To not understand why people do this?

[moutonfou]

There may be something completely obvious I'm missing, in which case please enlighten me!

Yesterday I was flying home with an airline that assigns seats to everybody on check-in. Nevertheless, as soon as a member of staff appeared at the boarding desk, 70% of those at the gate sprung up and dashed to form a queue. Of course, they weren't ready to board for another 15 minutes (and hadn't even made an announcement yet) so everybody just had to stand around for 15 minutes. I stayed sitting because I couldn't really see what the advantage of queueing was.

Is there one?

Agreed, it's the overhead lockers. When travelling in Europe DH and I only ever take hand luggage (I've done eight nights in Rome on hand luggage!) so we queue to make sure our bags are above our seats.

Longer haul flights where we have checked suitcases, I'm less inclined to queue because my hand luggage is just my handbag and I put that under the seat in front of me.

I thought it might be the overhead lockers. I usually go hand luggage only in a soft rucksack and put it under the seat so everything's there if I need it (and so I don't have to worry about locker space!). It was a bit of a pain leg-room wise this time, but then the whole seat was so generally uncomfortable, it wasn't like the flight would have been the height of comfort with the under-seat clear anyway!

I don't care about the lockers - my bag fits under the seat - but sometimes I am just too excited and eager to get on the plane to fake coolness and lounge on the seats looking bored :D

I knew this thread would be about this before I clicked .

For me it's overhead bag space plus the fact that if I board later there is 10x the amount of faffing/delay as there are more people further ahead in the queue who are themselves boarding, removing coats, blocking aisles etc.

Makes no difference - you ended up standing in a queue whether you're first or last. If you're last, you end up queuing in the tunnel and then queuing in the aisle whilst all the others in front of you were faffing around finding their seats and messing with their bags.

For me it's nothing to do with being a 'dummy' or 'sheep' I'm scared of flying and getting on as soon as I can gives me time to get in my seat and relax for a few minutes and go through the thoughts in my head telling myself not to be ridiculous and to get over it, if I was rushed on and hassled it would make me even worse. Once we land I couldn't care less if I'm the last person off and will stay in my seat until the doors are opened, can't be doing with standing bent over for no reason.

My DH is a queuer, I sit on the seats till the last minute while he agitates constantly urging me to join the queue as it gets shorter. With him it's all about the locker space but we very rarely have much hand luggage so not a big deal unless travelling on cheap airline with hand luggage only. Travelling with dd, who's more chilled, we were the last on a flight to Venice once and ended up with the front seats with loads of leg room. Did wonder though whether waiting till the end was a good idea reading recent posts about overbooking.

Because they are stupid.

YY, another one voting for the locker space. Infuriating when the rules are not enforced and people bring about 17 massive bags on board.

On the flipside, a recent set of circs meant all I had as carry on was a small handbag. It was most relaxing.

(I was loitering at the gate desperately trying to be the very LAST person sauntering on just for fun! Still didn't manage it to a couple of annoying Johnny Come Latelys!)

The eager standees burn more calories than the gate seat potatoes?

Going on holiday once we were late. Running through the airport lounge, getting through the gate as it was closing late. There was an airport bus about to set off, waiting for us and all those who'd hovered near the doors had to move back to let us on... We were the first off and first on to the plane.
That was a good day.

I like to go up if it's ryanair because they walk along the line and see if anyone wants to put their hand luggage in the hold. Which I do because it's easier than getting it and my three kids on and off the plane and trying to get the hand luggage in the overhead locker.

One time we were last on and our bag was put down the front of the plane and we were up the back as it was the only space left. We were the last people off because we couldn't get to it. Last in the que at passport control that took ages with my son desperate for a wee.

To get their bags up above their seats

Particularly the ones who are in a window seat..

It's a way to tell people sitting on the aisle seat to get a move on and not sit until the plane is empty. The quicker you get out, the faster you arrive at customs and the less you queue there! So hopefully they get up as soon as allowed to do so, grab their bags and coats and everything, and are ready to move as soon as the doors open, instead of faffing and waiting for the queue to move to start gathering their bags and things.. Drives me mad.

We noticed this at Gatwick, there was a complete scrum for the gate when it opened. DH and I sat open mouthed while they all queued for 25 minutes instead of sitting down and relaxing. I'm last on usually, luggage going in the hold doesn't bother me remotely. I hate flying, and chose to sit in my cramped seat for as little as humanly possible. It's the same getting off, the plane has barely touched down and people are scrabbling about with bags and coats. It's a very weird thing to watch.

I'm a bit of an anxious flyer and sitting around makes me feel worse. Id prefer to be on, settled and listening to my music as soon as possible. Maybe others are similar?

Well, don't book a window seat or chose one if free pick if bolting out of the plane is a priority. Window seats are usually the first to fill up, so are picked deliberately. Trade-off is you'll have to wait for middle- and aisle seat dwellers to leave. The seething silent fury of a window seat standee watching their neighbours not getting ready before the plane stands still (and why should they) amazes me every time.

I've never been in an air emergency (and hope I never shall), but when I see the stampede instinct at work at the departure gate, I worry about the prospect of "an orderly evacuation of the aircraft in the event of a crash landing". Some hope.

It's the overhead locker space for me. I usually travel with hard luggage only and try to book an aisle seat, it's faster to grab the bag and be out of the plane and the airport when I arrive.

I hate it when someone starts faffing around if I'm by the window and I have to wait.

I hate to wait.

After landing on a recently flight, a lady broke the unwritten rule of moving forwards in the aisle, right into the space of the passenger in the seat in front who was just about to stand up into it. The tension was palpable.

This was shortly before some little kid decided she wanted a wee and her mum made her push through the aisle with everyone waiting for the door to open to the (only) loo by the cockpit. When she got back, her brother suddenly also decided he wanted one
A few minutes later he decided it was too much like hard work and the urge amazingly left him.

For me it's two things

1. I can't stand the faffy way other people board planes. It takes me 10 seconds to sling my case in the overhead and sit down. Other people get up and down and up and down and up and down for aaages and it drives me absolutely bonkers while I'm waiting to sit. I can understand it if the person has kids, but most of the offenders are usually older and childfree.

1. There's not enough overhead locker space, which means that some people are occasionally asked to put cabin luggage in the hold. Since I frequently fly only with cabin luggage so I don't have to stand and wait for ages at the carousel, this would be seriously annoying!

Yep, I'm really impatient

I'm with you op, I usually just sit and chill until there is about 10-15 people left in the queue for boarding. Usually I pay for priority boarding but that becomes pointless if you have to get on a bus to the plane so I just relax.

I always try and carry minimal hand luggage also, saves the pain of getting it in overhead or selected for your bags to go in the hold.

If everyone did it though there would be a funny Mexican standoff of not joining the queue.

I live for moments like that, becotide. The silent rage at the offender, the undeserved triumph at their comeuppance (when they have to move for the little girl). And all the passive aggressive shuffling and harumphing .

I queue ..Because obviously I am British..

I also do though yes irrationally worry I will miss the flight..I check my tickets numerous times, worry I won't get through check in on time, worry I will miss the gate calling. So once I am sat on the plane I relax.

Because they are stupid.

What a measured, reasonable response