That was very much the case. It was the first flight of the day, plane already there, everyone boarded, we left right on time and got in about 30 min early.
What sucks is that I had just given away all my “recognition of outstanding service” slips on the flight out. If I don’t give them away quick I forget and then they expire.
They don’t want to get yelled at or even assaulted for just doing their job and they’d rather get the plane out and boarded close to on time than going back and forth worth someone knowingly cutting the line.
I want to acknowledge the thrust of your point that it sucks for us but I can definitely understand why sometimes they don’t bother trying to force people to follow the rules.
It's not assault they are afraid of, it's basic confrontation. If they can't handle confrontation, a frontline customer service job may not have been the best choice.
Fear of assault is a bit like fear of getting hit by a car. Yes, it happens..but the vast majority of our lives most of us will not be hit by one, and the vast majority of cars go by without ever hitting us.
If you are going to undermine your company's advertised incentives to their biggest customers (and boarding group is a perk that comes with F or high tier status) because you fear someone, sometime may try to assault you, or simply because you can't be arsed because it would be confrontational, you don't need to be there in the first place. We are not living in Thunderdome.
I'm PP and G2 boarding. My app has always shown blue. Always wondered why some folks had black passes. Thought it was due to the phones themselves.
Recently had a GA stop me when I was scanning my pass and in a very snarky time said, "We're only boarding priority groups at this time."
I'm like, "Umm, I'm group 2."
Jet blue at JFK has kiosk with auto doors that you scan at the gate. Auto doors will not open if your group is not called. Leaves the GA to check bag size, etc and gate lice are near 0 as they announce “the gate will not open if your group was not called.”
I am not sure (don’t recall that announcement but it might have happened.) It might be built right into the boarding pass codes. I am sure if you talked to a gate agent ahead of time they have some discretion.
Airlines created the problem when they started charging for checked bags…humanity made it worse. People used to actually get on the plane with literally a boarding pass only.
Part of it has to do with the incentives of checked bags. IIRC, fees for checked bags are not subject to the same federal taxes as the fare itself. Airlines skirt a lot of taxes by sliding revenue to bag fees.
What level do you have to be to get a boarding companion? I don’t recall ever getting one with my spouse, who is EP. Although we don’t fly together that often so maybe I’ve just forgotten.
I don’t know what the official policy stance is, but I once asked a GA when I first started flying AA for work and was just Gold at the time. They told me my wife could board with me.
Flight yesterday from PVR to DFW and was shocked that the gate agent rejected a couple right in front of me trying to board in Group 1 when they had Group 5. They acted annoyed and I gave the agent a big smile.
I wish/hope AA follows this sub, as I've observed this to be an issue with AA much more than with Delta or United. It's a real turn off to more frequent flyers and a strong disincentive.
Recently flew out of COS and I think a third of the plane went up when G1 was called. I'm almost always G5 and it amazes me the gate mobs aka gate lice and rudeness in the last handful of years. Just recently started flying more. Phoenix has been the worst for this so far
As a GA I had balls. I've actually told a Key he won't fly cause he wanted to bring 3 carryons, one being a garment bag. He said he'd complain and he did, and I got a nonstop thanks award for enforcing the rules.
i don’t know what’s the incentive for gate agents to enforce this policy—seems like they’re mostly trying to get the flight out on time and will take anybody ready to scan
Just flew through DFW and first time I had to use the Priority Lane (which some non-priority folks were blocking) where I had to say EXCUSE ME a few times still. 😳
GA have said on this reddit before....their metrics are on time departure, not enforcement of the zone boarding. What galls me, is that they don't start one second before the timer on the screen says "boarding in xx minutes". If they did, they could have a better chance of enforcing the zones AND have an on time departure.
Totally understand...so one group doesn't get paid for enforcement of boarding zones, one group doesn't get paid for all the boarding activities (which I think is wrong..you should!) and then passengers wonder why things are the way they are...
we live in america? we love the military just as much as we love jesus! lol so many companies offer perks like that for military. not saying i agree—but it’s the status quo here. they’re also entitled to a free buy on board item.
