Pax who are allowed to jump queue

[MerchantVenturer]

I expect this subject has been raised before but both the problem and the oft-encountered reaction of the staff annoys me.

I came back from Guernsey to Bristol with Aurigny this week and whilst waiting to board the ATR 72 at Guernsey Airport, the woman at the gate announced, "Now ready to board etc etc, passengers in rows 1 to 7 only." (this equates to 28 seats). Very sensible because the aircraft was boarding from the rear and obviously it would assist boarding if there were no pax trying to get into rear seats who would be in the way of those going to the front.

What happened? About forty people got up and made for the gate. No-one was stopped and they all passed through and walked to the aircraft. The rest of us who played the game and sat down until our seat rows were called were left to fight for the overhead luggage space.

Why don't the boarding staff simply stop anyone from boarding until their seat numbers have been called?

I spoke to another member of the Aurigny check in staff at the bottom of the aircraft steps and asked him why it was allowed to happen. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

I was pleased to see positive action to prevent this sort of thing at Newcastle recently when some easyJet passengers tried to jump the queue (in easy's case pax are provided with a boarding number as they check in and the earlier you check in the lower the number you get and hence are allowed onto the a/c before the higher numbers). Some people with high numbers tried it on but were rebuffed. Well done to the staff!

[PAXboy]

MV, yep agree 100%. The EZY folk do seem to be better at controlling this than those carriers with allocated seats. This farce of calling row numbers and then ignoring them has been around for at least five years.

I have also met the shrugged shoulders, so my guess is that the 'aggro' and bad language that they will get from many pax these days is not worth the benefit of trying to enforce it. If the ground staff get everyone across the threshold - then they have done their job.

Given the foul mouths of some pax, I do not blame them, however much is irritates the :mad: out of me. :* :*

--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[speedbird_heavy]

We tend to be pretty strict with this at CWL by turning away pax who try to jump the que.

[SLF]

The rest of us... were left to fight for the overhead luggage space I think you've answered your own question. If the airline doesn't enforce it, next time there'll be 41 pax getting up...

[Platinum206]

Just to clarify, the probable reasoning behind boarding the ATR-72 from the front rows is for a balance issue. The length of the A/C aft of the landing gear dictates that pax need to be seated in the first few rows first, to prevent tipping of the aircraft at the rear.

And on the matter of other airlines calling rows and not stopping other pax from boarding, there is actually a reasoning behind this. The airlines often like to have strict protocall for boarding specific seat rows first, however the boarding agent is only concerned with getting all the pax on the a/c in the quickest possible time, therefore it makes no sense to be waiting around trying to explain to pax what seat row number they are in on their boarding card. Even though they have to call certain seats in the boarding announcement. So they just get all the punters on asap!
:ok:
Platinum206

[MerchantVenturer]

Having had a little dig at Aurigny, who I am sure are no worse than many other airlines with this problem, I feel it is only fair to balance my observations towards them.

I have never flown with them before but found them to be efficient, comfortable and friendly. I would happily use them again. There was a delay on the return flight but that was due to an earlier bomb scare at Guernsey Airport so the airline cannot be blamed for that.

What particularly impressed my wife and me was the care afforded to two unaccompanied minors on the flight. They were a boy and girl of about 11 and 12 (presumably brother and sister) and they were seated opposite us.

Prior to the flight we noticed how the Aurigny staff in the deparure lounge kept a friendly eye on them explaining the reasons for the delay. They were escorted to the aircraft and during the flight the cabin staff made sure they were problem free.

At Bristol we parked on a remote stand and the Servissair rep met the youngsters from the aircraft and put them on the huge airport coach. Not only that but they were put in seats up front alongside the driver. Their faces were a delight to behold at this, and they then enjoyed the long drive along Bristol's circuitous apron road route as the coach threaded its way around about a dozen parked passenger aircraft. They were escorted through the arrivals hall but we then lost sight of them.

Well done to all concerned. It would have been a relief to the childrens' parents/guardians to know how well their youngsters were looked after.

