The seats are assigned. People have been standing in line for 15 minutes now. Why on earth would anyone want to stand there, when they could just sit and wait until the line clears?

I understand wanting to get off a plane ASAP, but boarding? You just end up sitting on the plane, waiting for everyone else to get on.

    • rescue_toaster@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      87
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      A long time ago most airlines checked at least one bag free. I used to always do this and as op suggests, not stand in line. It was great not having to take a bag through security and haul it around through airports and connecting flights, and avoid the stress of if the overhead space would run out.

      But airlines have done everything in their power to make boarding and the whole flying process miserable in attempt to suck every dollar they can from you for their upgrades and priority boarding.

      I do often take advantage of the airlines offer to “we expect a very full flight, overhead space is limited, and will check your bag for free to your final destination”

      • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        48
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yup at this point I call that a free checked bag. Oh no… Out of space? Guess I’ll just have to be the hero and ditch my bag…

        Sidenote people who do things like throw their coats up there when they’ve announced there is limited space are dicks.

        • Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          Deutsch
          arrow-up
          9
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          Yup at this point I call that a free checked bag.

          Free ? With the new Ryan air policy, it’s not free anymore

        • JoYo@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          im 6+ feet tall, where is the coat going if not the overhead? what’s in your bag, a coat?

          • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            8 months ago

            Yes. The overhead is for the carry-on bags. If there is space after everyone has gotten on the plane, then go for it, throw the coat up there. But if you use overhead space for a coat when they announce that space is limited and you see them forcing people to check bags, then that’s a jerk move for sure.

            I pack my coat in my bag. If it doesn’t fit, I wear it on the plane. If that doesn’t work, then it’s time to start thinking about checking a bag from the start.

            • JoYo@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              8 months ago

              oh, they’ll check my coat now? every time i ask they say it’s for bags.

              wearing the coat for an 8 hour flight works if you’re staying in the same climate but I travel longitudily a lot.

              i like how you skirted around your own bullshit rule by putting your coat in a bag.

              • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                8 months ago

                I… put my coat inside my bag. Whether a carry-on or checked. Even if I go to a cold climate I will have my bags before I walk outside the terminal. I can stop, open my bag, and grab my coat. I don’t know how that’s skirting around it.

                If you don’t want to wear it, cool - then put it in your carry-on or hold it for the flight. At the very least wait until everyone has boarded and there is room. Taking up space in the overhead while people are still boarding is selfish, it’s saying “My bag and my coat deserve more space than the next person’s single bag”.

                • JoYo@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  Coats take space in the overhead whether they’re in a bag or not.

                  If you don’t need your coat to board the plane then you’re lucky.

                  None of the airlines have a rule about coats in the overhead so you’re fighting on a hill that doesn’t even exist.

      • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        23
        ·
        8 months ago

        We’ve largely done this to ourselves. The cheapest price is king in air travel. Unless you’re traveling for work, everyone goes for the cheapest option, so airlines are incentivized to get the base price as low as possible. Like if the option was to pay $100 more and get 2 checked bags, a meal, and more legroom, I’m still not going to do it.

        The price of air travel has come down astronomically over the past few decades.

          • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            8 months ago

            Mainly due to the pilot shortage and collapse of the business market. If you want to start adding back items that were debundled from tickets, overall ticket prices are just going to increase.

        • Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          8 months ago

          ike if the option was to pay $100 more and get 2 checked bags, a meal, and more legroom, I’m still not going to do it.

          It’s depending whether you need check bags. As soon as you need check bags, suddently, main airlines becomes competitive with cheap ones like Ryanair, especially considering the airport they desserve which tend to be better located (The difference between a Metro ticket for the main one, and a 20 € Shuttle bus to a remote one also impacts the total price

      • jo3shmoo@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        8 months ago

        Now they’ve even started offering this at the check-in counter! Critically it’s after the “pay us $35 to check your bag” screen. It says it’s a one time special offer but I’ve done it a half dozen times now on American and twice on United. Bag just is supposed to be carry on sized. I don’t even have to take it through security when this option is available.

      • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        I just flew with 2 kids and 4 carry ons. We had to go to the service desk to check 2 car seats anyway, so I asked the lady if we could gate check our carry ons while we were there. They did it free of charge. I don’t know if all airlines/ airports will do it, but Delta did. It was super convenient to not have to lug around 4 bags through security and around the airport/ layover airport while chasing 2 kids. Unfortunately, I’m flying United back who only allows a “personal item” so I’m assuming that’s not going to be an option on my return flight.

    • agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      8 months ago

      I didn’t realize this factor until I started traveling with my wife, who packs much more than me. I’ve always fit everything into a single personal item that goes under the seat, which has always meant casually reading a book until my zone is nearly finished boarding

      • JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Also now i go from a medium checked bag with plenty of space to a large bag half full of her stuff and weighing it at home to make sure its under 30kg or whatever the limit is.

    • DigitalNirvana@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      8 months ago

      And methods have been worked out to load passengers smoothly and efficiently. Alternate sides, every other row, if I recall correctly, leaves plenty of space and time. But nobody uses this.

      • ramirezmike@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        12
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        these methods don’t account for all the variables that reality has. People across all boarding groups will be late, there will be people that need assistance from flight attendants, there will be people who want to switch seats to be near their family, there will be people who can’t sit in the exit row, there will be people who need to use the rest room, there will be people who’ve never been on a plane before.

        There is no great, full proof way to handle it because people are unpredictable

        • explore_broaden@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          8 months ago

          “The plane is here, everyone get on” (random order) is actually faster than the method they use now, so it wouldn’t take some complex system to increase speeds.

          • BakerBagel@midwest.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            8 months ago

            That’s essentially what Southwest Airlines does. No assigned seats, just a boarding group and number for “controlled” self-service boarding.

            • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              8 months ago

              Too bad you end up in a Southwest plane after all that. I flew them once, in the extra room seat (I’m a tall bastard) and there has apparently been 600 lb life people using the seat before, it was like sitting on an old wicker chair that had blown out.

              One of the worst flights I’ve had.

              • BakerBagel@midwest.social
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                8 months ago

                Idk, i like Southwest. It’s cheap and you get two free checked bags without having to sacrifice your human dignity flying Spirit. Grantdd i never have to fky for work, only ever for personal trips

      • 667@lemmy.radio
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        It’s a practical, demonstrative example of scarcity. It causes people to act internally rational, even though there are far more efficient methods.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        No the most recent conclusion is random works best if the participants are “normal”. Any strategy about this seat or that row first requires trained participants to maximize that effort.

      • invertedspear@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        8 months ago

        That fact doesn’t do you much good if you have a carry-on. And most everyone is trying to get by with a carry-on and a personal bag to avoid checked bag fees.

        • PatMustard@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          Isn’t “carry on” just the American name for “hand luggage”? As in you’re only getting one free bag which has to be small enough to fit under the chair anyway, right?

          • jumjummy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            8 months ago

            No, the carry-on is a piece of luggage that can be stored in the overhead compartment (assuming there’s room, hence the waiting in line). In addition you can bring a personal item (backpack/purse). It’s those bags being put up top as well where the dick moves come in since, on a full flight, there’s not enough space up there and the passengers who boarded before you have put BOTH their carry-on and personal item up there.

            • PatMustard@feddit.uk
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              8 months ago

              In addition you can bring a personal item

              I see you’ve not had the pleasure of traveling with Sleazyjet before!

        • PatMustard@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          You can bend your legs under the chair? Obviously I’m exaggerating but I don’t think it really takes away that much of the tiny amount of leg room you get anyway!

          • saiarcot895@programming.dev
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            With the backpack I have, I do lose a good part of my leg space from having my backpack underneath the seat in front of me. That’s why I sometimes pull my backpack out and then set it down in front of me, but not underneath the seat in front of me; this lets me stretch/move my legs more than before.

      • maniacal_gaff@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        I will always do everything in my power to NOT check a bag and have them lose it. So I bring a roller bag and a backpack.

        • Scott@lem.free.as
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          I always check my bag and haven’t had any go missing in nearly 15 years. It’s a lot better with the bar-coded tags and automation.

          • Drusas@kbin.run
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            8 months ago

            Lucky. I stopped checking bags when the baggage handlers stole from my locked suitcase.

