the seat in front of me. Sometimes people don’t show up n I sneak into a better seat 🤫. I’ve only ever been called out for that on Frontier, they know the hustle apparently. I’ve never bothered trying 1st class or anything, but I’ve gotten some middle seats to transform into aisles that way.
I’m about to sit down for the next six hours. I’m happy to stand for a bit.
Overhead bin space for carry-on bags.
As someone who travels with carry-on only (as much as possible), if I’m in economy I make sure to board as soon as I can to ensure there’s space in the overhead bins for my bag.
But you can fit your hand-luggage under the seat in front
Carry-on is not the same as personal item. My backpack does not fit under 90% of seats, and if it did, I would have nowhere to put my feet, thus the importance of finding overhead space.
I’ve not known any airlines that let you bring on hand luggage that’s too big to go under the chairs so consider yourself lucky to even have that!
I used to wait until the last minute to board, until the time I had to put my carry on bag at the back of the plane and my personal item under the seat and ended up being the last person off. One of the more uncomfortable flights I’ve been on.
I get that it’s a hassle to find overhead space late, but I’ve never been in a situation where there wasn’t anywhere at all to put my bag. At the very least, the flight crew can usually put it aside somewhere.
Granted, I haven’t flown US domestic in years, so the nightmare might be worse than I imagine.
I flew around 26 times domestically last year and most of the flights ran out of space. It’s really common for the airline to ask for volunteers to check their carry-ons. If you aren’t in the first 2/3rds of people on the plane, you’ll likely be forced to check your carry-ons.
This problem has gotten worse over the years because airlines have increased the prices for checking your luggage so many people opt to bring carry-ons instead.
That’s awful.
Man, I hate traveling carry-on only (unless it’s a short enough trip that the required change of clothes can fit in a backpack). I’ll pay the $50 or whatever it is to not have to worry about needing to cram all my stuff up into the overheads.
As annoying as it is to lug a bag around and find room for it, I much prefer this to checking it. There’s the small but nonzero chance your bag doesn’t make it to your destination, plus the added time waiting at baggage return.
Yeah I avoid checking bags if I have a layover. Direct flight? Eh it’s pretty hard to fuck up then, still absolutely can, but harder. Going to a destination I hate checking because I’m eager to get going, coming home it’s just another 15-20 minutes waiting for my bag usually, so I don’t care.
- I hate when airlines lose bags
- I dislike bringing more stuff than I can easily carry on my back
- I only have one bag and my laptop goes in it, so it ain’t going down below.
It isn’t about price. In fact some airlines are starting to charge more for a carry-on.
I’m also really good at bringing less. I travel months at a time with carry on only.
Plus, once you land at your destination you just grab your bag and go. There is no waiting at the baggage carasoul, you beat some of the rush too.
I guess part of my different perspective is that 99% of my flight travels are for work, and I’m paid by the hour, even on days when I’m doing nothing but traveling.
How about waiting for fuckin ever for a checked bag? I think I’ve waited 40+ minutes for a checked bag before. Not only does it suck to wait after a day or traveling but you also get to have anxiety that your bag might be lost as you continually watch people you recognize from your flight take their bags and go
Oh yeah, forgot to list that one. Some airports are terrible for it too.
For sure! The Rome airport is probably the worst I’ve seen
Yeah I kind of get this but at the same time, it’s rare I have an issue finding a spot for my bag very near my seat. I’ve always been of the same attitude as OP
Great, if that works for you! I’ve seen plenty of people have to check their carry-ons. I’ll gladly get on before you to ensure my overhead space.
So as luck would have it, yesterday this bit me haha
I was one of the first few forced to check my bag at the gate. Then, also, my bag was waiting for me at the kiosk when I got there which feels very rare. I feel like I usually have to wait at least 10 minutes any time I check a bag. So I guess I both did and didn’t learn my lesson? Lol
The seats are assigned, the baggage compartments are self-serve.
And methods have been worked out to load passengers smoothly and efficiently. Alternate sides, every other row, if I recall correctly, leaves plenty of space and time. But nobody uses this.
these methods don’t account for all the variables that reality has. People across all boarding groups will be late, there will be people that need assistance from flight attendants, there will be people who want to switch seats to be near their family, there will be people who can’t sit in the exit row, there will be people who need to use the rest room, there will be people who’ve never been on a plane before.