[Jerricho]

I had to applaude check in staff in Brisbane just after New Years who quite professionally pointed out to a group of pax who totally ignored the call for the back rows of the aircraft and were seated at the front. She said something along the lines of "Now, I know you're all excited to strap yourselves in for the next 8 hours, but it's not your turn yet!". Brilliant.

[spork]

My personal view is that Easy need to do a lot more about the rush for the gate. For example, at Gatwick for Alicante, I've twice seen it now where passengers with infants are invited to board first, regardless of issued number. The qualifying infants are often 9 or 10 years old with the gate staff happily letting this abuse go on. It's a wind-up for passengers who play by the rules. This means a family with just about any size of child(ren) can turn up at the very last minute and board first. All you have to do is specify an upper age for an "infant" to cut down on this abuse.

[bealine]

A few months ago, we were given the go-ahead to start boarding a Domestic flight and I made the usual "seat row numbers" - Rows 12 to 25. (Now, I never use the term "strictly by seat number", I always "ask for your co-operation in order to speed up the boarding process" as I feel it is just a little more pleasant.)

Up strides Mr x in Row 1, "I can board first", quoth he, "I'm a Silver Card holder and the rules say I can have preferential boarding!"

"As you wish", I replied, "Only don't blame me if you find yourself being bumped around by all the other passengers trying to squeeze past you!"

A portly business gent was next up. He winked, and said quietly "Nothing will give me greater pleasure than knocking that guy outta my way!"

[FinalsToLand]

"I'm a Silver Card holder and the rules say I can have preferential boarding!"

yet another example of exec card holders who think they are the most special think ever and because they have an exec card they are entitled to anything they want there and then,

Nothing annoys me more than these w:mad:s who turn up at a gate or at checkin and demand this that and the other and whinge all the time,
On the other hand there are some execs who are very pleseant, i met an elderly couple last week (gold card holders & one was a wchr pax) and they were so polite i went out of my way to help them just a shame the vast majority of regular travellers leave their manners at home when they fly.

F.T.L

[Final 3 Greens]

"I'm a Silver Card holder and the rules say I can have preferential boarding!" IN fact, BA.com states this benefit for Silver card holders

"At departure, priority boarding means you can board at your convenience regardless of the class you are travelling that day."

So this guy is only asking for the privilege that he's been offered and should you have invited premium card holders to board anytime as an SOP?

If you see the other thread about pax who ignore the boarding order, them it is easy to see why a business executive wishes to get on first and find a stowage space for his carry on kit that is near to his seat.

It's not just about convenience, but also protecting the valuable property involved (including data on laptops/PDAs.)

So Bealine, for once my friend, I think you are a little out of order here.

And Finals to Land thinks that asking for a service that is promoted by the airline makes this guy a w:mad:r.

Unbelievable:\ Perhaps you should get a job in a burger restaurant where all customer are equal? It is because the airline industry pushes priviliges and a better service for FQTVs and premium pax, that causes people ask for them.

[ojs]

FTG, with respect I think you've confused the issue of boarding by row number and boarding by class.

As Bealine was boarding by row number the "privilege" of the silver card doesn't apply.

[Momo]

Depends... some airlines announce "First Class, Card X and Card Z passengers may board at their convenience." Gets confusing within alliances when you may think you can board as you please, but this may not be the case.

As to the wording on the ba.com site, it could be re-done to remove the ambiguity.

Momo

[bealine]

IN fact, BA.com states this benefit for Silver card holders

Quite right! The only trouble is, the boys at BA Exec Club don't see eye to eye with our operational needs. Whilst "boarding at leisure" works most of the time on long-haul flights, the 10-15 mins permitted to get 147 members of the human race through a tunnel and squeezed into an aluminium tube, does not permit preferential boarding on our short-haul aircraft.

In any event, on ourshort-haul aircraft fleet, no economy passenger should have more than 6kg of cabin baggage plus (at our discretion) a lap-top, so stowage space shouldn't be a problem!!! (yeah, right!)