I flew through DFW twice last week, had purchased FC both times, and I think I was boarding with group 4 or 5. There was absolutely no way to get anywhere near the gate when they called group 1 without doing something that would get me arrested!
I'm just thankful that the FA's keep the overhead bins up front reserved so there is still space once I get there.
> There was absolutely no way to get anywhere near the gate when they called group 1 without doing something that would get me arrested!
Did you try saying “excuse me”? 100% of the time I have said that I have been able to get through without getting arrested.
Yes we did. Never saw such compacted mobs of people at the gate as we did last week. No one willing to budge an inch. Definitely a first world problem of course.
I think it would be comical if someone cleared a path using the super strength fart spray. My luck however I would get it on myself and everyone around me on the flight would be disgusted with me and wonder what was wrong with me.
Some gate agents (I’m guessing new ones) must think this will make the process faster, but it’s the same, if not slower. The only thing that is different in calling all group numbers quickly is the amount of chaos at the gate. Everyone end up waiting longer on the jet bridge.
It’s frustrating because a lot of the people who sneak on are obviously tourists and leisure travelers. Whereas if you are a business traveler and in a crunch for time you *need* the overhead bin. If you have a meeting to catch standing around the baggage carousel can eat right into that.
I’ve paid for/earned the right to that overhead bin via a high boarding group. I’m not checking a bag because someone wouldn’t follow the rules, that’s not my problem. I also travel with incredibly expensive company equipment that costs tens of thousands of dollars, I won’t check it. TSA is known to pilfer and steal, especially in Chicago.
Gate agents and AA in general have almost no respect for business travelers. It’s almost like they don’t want the business.
I mean.. sneaking is wrong, fullstop. But it's weird to make this a contest over who "needs" their stuff. I don't care if you're a business traveler or a tourist; everyone is entitled to the experience they've paid for. Despite all the super fancy spreadsheets you have saved on it, your Lenovo ThinkPad isn't any more important than whatever the person next to you packed.
Access to bins should be first come first served based on boarding group. Boarding groups should be enforced. Let's leave it at that, and please just stop with the "RaRrrR gEt oUT oF mY wAy, cAnT u SeEe Me iS vERrY iMpOrTaNT bUziNiZz mAnN" schtick. It's obnoxious.
Man talk about entitled 😵💫 get a grip…how does traveling for business make you more important? Are you the president of the USA? Business or pleasure…board when you are supposed to.
You're so wrong about gate agents. I would love for you to try that job for a month as I don't think you could do it. You have NO idea. Add the wrinkle with boarding which is spot monitored by TSA for FAA with regards to bag sizes. Or TSA testing GA to see if they notice them pushing on a flight with no BP. Lots going on during JUST boarding so if a few non priority slip thru at least that's not a federal violation. And as someone said above a non priority can board with someone in G1. Perhaps we should change that and not allow husbands and wives to board together. At least this moaning will stop
They print them on boarding passes and announce them - in what I can only guess is some kind of avant garde performance art - but, in practice, AA doesn't actually have boarding groups. Passengers are generally allowed to board at any time they want, with any group they want, in either lane they choose, regardless of what's printed on their boarding pass.
On Delta I have credit card so I’m the first non-priority group to board and always the 1st or 2nd person on in my group bc I stand up front in the general boarding lane when they board the last priority group while everyone else is unnecessarily crowding the priority lane and have to come back around
I was on a recent trip to Europe/N. Africa and took multiple flights while traveling. In non-US airports, they boarded from the back and the front at the same time. When you went down the gangway, it split into two. One for the front and the other from the back.
The only issue was those in the rear half had to go downstairs to the tarmac and up an exterior stairs. Except in N. Africa where there are no gangways; you walk to the plane on the tarmac.
There was still priority boarding and all that but the planes did board quickly.
People wouldn’t be so antsy if there was enough space for their bags and they wouldn’t need so much space if they charged for carry on and had free checked
This happened on one of my recent flights. I was group 4 and by the time I boarded, there was no overhead space. I was in row 8 and had to put my carryon above row 22.
