Queuing to board?

[holachicatita]

So.. currently waiting to board my flight and me and my husband have had a disagreement. Seats are already allocated but I still like to queue and get on the flight once the gates open. He likes to sit and wait until the last minute, looking down his nose at all the silly little people queuing. AIBU to start to queue once the gates open?

I'm always one of the last to board through choice. This year we do have priority boarding as we've paid for an extra bag each on board

I go up when they call my area. There’s no point standing there waiting. If everyone stands up at once it make it ridiculous the staff trying to have people board in a reasonable manner. I’m not waiting til last minute, just when they call my row group.

Heathrow T3 B. Twice i have called this way, Start with the back rows and fill it forward.

If more people could figure out that you can usually lie your cabin case on it's side rather than laying it flat on in the overhead lockers, making more space for everyone else's bags, then I wouldn't need to queue while having assigned seating, but since many people are idiots, I'd rather just queue and not be left with nowhere to fit my bag.

Me too. I've waited before and every fucker uses your overhead locker and sits elsewhere

You’re an adult, do what you want.

Am in the same boat as you - DH always waits until everyone has faffed, but I like to get on, get settled in to my seat and be sure my bags are in the locker above. I just go ahead and get on. He’s an adult he can join when he wants and we’re not joined at the hip.

This is also why I board as quickly as possible. My husband and I once paid to sit together and a family had just sat in an entire row and just refused to move. We (everyone who was booked in that row) were told my the cabin crew they couldn’t force them to move so we needed to take whatever was left. I also once booked the window in business class. Got on to find a man in it. He refused to move. Cabin crew told me just to take the aisle seat. I refused and sat in someone else’s window seat. It was chaos for a while because obviously the person whose seat I was in was complaining as well but they did finally remove the man from my seat and we all got the seats we wanted originally. So in my experience if don’t care where you sit then board last. If you want the seats you’ve booked then get on quickly.

Makes sense tbh! Then people aren’t pushing past others putting bags up etc

that's a disgrace, why didn't the cabin crew do something, they were so unprofessional.

So they call you up in batches when you board. The advantage of queuing when it's your turn is the overheads aren't so full if you are using them. Also, you go queue when they ask you to obvs not just sit there

The last time I didn't queue, I ended up in a tense situation with the couple behind. The man had put his coat and rucksack in the locker over my seat so I took them out and gave them to him saying the space was for cases (the lockers were full). The woman went to start on at me and he shushed her, obviously didn't want a scene. But its just awkward.

Its easier if you can get on earlier and get your stuff in. If I don't have stuff to go overhead I don't care.

Never queue and i fly a couple of times a month. Utter waste of time and energy.

Just book priority boarding.

half the plane has priority boarding, that never really helps

Surely that would be apparent at check in

not really, you check-in online weeks or days. in advance, not at the airport.
If you don't have luggage to drop off, the first time you interract with someone is at the gate

Double-booking happens to maximise the empty seats from last minute no-show, it's likely they all have already checked-in anyway, it doesn't guarantee you a seat.

This is where DP and I disagreed too and it’s took years of him having to pretty much emotionally negotiate me through the airport to get me to his way of thinking

Im a massive overthinker and don’t stop overthinking till I’m on the plane. I’m also terrified of take offs and landing but this is another matter altogether - he doesn’t like it either but he’s very good at keeping me calm. This is pretty much from when we are leaving home to go to the airport, checking bags in, security and then through the lounge - I will panic the whole way.

He however is like your DP - that you have a booked seat. That as long as you’re through the gate before it closes then it makes no difference if you’re stood in a queue or sat comfortably nearby to it.

My only non negotiable is that I’ll head to the gate when it comes up on the board - it’s the only thing he will allow me to have control over

We now spend time watching people push into the queue and we literally join as soon as it’s gone down. And I’m looking forward to our trip this year and hoping to be a bit more relaxed - including on take off and landing

Talking of double booked seats, we recently got the train long distance and we got on and got in our booked seats. Then another couple turned up and said we were in their seats. We compared our tickets and sure enough we all had the same seats booked. We were there first so unfortunately it was tough luck for them and they had to go and try and find some unreserved seats. I know not getting a seat is more common on trains as they can cancel trains and then remove all reservations etc but it’s still just an extra annoyance of double booking even on normal trains!

Send him back. I’d not be having that!

I usually fly business and have status so don’t care when I board, I have a seat and luggage space regardless. However, if I’m in economy I board when called (usually early on due to status) and I value it for the overhead locker space.

That’s lovely for you dear.

I watched a documentary once where the last two people in the queue were told "sorry the flight is full"

Airlines should not over sell seats but... they do.

I was gobsmacked when i watched that documentary and have always queued since.

I mean it literally doesn't make any difference surely. You can scrum down for the front of the boarding queue or wait until the last few people and then spend ages inching your way along the queue while people piss around putting their bags away and finding their seats. Flying is horrible and the only time worth hussling is to get off a plane where being first in the passport queue does tend to make a difference.

Delta also do this. Very civilised. One of the many reason they have become my fav airline