So, FTG, Bealine's not our of order - I did, after all, allow Mr W****r to board first!!!

(I didn't call him W****r first, though!)

[Final 3 Greens]

OJS

With respect, you are wrong, the BA website is quite clear.

As Bealine says, it is a disconnect between one internal department and another, but the pax suffers. He may well have been a pr*t in his approach, but he was entitled to the service he had to ask for.

There are some issues an airline has little control over (See the recent thread about Heathrow angst), but this is not one of them.

Amazngly enough, I believe that this situation is a throwback to the BEA and BOAC days, where the two airlines had significantly different operating models/philosphies and "long haul was king" - anyone like to comment?

Bealine
In any event, on ourshort-haul aircraft fleet, no economy passenger should have more than 6kg of cabin baggage plus (at our discretion) a lap-top, so stowage space shouldn\'t be a problem!!! (yeah, right!) WHat about First or CLub World pax connecting from long haul? ;) No don\'t waste the keyboard time, I\'m only joking :}

[You splitter]

Just flew back to London on easyjet.
I have to say they called Priority 1-30 and the whole gate got up and rushed to the desk. Poor old me a bit slow off the blocks and playing the game ( i was 31 typical!) ended up at the back of the queue.
Also cant say Im in favour of this free seating lark. I cant see how it saves time. All the first pax sat at front blocking oncoming pax, there were arguments about sitting with friends/colleagues/other halfs/1 pax in emregncy exit with crutches requiring reshuffle/ and finally when you have four rows with two people in and you are forced to turn one of these into 3 people sitting there you should see the dirty looks.
Please allocate seats at check-in. Its fairer and quicker!!! :mad:

[an-124]

Splitter, I agree.

Low cost airlines are all about keeping the utilisation of the a/c at a maximum, and ground time at a minimum.
Why not the following: (this could work as well with Long Haul flights.

1/ Seats are allocated at checkin and each person is given a colored card with a number on it, depending on where they are sitting. The first person to check in receives card 1 and so on..

2/ at the boarding gate you get in line according to your number. (1 at the front of the line and 130 at the back of the line for a B737-300)

3/ At boarding time, number 1 goes straight to the back of the aircraft and number 2 follows and so on.


This would:

a/ minimise passenger loading time.

b/ stop the frustration of me and other passengers by the deleting the problem of getting held up behind other passengers loading their duty free, their hand luggage and their jackets in the overhead.


Just an idea.... any other ideas out there?

[amanoffewwords]

3/ At boarding time, number 1 goes straight to the back of the aircraft

Don't they load aircraft from the front for CoG reasons? (assuming not a full load).

I can't see your idea working though - I can see people pretending to lose their cards en route to the aircraft to get a better a seat - and then it's back to the bullying etc.

Seat allocations always works best for me, hence I will never set foot on an Easyjet plane - have refused before for that reason.

C.

[spork]

I would favour the allocated system just like You splitter and an-124. However there's no need to re-invent the wheel here. When Easyjet absorbed Go, they carried on their habit of seat allocation for a short while and it worked fine, ie: Easyjet planes running an allocated seat system. Strange how they can't be bothered to do it now, and apparently would rather have irritated pax boarding.

I can't fault them otherwise... :cool: :cool: :cool:

[asterix4816]

Hmmm. FR and U2, the big boys, both have free seating. I think they might know what they're doing on this count.

[spork]

I think they might know what they're doing on this count.Well - irritating the pax is one thing. Could you elaborate?

[MerchantVenturer]

I flew with Go several times and much preferred their system of allocating seat numbers at check in.

The virtual free for all is the one thing I hate about easyJet - apart from that can't really fault them.

I suppose allocating seats at check in might slow things down with some passengers asking for a window seat near the back on the left hand side etc.

Perhaps when we reach the stage of automated self check in on all low cost flights we might be able to select a specific seat number. If so, what is the betting we will have to pay extra for the privilege?