There is no great, full proof way to handle it because people are unpredictable
“The plane is here, everyone get on” (random order) is actually faster than the method they use now, so it wouldn’t take some complex system to increase speeds.
That’s essentially what Southwest Airlines does. No assigned seats, just a boarding group and number for “controlled” self-service boarding.
Too bad you end up in a Southwest plane after all that. I flew them once, in the extra room seat (I’m a tall bastard) and there has apparently been 600 lb life people using the seat before, it was like sitting on an old wicker chair that had blown out.
One of the worst flights I’ve had.
Idk, i like Southwest. It’s cheap and you get two free checked bags without having to sacrifice your human dignity flying Spirit. Grantdd i never have to fky for work, only ever for personal trips
It’s a practical, demonstrative example of scarcity. It causes people to act internally rational, even though there are far more efficient methods.
No the most recent conclusion is random works best if the participants are “normal”. Any strategy about this seat or that row first requires trained participants to maximize that effort.
I didn’t realize this factor until I started traveling with my wife, who packs much more than me. I’ve always fit everything into a single personal item that goes under the seat, which has always meant casually reading a book until my zone is nearly finished boarding
Also now i go from a medium checked bag with plenty of space to a large bag half full of her stuff and weighing it at home to make sure its under 30kg or whatever the limit is.
But you can fit your hand-luggage under the seat in front
I will always do everything in my power to NOT check a bag and have them lose it. So I bring a roller bag and a backpack.
I always check my bag and haven’t had any go missing in nearly 15 years. It’s a lot better with the bar-coded tags and automation.
Lucky. I stopped checking bags when the baggage handlers stole from my locked suitcase.
Wish I had your luck. I’ve had issues three times with checked bags in the last 15 years.
Maybe you can, I need that space for feet.
I don’t know how people can stand putting an item under the seat in front of them. I’m not even tall and I sure as hell need that space for my feet.
At the cost of leg room.
You can bend your legs under the chair? Obviously I’m exaggerating but I don’t think it really takes away that much of the tiny amount of leg room you get anyway!
With the backpack I have, I do lose a good part of my leg space from having my backpack underneath the seat in front of me. That’s why I sometimes pull my backpack out and then set it down in front of me, but not underneath the seat in front of me; this lets me stretch/move my legs more than before.
That fact doesn’t do you much good if you have a carry-on. And most everyone is trying to get by with a carry-on and a personal bag to avoid checked bag fees.
Isn’t “carry on” just the American name for “hand luggage”? As in you’re only getting one free bag which has to be small enough to fit under the chair anyway, right?
No, the carry-on is a piece of luggage that can be stored in the overhead compartment (assuming there’s room, hence the waiting in line). In addition you can bring a personal item (backpack/purse). It’s those bags being put up top as well where the dick moves come in since, on a full flight, there’s not enough space up there and the passengers who boarded before you have put BOTH their carry-on and personal item up there.
In addition you can bring a personal item
I see you’ve not had the pleasure of traveling with Sleazyjet before!
A long time ago most airlines checked at least one bag free. I used to always do this and as op suggests, not stand in line. It was great not having to take a bag through security and haul it around through airports and connecting flights, and avoid the stress of if the overhead space would run out.
But airlines have done everything in their power to make boarding and the whole flying process miserable in attempt to suck every dollar they can from you for their upgrades and priority boarding.
I do often take advantage of the airlines offer to “we expect a very full flight, overhead space is limited, and will check your bag for free to your final destination”
I just flew with 2 kids and 4 carry ons. We had to go to the service desk to check 2 car seats anyway, so I asked the lady if we could gate check our carry ons while we were there. They did it free of charge. I don’t know if all airlines/ airports will do it, but Delta did. It was super convenient to not have to lug around 4 bags through security and around the airport/ layover airport while chasing 2 kids. Unfortunately, I’m flying United back who only allows a “personal item” so I’m assuming that’s not going to be an option on my return flight.
We’ve largely done this to ourselves. The cheapest price is king in air travel. Unless you’re traveling for work, everyone goes for the cheapest option, so airlines are incentivized to get the base price as low as possible. Like if the option was to pay $100 more and get 2 checked bags, a meal, and more legroom, I’m still not going to do it.
The price of air travel has come down astronomically over the past few decades.
