Boarding Tips: The Mistake 90% of Passengers Make (And What I Do Instead as a Pilot)

Why I Never Board Through the Jet Bridge First. And Neither Should You...

You hear the gate agent's voice: "We're now boarding Group 1." Instantly, half the terminal rushes toward the jet bridge like it's Black Friday at Best Buy. Business travelers clutch their priority boarding passes. Families with crying babies push forward. Everyone's desperate to be first on that plane.

But watch carefully next time, and you'll notice something: the pilots aren't rushing.

We're still sitting calmly at the gate, maybe grabbing one last coffee, checking our phones or reading a book.

Because we know something most passengers don't…

The Jet Bridge Traffic Jam Nobody Talks About

Here's what happens when you board in that first wave: You get stuck.

Picture this: You're third in line, feeling smug about beating the crowd. You hand over your boarding pass, walk down the jet bridge, and then... you stop. Because the person ahead of you stopped. And the person ahead of them stopped too.

Why? The plane isn't ready.

The gate agent might have called boarding, but the flight attendants are still doing their safety checks. The galley isn't secured. The lavatory service truck might still be connected. Sometimes the previous flight's passengers are still deplaning through the rear door.

So there you are, trapped in a narrow jet bridge with 50-100 other people, breathing recycled air, unable to move forward or back. I've seen passengers wait 15-20 minutes just standing in that tube.

Meanwhile, I'm still at the gate, watching this unfold through the window.

The 10-15 Minute Rule at least…

Here's my secret: I wait at least a minimum of 10-15 minutes after general boarding begins.

Why 10-15 minutes? That's typically how long it takes for the initial boarding jam to clear and for the flight attendants to actually be ready to receive passengers efficiently. It's also long enough for the eager beavers to get settled so they're not clogging the aisles.

Now, this timing varies depending on the aircraft and how full the flight is. On a small regional jet with 50 seats, 5-10 minutes might be enough. On a packed A380 or 777-300, you might want to wait 20-25 minutes. A half-empty flight? The jam clears faster, so 5-6 minutes works. But a minimum of 10-15 minutes is my sweet spot for most domestic flights on mainline aircraft. Again this depends on the load and the boarding process efficiency.