[Final 3 Greens]

Hmmm. FR and U2, the big boys, both have free seating. I think they might know what they're doing on this count.

I wouldn't assume that they do. They have created a new breed of traveller, who used to be naive and accepting and are learning fast.

With the new and aggressive approach of BA and others, some disconfirmation of what worked before for for FR and U2 may well be on the way.

Watch their reporting numbers over the next couple of years.

[Jordan D]

I flew both GO & Easyjet on the STN/LTN-EDI route, and have found that it really doesn't matter if seats are allocated or not. If you really want a seat with EZY/FR, then turn up early, check in early and be at the front of the queue. That way the aircraft can definately get away on time!

Jordan

[spork]

I understand your point, and I do turn up early. Often I get quite low card numbers, but the lax attitude of the gate staff in letting through 5ft tall "infants", plus of course their extended family, is what I was talking about above. By the time forty or so pax have boarded by deception, your No.8 card (or whatever) stands for nothing. The system that Easyjet say is in place, is in fact not in place when abuses like that go on.

[PAXboy]

My local field is LTN, where EZY board with front and rear stairs. I think that you can guess how easy :rolleyes: it is to speed up your pace and get to the rear stairs. Sometimes, I can be seated and watch the first six pax still scrumming down by row 1.

Perhaps they think that they will be off faster at the destination but they often have rear stairs there too! And, of course, if they have checked bags, it makes little diff.

Hmm, just a thought, do they believe that there is something special about being at the front? Almost like they were in J?? :E

--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[yellowperil]

a bit cynical here, but I read that the reason for unallocated seating is that the pax will load themselves faster than with allocated seats. And with the very short turn around times that low-cost carriers have, this is of vital importance.... Personally, I'm surprised pax aren't loading simultaneously - off at the back on at the front....!

However, the first few times I flew EJ (5 years ago or so, Luton-Edinburgh) I was given a laminated, re-usable boarding card, simply containing a destination and number. I though it was to save money. However, now they seem to print you an individual card; and if the computer has all this information on it, why it cannot cope with allocating a seat is beyond me....

As an aside, there was I, seated at the back of an EJ flight 'cos I wanted to look out of the window. On landing, everyone leaps up, barges into the aisle and faces forward, especially those in row 1-4, aisle seats. The look on their faces when they were told we would be getting off using the rear doors was priceless...!

[Final 3 Greens]

Personally, I'm surprised pax aren't loading simultaneously - off at the back on at the front....! You might not be surprised to learn that at least one loco was investigating this option pre 9/11.

[You splitter]

Hmm, just a thought, do they believe that there is something special about being at the front? Almost like they were in J??

I reckon some people do. Fine I'd rather be in J class but if its all one class I prefer to be at the back for two reasons.

1. I always have checked luggage. Im in no race to get off the aircraft ASAP and would rather stay in my seat and read my book until the mob have disemabarked.

2. Aircraft dont normally fly into mountains backwards!!! :ok:

[wub]

I recall with some amusement sitting on a BA 757 at EDI, watching the scrum for overhead locker space, when two Americans walked past me and moments later fought their way back down to the front. About a minute later they reappeared clutching boarding passes and scrutinizing every seat number.
This performance was repeated, before one of them told the CC that there was a problem with their seats, as they seemed to have been allocated two seats in coach! :hmm:

[Mike Blackburn]

Well, FR manage to irritate many decent people with their inability to implement their own boarding system in Europe. Have flown STN-HHN on numerous occasions last year, and have had the same experience every time.

Firstly they allow people with mobility difficulties and those travelling with "young" children to board first. Cue a rush of walking wounded, who are them swamped by the mup**ts with teenage kids who are quite capable of boarding themselves. The handling agent - who of course is often part of the cabin crew is powerless or has no intention of controlling the stampede.

Then they have the old numbered boarding card routine - you know, numbers 1 - 60 board first, then 60 and up board. This is one thing which almost works at STN. At HHN, however, it is a complete dog-show. Could it be something to do with continental attitudes to queueing? (?sp).