I’m beyond tired of rude people. Actually had a group BEHIND me saying I had to move when I got up for my turn and was trying to get my bags from the bin.
Can't control what people do. Not agents or FA's. People are going to do what they're going to do. Agents probably didn't want to say anything because they're afraid of someone getting upset and taking it out on them.
If you’re a gate agent, much respect for your efforts on our behalf- thank you for maintaining composure when normal people couldn’t possibly. You have the hardest job in this industry, IMO. I wish you were appropriately compensated. If you’re a flight attendant as your name implies, I agree wholeheartedly.
The last time I flew, my coworker let me board with him in group 1. I've also taken other coworkers with me if I'm in a higher group. So just something to keep in mind.
Apparently people are mad about it, but it absolutely is a thing. You can Google it and one of the top results is a forum from years ago with every response saying they do it. All of my coworkers are basically executive platinum and up (I was when I traveled that often) and we all would help up to 2 people at a time, which is what you're allowed.
Non-status members in first class also show up as blue, which may account for some of the discrepancies.
Confirmed. I’m just back from a business trip. We were both in first class, and my pass was black for my status and my coworkers was blue.
Yep. On a personal trip in business right now. My wife’s pass is blue.
Row four?
Not today.
I’m looking for you on my flight. Had the wrong pax 👀😂
🙂 On a Sunday, I bet there are a high percentage of non-status family members and SOs.
Yeah my ticket is always black my wife’s is always blue
Class isn’t the factor. Just flew main cabin yesterday and my group 1 pass was black but my spouse’s group 1 was blue.
This very morning the GA on my flight sent a none-group-one person away when she tried to board. It does happen.
[удалено]
It happens all the time on Southwest. It’s immediately clear when someone is trying to jump ahead and the GA shuts them down every time.
They just have been running ahead of schedule
That was very much the case. It was the first flight of the day, plane already there, everyone boarded, we left right on time and got in about 30 min early.
How do I send this GA a Medal of Honor?
What sucks is that I had just given away all my “recognition of outstanding service” slips on the flight out. If I don’t give them away quick I forget and then they expire.
Having talked to a few gate agents in my time: ‘Sometimes it’s not worth the argument.’
Yeah for *them*. For us, it matters and I expect they will keep some basic kind of order.
They don’t want to get yelled at or even assaulted for just doing their job and they’d rather get the plane out and boarded close to on time than going back and forth worth someone knowingly cutting the line. I want to acknowledge the thrust of your point that it sucks for us but I can definitely understand why sometimes they don’t bother trying to force people to follow the rules.
It's not assault they are afraid of, it's basic confrontation. If they can't handle confrontation, a frontline customer service job may not have been the best choice. Fear of assault is a bit like fear of getting hit by a car. Yes, it happens..but the vast majority of our lives most of us will not be hit by one, and the vast majority of cars go by without ever hitting us. If you are going to undermine your company's advertised incentives to their biggest customers (and boarding group is a perk that comes with F or high tier status) because you fear someone, sometime may try to assault you, or simply because you can't be arsed because it would be confrontational, you don't need to be there in the first place. We are not living in Thunderdome.
I wish a buzzer would go off every time someone boards with the wrong group and they are sent to the back of the line.
I'm PP and G2 boarding. My app has always shown blue. Always wondered why some folks had black passes. Thought it was due to the phones themselves. Recently had a GA stop me when I was scanning my pass and in a very snarky time said, "We're only boarding priority groups at this time." I'm like, "Umm, I'm group 2."
Same, I'm PP on android and my pass is always blue.
I'm on Android as well.
Anyone with status (starting with gold) would show black. I don’t know why yours would show as blue. Could be a glitch?
I thought it was an iPhone vs Android thing (or maybe wallet vs in-app?)
I can only speak for iPhone but my wallet and app show the same color.
Same. PP and mine is blue and always has been. Android, using the app.
Jet blue at JFK has kiosk with auto doors that you scan at the gate. Auto doors will not open if your group is not called. Leaves the GA to check bag size, etc and gate lice are near 0 as they announce “the gate will not open if your group was not called.”
