Boarding planes

[ukwill]

Why is it that when, at the boarding gate, the announcement is made that boarding will be done on a block basis (ie. seats 40-60 etc) do about 100 additional people get up and stand by the gate entrance? What is the perceived benefit of doing this?

[shakotan]

ukwill said:

Why is it that when, at the boarding gate, the announcement is made that boarding will be done on a block basis (ie. seats 40-60 etc) do about 100 additional people get up and stand by the gate entrance? What is the perceived benefit of doing this?

Baa!

[Broomsticklady]

It's to do with the next thread down - they are carrying so much hand luggage they want to make sure there's locker space above them!!

[Matt Harper]

They are referred to as "Gate Fleas". If they don't get on quick, the plane will go without them.
Main reason is to try and bag overhead space, I suspect. One doesn't have that issue when one flies up-front. Cursed coach-roaches.

[GCH]

Gate Lice.....

Usually accompanied by ' oi, there is a queue' when i walk past them all for priority/status boarding

Also seen at checkin from certain airports and for certain airlines...

Edited by GCH on Tuesday 10th May 16:39

[jesta1865]

the cabin crew i knew at Cathay Pacific used to call them Locker Leaches as they used to attach themselves to the 1st lot called.

Cathay tried a while back to use the Lufthansa way of boarding, calling outer rows first, but i think they canned it as it made little or no difference.

Never flown anything other than coach, but almost always long haul, and you seem to get less there. The couple of times I have flown SH I have been shocked people have so little patience. They also seem to stand up as soon as the wheels are on the tarmac. I just sit there and push some soppy bints bag out of my face

[StevieBee]

jesta1865 said:

They also seem to stand up as soon as the wheels are on the tarmac. I just sit there and push some soppy bints bag out of my face

Hate that!

But is also quite amusing to see fully grown adults standing with the head arched at near 90 degrees for 10 mins while they wheel the staircase into position.

Yet....these are also the same people that stand by the carousel at the point furthest from where the bags appear.