We generally were early for the flights and had cards with numbers below 20. My wife has on almost every occasion been physically manhandled out of the way by male Europeans with no manners who I know have higher card numbers. Yes, I know it sounds petty, but if anyone has ever been to (Frankfurt - HA!) Hahn (which, by the way imust be the worst airport in the world), they will agree that this does nothing to ensure happy customers.

Just as an aside, why are Englishmen (and women) better at queues than continental europeans? (Sweeping generalisation). People could learn a lot from South African patience with queues - ref elections 1994.....

[spork]

Mike - your experience there mirrors mine at Gatwick and Alicante. Overall I'm not really that bothered where I sit. As somebody mentioned, with checked baggage there's no great benefit in being close to the front and rushing to get off at the other end.

It's a pity the locos can't resolve this poor CRM area that clearly irritates a lot of their loyal customers. I suppose our loyalty will be tested when other operators get close to loco prices and we've had enough of the staff who apparently can't be bothered to apply the rules fairly.

I don't require an allocated seat, but I would like fair treatment on boarding. Not a lot to ask?

[Final 3 Greens]

loyalty will be tested when other operators get close to loco prices Some have been there for a while, check out bmi and BA.

The problem for the loco's bites when the public perception alters on a large scale.

Although to be fair to Ryanair, they are generally truly a loco in my experience, whereas easy are often around the same or even more expensive than BA, even in advance.

Just booked Lon/Ath/Lon this morning, for travel in Mid July, similar flight times (within an hour) easy & BA prices were:

easyJet GBP 203.97

BA GBP 239.00

If I'd be prepared to fly anti social hours (late out, very early back) ....

easy GBP 163.97

BA GBP 159.00

I think this shows that BA are pretty smart at revenue/yield management, as they know that business people will pay a premium to travel in accordance with "office hours", whereas they slight undercut easy on the "leisure" timings.

But with BA you get, allocated seat, more seat pitch (at least 31", more likely 34" if you check in early), drinks and a decent hot meal.

Who do you think I booked with?

[bealine]

Thanks for your vote of sensibility FTG!:ok:

The locos are very good at creative marketing which means, very often, you pay the same, or even more than, the scheduled carriers.

Other factors to bear in mind:

1. When BA, LH etc say Frankfurt, they mean it! Not Hahn, miles away and an expensive train/taxi ride to shell out for!

2. Handbaggage allowance of 6kg plus laptop with BA - 5 kg and nothing else with locos. If you're looking to run off the aircraft with your trolley bag and laptop at the other end, you'd better fly scheduled!

3. If your flight is delayed/cancelled at short notice, the locos may not have the local facilities to provide alternative flights, road transport or hotel accommodation. You could well find yourself kipping down in the terminal building or paying for yourself and trying to reclaim the amount later. The scheduled boys will look after you (as long as it's not the weather, or your own actions, that caused the problem).


You should get what you pay for, but with the locos it doesn't always work!

[surely not]

The biggset hinderance to the boarding process are the smart alec passengers who won't listen to boarding announcements, or choose to ignore them.

Seat allocation or free seating? Both work on paper, it is only when the passenger shows up in real life that it all goes wrong. The boarding staff at the gate now have so many additional checks to comply with security and cabin baggage controls, that restricting someone who has got up out of sequence is way down their list of priorities.

On occassions where passengers are stopped at the gate because they are trying to board out of sequence, they are asked to return to their seats and wait the announcement. So of course they don't, they just hang around the boarding area getting in the way. The gate agent can't get sharp with them because that would result in a complaint about their attitude to a fair paying passenger.

There is no answer to the problem unless ALL passengers learn to listen and react at the given moment.

Over to you guys and gals

[newswatcher]

bealine, to be "fair" to the locos, Ryanair actually has a max weight of 7kg for hand luggage. In addition, cattle class with BA does not normally permit additional items like a lap-top, as I have found to my cost! You have to be WTP, Club or First for this privilege!