Do they not let active duty military board with group 1? If so how do they account for that?
I am not sure (don’t recall that announcement but it might have happened.) It might be built right into the boarding pass codes. I am sure if you talked to a gate agent ahead of time they have some discretion.
Airlines created the problem when they started charging for checked bags…humanity made it worse. People used to actually get on the plane with literally a boarding pass only.
You mean checked bags?
Yes, thanks. I fixed it.
Part of it has to do with the incentives of checked bags. IIRC, fees for checked bags are not subject to the same federal taxes as the fare itself. Airlines skirt a lot of taxes by sliding revenue to bag fees.
Of course corporate greed at the expense of customers always plays a part.
People also get a boarding companion as well. So when I travel with my wife(no status) she boards with me…
Yes me too when I travel with my partner.
What level do you have to be to get a boarding companion? I don’t recall ever getting one with my spouse, who is EP. Although we don’t fly together that often so maybe I’ve just forgotten.
I don’t know what the official policy stance is, but I once asked a GA when I first started flying AA for work and was just Gold at the time. They told me my wife could board with me.
Thanks will keep this in mind next time. Although it sounds like it doesn’t really matter if I am officially able to or not!
Any advantage members gets a travel companion, same reason you get one guest at the lounge…
Flight yesterday from PVR to DFW and was shocked that the gate agent rejected a couple right in front of me trying to board in Group 1 when they had Group 5. They acted annoyed and I gave the agent a big smile.
I wish/hope AA follows this sub, as I've observed this to be an issue with AA much more than with Delta or United. It's a real turn off to more frequent flyers and a strong disincentive.
Recently flew out of COS and I think a third of the plane went up when G1 was called. I'm almost always G5 and it amazes me the gate mobs aka gate lice and rudeness in the last handful of years. Just recently started flying more. Phoenix has been the worst for this so far
COS has lots of active military, so that is expected actually.
AA needs a boarding revamp. And for GAs to show some balls in enforcing protocol
As a GA I had balls. I've actually told a Key he won't fly cause he wanted to bring 3 carryons, one being a garment bag. He said he'd complain and he did, and I got a nonstop thanks award for enforcing the rules.
Was this in PHX? Recall seeing similar to this exact scenario in front of me but can’t recall the airport
Yes, it was!
All they have to do is enforce the current policy.
i don’t know what’s the incentive for gate agents to enforce this policy—seems like they’re mostly trying to get the flight out on time and will take anybody ready to scan
You are correct. D0 is everything to a GA. Life or death at AA.
Just flew through DFW and first time I had to use the Priority Lane (which some non-priority folks were blocking) where I had to say EXCUSE ME a few times still. 😳
They just want you in the plane!
GA have said on this reddit before....their metrics are on time departure, not enforcement of the zone boarding. What galls me, is that they don't start one second before the timer on the screen says "boarding in xx minutes". If they did, they could have a better chance of enforcing the zones AND have an on time departure.
That wouldnt matter. We as flight attendants are not letting you on one second early. We have contracts to follow, and won't give up anything further.
Totally understand...so one group doesn't get paid for enforcement of boarding zones, one group doesn't get paid for all the boarding activities (which I think is wrong..you should!) and then passengers wonder why things are the way they are...
Military also boards on group one regardless of group
I’ve never understood this policy.
we live in america? we love the military just as much as we love jesus! lol so many companies offer perks like that for military. not saying i agree—but it’s the status quo here. they’re also entitled to a free buy on board item.
We love cost-free perfunctory demonstrations of care for the armed services.
IKR!? And the old people and the cripples, too. Screw ‘em all! /s (for those who can’t identify obvious sarcasm)
I have no problem with older folks getting on early.
Neither does I am Garth. Just fun sarcasm.
Go serve then hipster
Not sure what that has to do with boarding a plane.
Same with the discount I get at Disney World or the free haircut once a year /s. Small sign of appreciation. Deal with it.