And massively increased again in the last five years…
Mainly due to the pilot shortage and collapse of the business market. If you want to start adding back items that were debundled from tickets, overall ticket prices are just going to increase.
ike if the option was to pay $100 more and get 2 checked bags, a meal, and more legroom, I’m still not going to do it.
It’s depending whether you need check bags. As soon as you need check bags, suddently, main airlines becomes competitive with cheap ones like Ryanair, especially considering the airport they desserve which tend to be better located (The difference between a Metro ticket for the main one, and a 20 € Shuttle bus to a remote one also impacts the total price
Delta AMEX offers a “free” checked bag on domestic flights.
Yup at this point I call that a free checked bag. Oh no… Out of space? Guess I’ll just have to be the hero and ditch my bag…
Sidenote people who do things like throw their coats up there when they’ve announced there is limited space are dicks.
im 6+ feet tall, where is the coat going if not the overhead? what’s in your bag, a coat?
Yes. The overhead is for the carry-on bags. If there is space after everyone has gotten on the plane, then go for it, throw the coat up there. But if you use overhead space for a coat when they announce that space is limited and you see them forcing people to check bags, then that’s a jerk move for sure.
I pack my coat in my bag. If it doesn’t fit, I wear it on the plane. If that doesn’t work, then it’s time to start thinking about checking a bag from the start.
oh, they’ll check my coat now? every time i ask they say it’s for bags.
wearing the coat for an 8 hour flight works if you’re staying in the same climate but I travel longitudily a lot.
i like how you skirted around your own bullshit rule by putting your coat in a bag.
I… put my coat inside my bag. Whether a carry-on or checked. Even if I go to a cold climate I will have my bags before I walk outside the terminal. I can stop, open my bag, and grab my coat. I don’t know how that’s skirting around it.
If you don’t want to wear it, cool - then put it in your carry-on or hold it for the flight. At the very least wait until everyone has boarded and there is room. Taking up space in the overhead while people are still boarding is selfish, it’s saying “My bag and my coat deserve more space than the next person’s single bag”.
Coats take space in the overhead whether they’re in a bag or not.
If you don’t need your coat to board the plane then you’re lucky.
None of the airlines have a rule about coats in the overhead so you’re fighting on a hill that doesn’t even exist.
Yup at this point I call that a free checked bag.
Free ? With the new Ryan air policy, it’s not free anymore
That’s how they run out of volunteers and need to pick tribute like Hunger Games.
and then wait for the baggage at the other end? no thanks! carry on luggage I get to walk straight out no waiting
Now they’ve even started offering this at the check-in counter! Critically it’s after the “pay us $35 to check your bag” screen. It says it’s a one time special offer but I’ve done it a half dozen times now on American and twice on United. Bag just is supposed to be carry on sized. I don’t even have to take it through security when this option is available.
The question you should be asking instead is why would you shoot a man before throwing him out of a plane?
Because you do not have assigned overhead bag storage, and people bring either bags that are too big, or bring multiple bags
Exactly. The airlines created this situation when they began charging for check-in bags
Haven’t they “solved” it by charging for hand-luggage too?
Two reasons:
I always take window seats, and don’t really want to hop over someone to get to my seat.
And it also means I don’t have to fight for overhead space for my carry-on.
This is the reason.
No, that is the solution. The reason is that airlines intentionally plan with too little overhead space to save money.
How does that save money? It’s not like they have to leave their bags behind if the overhead space is gone. It just gets checked instead.
I don’t know about saving money, but around here airlines have been creeping up checked bag fees for years. You used to get one free checked bag but when they started charging for all checked bags people started trying to fit thier entire vacation worth of stuff into carry-on. The bags I see people trying to fit into the overhead now are huge and just barely fit in the compartment on smaller planes. The airlines know what’s up though since they’ll charge for checked bags but then announce repeatedly before the flight that they’re looking for volunteers to check their carry-on to its final destination for free. I actually saw one airline enforce the carry-on sizing device as people were boarding and forced any oversize bags to be checked. A lot of unhappy people that day.
I’ve really never minded gate-checking, and when I travel alone (i.e. for work), I travel light and try to cram everything into a larger carryon and gate check it.
The biggest bottleneck on the way out is waiting at baggage claim. Gate checked bags are returned to you at the tarmac or at the end of the PBB, and sometimes they are there waiting for you before you even get to it, making it the quickest way out of the airport.
I’ve never been charged to check my bag at the gate.