The reverse is equally annoying - people who turn up at the gate, at the last possible moment, or later! The ultimate threat of off-loading continues to be ignored. Is there any action an airline can take against pax who delay a flight? Is there a "black list"?

[spork]

Some have been there for a while, check out bmi and BA.I check ‘em all out every time, and BA (and others) have yet to beat Easyjet for me. Ryan and bmi aren’t so good for my UK departure airports. For all my usual destinations, Easyjet fly to exactly the same place.

The locos are very good at creative marketing which means, very often, you pay the same, or even more than, the scheduled carriers. I don’t have the slightest trouble distinguishing the prices when I check ‘em out. I’m afraid I would swap “scheduled carriers” for “locos” in this sentence.

The scheduled boys will look after youNot in my experience I’m afraid. I’ve often had to pay out extra to get the right solution. I’m not saying Easy will never let me down, but they haven’t failed me once yet.

The gate agent can't get sharp with them because that would result in a complaint about their attitude to a fair paying passenger. In that case, forget the numbered passes altogether and just blow a whistle. You have to also think of the attitude to the fare-paying passenger who isn’t jumping the gun, which is what this thread is all about.

MerchantVenturer sums it up well in the very first posting “Some people with high numbers tried it on but were rebuffed. Well done to the staff!” So it can, apparently, be done.

I don’t see this as an opportunity to slag off scheduled or loco, and I’m not preaching or trying to persuade anybody to fly Easy. That’s the way I’ve found them for my routes and my timings. YMMV.

[terrier21]

Dear Merchant

To answer your original message. Unfortunatly it was a departure gate error that the pax were not stopped and 99% of the time the pax would be asked to sit back down.

Also at Brs easyjet are employed by 'servisair globeground' and and they should all be working to the same standards.

Im sorry for what happened and I hope in future the departure staff will turn pax around who are not required to board.

all the best

terrier

[MerchantVenturer]

terrier

Thanks for that information.

As far as easyJet is concerned at BRS I have had no problems with boarding. Of course there are times when the a/c is parked at a remote stand and then the first ninety or so people are put onto one of those large 'buses' which makes boarding numbers irrelevant. There is nothing that can be done in that situation and I obviously accept it.

I'm off to Berlin with easy next week so will be interested to see how the Schoenefeld staff handle things.

[TotalBeginner]

The only thing that I can say in defense to the boarding staff is that there is already plenty of information that has to be checked on the boarding card.

Missing a seat number, or boarding group is not the end of the world. Missreading the flight number, or not checking that the name in the passport matches that of the boarding card is obviously alot more serious!

With regard to EZY. Many of the staff may turn passengers away who are in the incorrect boarding group, but how many actually match the name on the boarding card to that of the passport or even look at the passengers and check the photo???

Time and time again I've watched staff say to someone, "oh you appear to have your husbands b/c". And the husband has already been boarded by the other member of staff holding his wife's boarding card.

[manintheback]

Try Bahamas Air from Miami then. Check in 3 hours early, allocated seat on a 737. Go to Boarding gate at correct time. Be told to wait, (and wait, and wait).

Then its announced that they've put the people from a previous cancelled flight on the plane and that whatever seats are left are available to whoever gets them first.

Fortunately I was standing by the gate when the said it. Quite a stampede followed with the odd punch or two being thrown as well. Probably half the checked in pax didnt get on.

[DJFish]

I'm off to STN in the next couple of weeks for an Ryanair domestic flight with my dad, wife and sister, the poor chap is therefore travelling three children aged 18-31, can we get on first?:E

[radeng]

Do the LCCs check boarding cards as you enter the aircraft? It always seems to me that BA have a 'final final' check doing that which isn't strictly necessary, but on one occasion, I've seen it pick up a passenger who was trying to get on the wrong flight - the machine at the gate wasn't working, which was, I suppose how the gate missed it. That must justify doing it, but I would have thought that with the permanently heightened security in the US these days, US domestic carriers would do the same.

