Shack
About ten days ago at ABZ Gate1 which is shared by AF to CDG and KLM to AMS departing within five minutes of each other an announcement was made asking pax to keep boarding passes ready for presentation on boarding the aircraft. Strangely I wasn't deafened by the the screams of outraged pax nor did I notice any low mutinous grumble developing.
This is a good example of how an airline can set the right expectation and make it easy for passengers to comply. I wonder why it is not standard practice?
No reasonable person would take offence to this request.
Yesterday, I took two flights on European airlines. One checked the pass at the door, the other didn't.
As I travel reguarly, I knew not to bother for the first and then to keep the pass at hand for the second.
Neither made an annoucement to the passengers though and one could imagine that a less frequent traveller making the same journey could have "learned" from the first experience and put the pass away and then felt stupid by being stopped at the door on the second flight.
Being made to feel stupid may result in grumpiness (or it may not.)