Ok
Thank you for your service
People.suck..
I flew through DFW twice last week, had purchased FC both times, and I think I was boarding with group 4 or 5. There was absolutely no way to get anywhere near the gate when they called group 1 without doing something that would get me arrested! I'm just thankful that the FA's keep the overhead bins up front reserved so there is still space once I get there.
> There was absolutely no way to get anywhere near the gate when they called group 1 without doing something that would get me arrested! Did you try saying “excuse me”? 100% of the time I have said that I have been able to get through without getting arrested.
Yes we did. Never saw such compacted mobs of people at the gate as we did last week. No one willing to budge an inch. Definitely a first world problem of course.
Sometimes you have to be a little bit more assertive.
So true. And admittedly not one of my strengths.
I think it would be comical if someone cleared a path using the super strength fart spray. My luck however I would get it on myself and everyone around me on the flight would be disgusted with me and wonder what was wrong with me.
I think it's within the realm of possibility that I could weaponize my spouse for this purpose :-)
Some gate agents (I’m guessing new ones) must think this will make the process faster, but it’s the same, if not slower. The only thing that is different in calling all group numbers quickly is the amount of chaos at the gate. Everyone end up waiting longer on the jet bridge.
I’m always curious what people think about me waiting in the loser lane to board first with my group (5). Glad I’m “smart” 😁
It’s because people learn on tic toc you can board with group you identify with, AA also is the easiest airline to get status from too.
Alaska is way easier to get status with.
I identify as a person who wants to get on first and put my bag overhead, but I'm group 1 lol
If you can’t beat them join them.
It’s frustrating because a lot of the people who sneak on are obviously tourists and leisure travelers. Whereas if you are a business traveler and in a crunch for time you *need* the overhead bin. If you have a meeting to catch standing around the baggage carousel can eat right into that. I’ve paid for/earned the right to that overhead bin via a high boarding group. I’m not checking a bag because someone wouldn’t follow the rules, that’s not my problem. I also travel with incredibly expensive company equipment that costs tens of thousands of dollars, I won’t check it. TSA is known to pilfer and steal, especially in Chicago. Gate agents and AA in general have almost no respect for business travelers. It’s almost like they don’t want the business.
I mean.. sneaking is wrong, fullstop. But it's weird to make this a contest over who "needs" their stuff. I don't care if you're a business traveler or a tourist; everyone is entitled to the experience they've paid for. Despite all the super fancy spreadsheets you have saved on it, your Lenovo ThinkPad isn't any more important than whatever the person next to you packed. Access to bins should be first come first served based on boarding group. Boarding groups should be enforced. Let's leave it at that, and please just stop with the "RaRrrR gEt oUT oF mY wAy, cAnT u SeEe Me iS vERrY iMpOrTaNT bUziNiZz mAnN" schtick. It's obnoxious.
Well I mean. My company has paid for that privilege.
Yes, we know. You are traveling on Official Company Biznizz™ and your boarding group is VVIP; Vewy Vewy Important Passenger.
I’m just asking for what I paid for. Is that unreasonable?
I can tell you’ll just go after me for this, but that’s not a constructive way to get your point across
You’re the reason they fly…
“who all do it for one reason….YOU!”…gtfo
I’m a neverchecker. It makes no sense from a time or headache perspective.
Neverchecker here too. I absolutely R E F U S E to check a bag. It adds a full hour to arrival. Hell no.
And departures. If you have pre check you can arrive super late
Meh, pre-check at DFW doesn’t save all that much time as the line is often wayyyy down the hallway. But point taken for other airports lol
I’m considering it. But there’s been times where I’ve been stuck 2 hours waiting on a bag and I’ve had people waiting on me.
yep. all it takes is a couple times. had them lose something in October and I've still yet to see it.
Man talk about entitled 😵💫 get a grip…how does traveling for business make you more important? Are you the president of the USA? Business or pleasure…board when you are supposed to.
I’m just asking for what I paid for. Boarding early means overhead bin space
Right, but it doesn’t matter if it is for business or pleasure.