[TotalBeginner]

Could anyone have interferred with your bag since you packed it?
Has anyone given you anything to take onto your flight?

These questions are only mandatory in the UK.

EZY cabin crew check boarding card stubs at STN because there are NO gate readers.

[Avman]

I found the same problem with GermanWings. The boarding order was (most of the time) well controlled at Cologne but non-existent at the out-stations - which I used to my advantage.

[slim_slag]

That must justify doing it, but I would have thought that with the permanently heightened security in the US these days, US domestic carriers would do the same.

Boarding card check with photo id before security screening, boarding pass only when at gate. They did away with the gate Id check some time ago. You definitely don't get the same rowdyness at the gates in the US as you do in Europe.

[Curious Pax]

I've flown AMS-LPL with EZY several times recently, and the checkin staff at AMS always mark my 5 year olds boarding pass with pre board. After the first time when I ushered him to the front of the scrum when boarding was about to start he learned the drill, and now shoots off to the front on his own with me trying to keep up. The other pax invariably grin and stand aside, and we always get on first and sit in row 2. Explaining to him why he could sit in row 1 took most of the first flight, but he seems OK with it now!

As an aside, I don't know whether it is just because the AMS-LPL early Friday evening always has large number of commuters going home for the weekend, and they are all just happy to get back to the UK, but the mood in my experience is always a lot more relaxed and convivial than most other flights I have been on.

[fly babe]

EZY cabin crew check boarding card stubs at STN because there are NO gate readers.

Incorrect I'm afraid. Ezy cabin crew check each pax boarding card at every airport, because it's an Standard Operating Procedure. Check out the thread regarding checking boarding cards on the Cabin Crew forum for futher enlightenment:ok:

[striparella]

Sometimes you do not have the staff to have someone stand at the door and check boarding cards. In an ideal world every airline would love this.

I can't get over that for some flights - especially HKG, NRT, LAX etc people jump the queue - it's like hello do you cant to sit in your tiny economy seat for that extra half an hour when it's going to be your new best friend for the next 14?

It's like what's the rush? So long as you're in the gate the room the flight wont leave without you.

Pax never cease to amaze me!

[SkySista]

Now, I know you're all excited to strap yourselves in for the next 8 hours, but it's not your turn yet!".

That could be me, except for the Brisbane part!! :}

As someone pointed out earlier, there's not much you can do to make pax listen. The pre-boarding call for infants and passengers in wheelchairs leads to the usual stampede.... only today I had one in progress, I usually just hold out my hand in a "wait one moment" gesture, and explain they will be boarding shortly. hey will usually then form a queue.

If people still try to get on, I find closing the door helps ;) :p The extra minute or two won't kill them, and if they're going to get :mad:, it's not my fault they don't listen.

I do find though that the wording helps. For instance:

"This is a pre-boarding call for passengers with babies" etc generally works better than:

"All passengers travelling to X with...."

because after they hear the destination, they're not listening for anything else. It's like the read-back, hear-back error. You hear what you expect to. The pax EXPECTING to hear a boarding call, not a PRE boarding call....

But still, I do try to stop them getting on while pre-boarding. Unfortunately though, as an earlier poster said, sometimes it's easier just to let them on, especially if they're going to make a fuss (as much as I hate rewardng demanding behaviour), otherwise they just clog up the gate for everyone else.

[slim_slag]

I can't get over that for some flights - especially HKG, NRT, LAX etc people jump the queue - it's like hello do you cant to sit in your tiny economy seat for that extra half an hour when it's going to be your new best friend for the next 14?

Some people on those routes will have frequent flier cards which allow them to board at their convenience, basically there is no queue. Why would you want to board sooner? To get overhead bin space.

[striparella]

^ Not a problem for my airline - we have a small cabin baggage allowance and anything too big or too heavy is checked in. Even at the gate and no amount of begging will change that. Who wants a huge 12kg bag falling out onto their heads?

I think it's simply another case of airport brain syndrome.