        • Drusas@kbin.run
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          I don’t know how people can stand putting an item under the seat in front of them. I’m not even tall and I sure as hell need that space for my feet.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    103
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    8 months ago

    Limited overhead space. If you wait, you increase the chance there won’t be room for your overhead bag.

    • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      28
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      The real answer. I sometimes have a laptop in my carry on. I’ll be fucked if I’m going to hand it over to the savages on the tarmac.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        8 months ago

        If you have it in a backpack you can put it under the seat in front of you unless you’re in a front seat or one next to an overwing emergency exit.

        This is all officially allowed and I’ve used it plenty of times.

          • villainy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            8 months ago

            Once I’m in the air my backpack goes from under the seat to under my knees. Then I can stick my feet under the seat for that extra few inches of stretch. It’s not a whole lot but it does help.

      • dingus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        8 months ago

        A lot of airlines nowadays seem to charge extra for a carry on than they do a checked bag. So I tend to bring one checked bag and one small backpack that can fit under the seat, which isn’t classified as a carry on.

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          8 months ago

          Yup yup, carry on and personal item. You can live for a week out of that. Plus no wait at the baggage claim, and no risk of the airline stealing or breaking your stuff.

  • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    86
    ·
    8 months ago

    Overhead bin space for carry-on bags.

    As someone who travels with carry-on only (as much as possible), if I’m in economy I make sure to board as soon as I can to ensure there’s space in the overhead bins for my bag.

    • IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      8 months ago

      Man, I hate traveling carry-on only (unless it’s a short enough trip that the required change of clothes can fit in a backpack). I’ll pay the $50 or whatever it is to not have to worry about needing to cram all my stuff up into the overheads.

      • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        41
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        8 months ago
        • I hate when airlines lose bags
        • I dislike bringing more stuff than I can easily carry on my back
        • I only have one bag and my laptop goes in it, so it ain’t going down below.

        It isn’t about price. In fact some airlines are starting to charge more for a carry-on.

        I’m also really good at bringing less. I travel months at a time with carry on only.

        • MajorMajormajormajor@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          22
          ·
          8 months ago

          Plus, once you land at your destination you just grab your bag and go. There is no waiting at the baggage carasoul, you beat some of the rush too.

          • IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            8
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            I guess part of my different perspective is that 99% of my flight travels are for work, and I’m paid by the hour, even on days when I’m doing nothing but traveling.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          8 months ago

          How about waiting for fuckin ever for a checked bag? I think I’ve waited 40+ minutes for a checked bag before. Not only does it suck to wait after a day or traveling but you also get to have anxiety that your bag might be lost as you continually watch people you recognize from your flight take their bags and go

      • macarthur_park@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        ·
        8 months ago

        As annoying as it is to lug a bag around and find room for it, I much prefer this to checking it. There’s the small but nonzero chance your bag doesn’t make it to your destination, plus the added time waiting at baggage return.

        • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          Yeah I avoid checking bags if I have a layover. Direct flight? Eh it’s pretty hard to fuck up then, still absolutely can, but harder. Going to a destination I hate checking because I’m eager to get going, coming home it’s just another 15-20 minutes waiting for my bag usually, so I don’t care.

    • Damionsipher@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      8 months ago

      I used to wait until the last minute to board, until the time I had to put my carry on bag at the back of the plane and my personal item under the seat and ended up being the last person off. One of the more uncomfortable flights I’ve been on.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      Yeah I kind of get this but at the same time, it’s rare I have an issue finding a spot for my bag very near my seat. I’ve always been of the same attitude as OP

      • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Great, if that works for you! I’ve seen plenty of people have to check their carry-ons. I’ll gladly get on before you to ensure my overhead space.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          So as luck would have it, yesterday this bit me haha

          I was one of the first few forced to check my bag at the gate. Then, also, my bag was waiting for me at the kiosk when I got there which feels very rare. I feel like I usually have to wait at least 10 minutes any time I check a bag. So I guess I both did and didn’t learn my lesson? Lol

      • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Carry-on is not the same as personal item. My backpack does not fit under 90% of seats, and if it did, I would have nowhere to put my feet, thus the importance of finding overhead space.

        • PatMustard@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          I’ve not known any airlines that let you bring on hand luggage that’s too big to go under the chairs so consider yourself lucky to even have that!

