Mark in CA Yes - could well be and as a way of getting extra revenue? Smart.
Opsbeatch it used to be that we in the West could load a 747 in rows from the back (or a single aisle for that matter) and folks would check their boarding card and wait for their row to be called. When people jumped the gun, they were politely turned back by the gate staff to wait their turn. But, after another few years, the agents found that the abuse they got was not worth it and so the free for all began.
Of course, in Italy, the free for all has been the standard method of boarding since anyone can remember