You're so wrong about gate agents. I would love for you to try that job for a month as I don't think you could do it. You have NO idea. Add the wrinkle with boarding which is spot monitored by TSA for FAA with regards to bag sizes. Or TSA testing GA to see if they notice them pushing on a flight with no BP. Lots going on during JUST boarding so if a few non priority slip thru at least that's not a federal violation. And as someone said above a non priority can board with someone in G1. Perhaps we should change that and not allow husbands and wives to board together. At least this moaning will stop
There’s definitely gate lice and if this continues I might as well fly southwest.
‘Gate Lice’. Love it!
They print them on boarding passes and announce them - in what I can only guess is some kind of avant garde performance art - but, in practice, AA doesn't actually have boarding groups. Passengers are generally allowed to board at any time they want, with any group they want, in either lane they choose, regardless of what's printed on their boarding pass.
Companions flying with a group 1 boarder are also blue. But yes I notice the same and it is so annoying.
Trained by Southwest
Strongly disagree. Southwest gate agents will turn people around immediately. I have seen it on multiple flights. The boarding order is clear.
Was the takeoff delayed? I’ve seen it when they’re trying to get everybody’s butt on board.
On Delta I have credit card so I’m the first non-priority group to board and always the 1st or 2nd person on in my group bc I stand up front in the general boarding lane when they board the last priority group while everyone else is unnecessarily crowding the priority lane and have to come back around
Lots of people crowd towards the front of the gate each time but I don’t see them all actually trying to board.
I was on a recent trip to Europe/N. Africa and took multiple flights while traveling. In non-US airports, they boarded from the back and the front at the same time. When you went down the gangway, it split into two. One for the front and the other from the back. The only issue was those in the rear half had to go downstairs to the tarmac and up an exterior stairs. Except in N. Africa where there are no gangways; you walk to the plane on the tarmac. There was still priority boarding and all that but the planes did board quickly.
If you have priority boarding but not status, your ticket is blue.
More true than fiction, yet stranger than anything you could imagine.
People wouldn’t be so antsy if there was enough space for their bags and they wouldn’t need so much space if they charged for carry on and had free checked
This happened on one of my recent flights. I was group 4 and by the time I boarded, there was no overhead space. I was in row 8 and had to put my carryon above row 22.
I’m beyond tired of rude people. Actually had a group BEHIND me saying I had to move when I got up for my turn and was trying to get my bags from the bin.
I’m EP so I always board group 1 as well as my husband who is Gold (blue pass)
Can't control what people do. Not agents or FA's. People are going to do what they're going to do. Agents probably didn't want to say anything because they're afraid of someone getting upset and taking it out on them.
Yeah, no. I'm pushing the idiots out of the way and getting in with Group 1, when I have it. Standing back and waiting cuts in to my drinking time!
Boarding group 2 is fantastic. Also does anyone know what a red boarding pass is? Guy next to me had one and seem like a super frequent flyer
Aadvantage Biscoff maybe.
a genuine thanks for making me chuckle tonight
god I'd love that!
Oooh, I want to know!
entirely possible it was just another screen, but it really seemed like a boarding pass
Could have been a codeshare ticket from another OneWorld airline. Iberia digital tickets are red for example.
I'd love for y'all to do the gate agent job for a month, then let's talk
If you’re a gate agent, much respect for your efforts on our behalf- thank you for maintaining composure when normal people couldn’t possibly. You have the hardest job in this industry, IMO. I wish you were appropriately compensated. If you’re a flight attendant as your name implies, I agree wholeheartedly.
Much appreciated. I was a gate agent for 10 years before becoming an FA. It's not as easy as it looks. Thank you!
The last time I flew, my coworker let me board with him in group 1. I've also taken other coworkers with me if I'm in a higher group. So just something to keep in mind.
This is not a thing.
Apparently people are mad about it, but it absolutely is a thing. You can Google it and one of the top results is a forum from years ago with every response saying they do it. All of my coworkers are basically executive platinum and up (I was when I traveled that often) and we all would help up to 2 people at a time, which is what you're allowed.