    • OhmsLawn@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      9
      ·
      8 months ago

      I get that it’s a hassle to find overhead space late, but I’ve never been in a situation where there wasn’t anywhere at all to put my bag. At the very least, the flight crew can usually put it aside somewhere.

      Granted, I haven’t flown US domestic in years, so the nightmare might be worse than I imagine.

      • ramirezmike@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        8 months ago

        I flew around 26 times domestically last year and most of the flights ran out of space. It’s really common for the airline to ask for volunteers to check their carry-ons. If you aren’t in the first 2/3rds of people on the plane, you’ll likely be forced to check your carry-ons.

        This problem has gotten worse over the years because airlines have increased the prices for checking your luggage so many people opt to bring carry-ons instead.

  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    69
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    8 months ago

    Two reasons:

    I always take window seats, and don’t really want to hop over someone to get to my seat.

    And it also means I don’t have to fight for overhead space for my carry-on.

      • 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘬@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        No, that is the solution. The reason is that airlines intentionally plan with too little overhead space to save money.

        • Kbobabob@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          How does that save money? It’s not like they have to leave their bags behind if the overhead space is gone. It just gets checked instead.

          • ZombieBait@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            8 months ago

            I don’t know about saving money, but around here airlines have been creeping up checked bag fees for years. You used to get one free checked bag but when they started charging for all checked bags people started trying to fit thier entire vacation worth of stuff into carry-on. The bags I see people trying to fit into the overhead now are huge and just barely fit in the compartment on smaller planes. The airlines know what’s up though since they’ll charge for checked bags but then announce repeatedly before the flight that they’re looking for volunteers to check their carry-on to its final destination for free. I actually saw one airline enforce the carry-on sizing device as people were boarding and forced any oversize bags to be checked. A lot of unhappy people that day.

            • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              8 months ago

              I’ve really never minded gate-checking, and when I travel alone (i.e. for work), I travel light and try to cram everything into a larger carryon and gate check it.

              The biggest bottleneck on the way out is waiting at baggage claim. Gate checked bags are returned to you at the tarmac or at the end of the PBB, and sometimes they are there waiting for you before you even get to it, making it the quickest way out of the airport.

    • gerbler@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      8 months ago

      People who use up more than their third of the locker, forcing others out of their own space are subhuman.

      • fakeaustinfloyd@ttrpg.network
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        8 months ago

        The gate crew often gets graded on how quickly they complete boarding, so don’t be surprised when your plane’s “full” overhead compartments are half empty. Stupid job metrics strike again.

        • gerbler@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          8 months ago

          Oh no I’m literally just talking about when I go to stow my suitcase and some goober with 3 suitcases has filled his entire row and is now cramping mine. You’re not special. Check your damn luggage and wait on the carousel like the rest of us!

    • Catsrules@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      Really? I haven’t flown in awhile but I always thought if your carry on doesn’t fit they will check it for you. Has that changed? Could be different for each airline.

  • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    45
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    8 months ago

    These same people will all stand up at once the moment the plane stops… and continue to uncomfortably stand there for like twenty minutes.

    On my last flight my gf sprung up and was irritated that I wasn’t doing the same. Like where the fuck you going to go? One foot to the left? Just, why? I’m chillin.

        • RGB3x3@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          11
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          Not if you’re in a middle or window seat. It’s kinda rude to make one or two people constantly get up and down.

          • 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘬@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            8 months ago

            This is why I only book aisle seats. I have more leg room and I can stand up ad sit down quickly without disturbing others in my row.

    • OhmsLawn@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      8 months ago

      Yeah, no. I’ll stand up right away, help people around me reach their luggage, along with getting ours down and prepared to roll. Nobody behind me on the plane is going to appreciate it I’m fumbling around with my bags while they’re trying to get off.

      • 🐍🩶🐢@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        I will happily defend you on this point. Down vote away people. As long as you don’t shove past the rows in front of you or bonk me with luggage, we good. I try to remember the passengers who had to store luggage father back and see if I can get it passed forward. I will totally boss people to sit back down if someone needs to get to the front ASAP due to close connections. If it is going to be a while, I will try to grab my backpack and sit back down.

        Now, people with oversized rollerboards? Yeah. I get pretty irritated over that and the vast number of issues that causes with boarding and deplaning. The airlines make it worse with price hikes. I personally check all of my luggage and rarely run into issues. If I have any major concerns I will throw a couple things into a bag that will fit under my seat or FedEx it if we are really going there.

  • esc27@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    41
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    Anxiety (especially now that planes are oversold and standby passengers are nearby waiting to grab empty seats…), the need for overhead bin space, not wanting to have to climb over people, illogical impatience, etc.

    • Dempf@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Yes, in the US, 14 CFR part 250.7 means that they can’t throw you off after you’re checked in and your ticket has been scanned at the gate during the boarding process. It was changed by Congress after that doctor got thrown off a United flight in 2017. The airline can still throw you off if you’re disruptive, and my understanding is that a pilot in command can order you off for pretty much any reason, as they have full command of the aircraft, so if you’re ever in that situation then you better follow the pilot’s instructions. But if the pilot does throw you off due to a bumping situation then the airline is breaking the law.

      Airlines can also make their own policies on which passengers have the highest priority to get bumped, which can involve check-in time, and I imagine can involve basically who is at the gate, ready to go. So there are some advantages to being there and queuing early.

  • Conyak@lemmy.tf
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    42
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    8 months ago

    If you have a bag to put in the overhead compartment then you want to get on sooner since the space is limited. I personally only ever take a bag that can go under the seat. I wait until everyone has boarded regardless of my group.

    • spudsrus@aussie.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      8 months ago

      This is the correct answer. If I’m on an overseas holiday I’m usually carrying an extra bag of medication.

      If I wait I run the risk of no storage space near me and it getting stored away from me

  • GBU_28@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    36
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    8 months ago

    Overhead space. The only upgrade I pay for is boarding group, and I want to maximize my upgrade purchase, so I want to be at the front of group 2.

    I only travel with an appropriately sized carry-on but I’m a bit tall so I can NOT have the bag by my feet.

    So I want to guarantee I have the overhead right above my seat.

    I also generally work on the plane so I can get my laptop and such out easily while standing at my seat, then put my bag up worry free.

    • modifier@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      8 months ago

      This is the answer. Trace it back to the early 2000s when airlines started charging for checked bags. That created an immediate premium for overhead space and kicked off the Boarding Wars we now find ourselves in today, where airlines and passengers alike contort themselves literally and figuratively in an attempt to work around this one massive consequence of corporate greed.

      -20 airline professional

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        8 months ago

        I wish there was just seat designations in the overhead. If shit is in my slot, yeet.

        • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          8 months ago

          I agree. But this would require them to provide adequate space up there for each passenger. They are squeezing seats together so tightly that may no longer be possible.

          • modifier@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            8 months ago

            Bin designs are just now getting to the point where there is something like a 1:1 relationship between passengers and overhead space. Only a small fraction of the flights operating (at least in the US) have these bins, though.

            Some of the new Boeing aircraft, as it happens, so it’s a trade off…

    • Frozengyro@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      8 months ago

      Also, when you will likely be sitting for 2+ hours, I like to stretch my legs a bit before then. I don’t need to sit at my gate for an hour before going into a plane to sit for 3 more hours.

  • DillyDaily@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    35
    ·
    8 months ago

    I’m hard of hearing and terrified of standing in the wrong place at an airport and missing the visual cues to board the flight. Once boarding starts and people start queueing up, I usually get in line because it’s helpful to see what everyone in front of me is doing - the order that they hand over paperwork or get carry on double checked. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to hear the attendant if they ask me questions at the gate because it’s so noisy, so I like to at least feel like I’m prepared.

    One time I was flying with crutches and qualified for early pre-boarding because I needed the plane wheelchair (skychair). I sat right next to the gate desk and waited, then I started seeing people queue up so I quickly joined the line, wondering how pre-boarding works when the whole plane of passengers are already vying to be at the front of the line.

    I get to the front, the attendant looks at my ticket then after some awkward back and forward eventually I realised they were telling me I’ll have to wait till everyone has boarded to get the sky-chair on. I should have come to the desk when pre boarding was announced. I pointed that I was sitting right in front of them… Apparently they were called my name 3 times over the loudspeaker.

    Apparently airports can only comprehend one disability at a time (if that!) they knew I was hard of hearing (it’s on my ticket) but still thought calling me over the PA was the best way to get the attention of the deaf person sitting 80cm from their desk.

    So I sat back down and waited for the line to clear, then I got back up when there were 2 people in line, and after another back and forward I learned that they had tried calling my name again about halfway through boarding because they only had one skychair and it was now or never because the chair had told fly with the other passenger because their arrival airport didn’t have a chair, or something, I dunno, anyway I kind of had to crawl down the ailse to get to my chair because in the past I’ve just used the backs of chairs to swing myself along, but the plane was full so I couldn’t do that.

    • buran@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      8 months ago

      Hard of hearing also. It’s so frustrating that text signs that list announcements are so rare.

      Captions on television/movies and games are commonplace, but in the real world, very few places care.

      Might be because I’m in a red state for a few more years due to family; blue states likely tend to be more aware of issues like ours.

      I did see written callouts of upcoming tram stops once, but I can’t recall which airport. It may have been ORD.

      • uis@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Now I think about it… Map in Elite Dangerous is also helpful for people without hearing.

        • buran@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          It’s been a while since I’ve played that. But yes, it’s helpful to see a graphical representation of where noisy things are, as I’m completely deaf in my left ear and can’t locate sounds.

    • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 months ago

      This is a valid reason.

      My cousin gets serious panic attacks and had to fly alone. He was so nervous, I had to be on video call to help him at the customer service desk. We worked out for him and he was standing “near” line for about 45 minutes, which was more comforting for him than just waiting in a seat.

    • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Man I once spent three hours in an urgent care waiting room with a really bad ear infection and impacted wax.

      Turned out they called me like 6 times in the first hour and I didn’t hear it once. They assumed I’d walked out or something.

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    34
    ·
    8 months ago

    Yup, exactly what I think. So I used to sit in the gate area until the last possible moment until I found out that if you wait too long, they’ll give away your seat. Plus since they are charging people for checking luggage through, you have to get that overhead bin before it’s gone, unless your carry-on fits in front of you, which it doesn’t if you’re on a bulkhead. So, now I stand in line, frustrated by that and all the other crap we have to go through when traveling by plane these days. Looking at you TSA.

    • stringere@leminal.space
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      I was a flight attendant with TWA, so take this as what it is: advice from 20+ years ago.

      If all the overhead bins are full they will gate check your bag; tag it, send it down the external stairs of the jetway, and it will go in the belly with the other checked luggage.

      • Professorozone@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yeah, I thought about that, but I once saw someone bring something too large on the plane and the flight attendant told the person it would have to be checked(at cost). Maybe the guy pissed her off, I don’t know.

        • stringere@leminal.space
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          If their “carry on” does not meet the size restrictions they absolutely will gate check it at cost. That’s their fault not listening or reading bag size restrictions orbwillfully ignoring them in hopes of forcing an oversize bag into the overhead.

      • Dempf@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yes, this is also true if you board the plane and your luggage doesn’t fit (for example, regional flights on a CRJ or ERJ). As long as it’s within the airline’s policy for carry-ons, they’ll gate check it for free.

  • Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    8 months ago

    People are posting a lot of maybe more rational reasons, but I think there’s another answer that’s more in line with just being a human. Airports suck, air travel, generally, sucks and the whole process is riddle with both intentional and also just unavoidable misery. Every time a new step in the sequence of unpleasant and boring steps that is air travel nears, we start to anticipate it and get anxious to move on to that next step in the process. It doesn’t make it faster, it likely only makes the misery arguably worse, but some times people just can’t help trying to mentally hasten things even if in reality nothing is hastened at all.

  • lanolinoil@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    8 months ago

    The sooner I get to my seat the sooner I’m out of the god damned airport and can begin whatever escapism I’ve chosen for the flight. The thing I truly hate is the airport and being in it.

  • WanderingCat@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    ·
    8 months ago

    For me it’s the last chance to stand for a while. If I’m going to be sitting in a cramped seat for 2+ hours then you bet I’m going to be standing before hand. So the if I’m standing then I might as well be in line.

  • superduperpirate@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    8 months ago

    I’m about to be seated for five hours straight with no possibility of standing or moving around. I’m standing while I still have the opportunity.