Most of these recommendations seem nonsensical and completely out of phase with the reality of onboarding airplanes. Waiting 10 to 12 minutes almost always results in being trapped in a long line on the jet way. Etc
Totally fair, Jay. My strategy definitely isnβt one-size-fits-all and jet bridge traffic can be its own kind of purgatory. Appreciate you pushing the conversation with real-world nuance.
Yes, the author downplays the failure to find space for your carry-on. I've had it happen several times.
One thing I don't understand is why they don't board the rear seats first, because the main thing that causes aisle jams is waiting for people that need help loading bags in the overhead bins. The person finally gets it in place and then everyone is stalled by the person in the next row back as they struggle with theirs and so on all the way back.
Stephanie, youβre a kindred spirit! Thatβs exactly the move aisle seat, no carry-on, last to boardβ¦ and still first to relax. You basically wrote the pilotβs playbook. π
Flew for business 50 weeks a year for 20 years. 1. Would not drag a bag on other than a SMALL under seat item, no matter what. 2. I never lost a bag ( there were delays) in 20 years. 3. Donβt pack what you would not want to lose. 4. If you are tall & over 200 lbs buy a better seat if available. (That gets a LOT more important as you get older.) 5. Have patience. Lots of patience sometimes as needed. 6. Buckle your seatbelt. 7. Donβt recline your seat. Your log legs will take care of a recliner in the row in front of you. Be kind, listen, keep alert. Enjoy the experience.
David, this is pure gold. Every single point here is worth its own chapter in a travel guide especially #6 and #7. Seatbelt on at all times (turbulence doesnβt knock), and kindness really does go a long way at 35,000 feet. Thanks for sharing your hard-earned wisdom from the skies.
Thanks for the kind words. A whole separate subject is the people you meet, like the sweet fuzzy haired 80 year old woman who ferried aircraft of all sizes back & fourth across the Atlantic in WWII. Met on a fun bouncy day from Hartsfield to somewhere. Was privileged to have met 2 of these unsung heroβs.
Before 9/11 the difference when summer & vacation travelers started to board as opposed to the complete quiet & often seamless seating of fellow road warriors on an early flight was the annual tsunami of change. After 9/11 & efficiency analysis, things got more complicated, and not as much fun. However, the fashion parade down the aisles of your favorite large airport remains the best zoo exhibit you will ever see.
Distance between seats has gotten a lot tighter. Comfort depends on your body size; at 6β3β & 220lbs I have 1-2 inches knee to seat clearance on coach seats. The seat in front slams into my knees if it can recline at all. You are fortunate to be able to sleep with your head straight. Then there are the 250 lb linebackers in the other 2 seats in your row. Very unhappy sardines, but amusing for flight attendants to smile at.
If you have experienced accommodation on military transport aircraft your perspective about crowding and especially comfort change dramatically. As to stupid behavior on aircraft or any other kind of public transportation, they have brought that along as long on as long as I can remember. You can βt fix stupid. ( I have fantasized about the possible effectiveness of duct tape)
My strategy is to avoid the de-humanising cattle experience altogether. From the check in queue to the 'security' grope to the lack of seating space to being cared for by a Vaxxed crew.. Nah.. It's now just a another 'symptom' of a society I don't want to be part of.
Appreciate you sharing your take, XF1. Thereβs no doubt modern air travel can feel cold, crowded, and disconnected and for some, it crosses a line thatβs just not worth it. I get it. My goalβs always been to make the experience a little more human and a little less stressful, especially for those who still need to fly.
Appreciated⦠I have a humble VFR only PPL and enjoy slipping the bonds of earth blah blah blah.. Cattle truck travel limits the emotional engagement that many more people should experience from flying⦠but there it is, functional and not fun.
Well ok but I haven't been on plane recently that there was enough space in overhead bins. The planes are always packed full (half empty flights are forty years in my past), and there is barely enough space for my legs never mind my luggage underneath the seat in front of me. Hence my rush is always about procuring some comfort for my replaced hips and broken pelvis that didn't heal quite right. Flying these days is a misery only to be undertaken if there is absolutely no alternative.
Anne, I really hear you and you're absolutely right. The space crunch today is no joke, and for anyone dealing with pain or mobility challenges, itβs a grueling experience. I wish more could be done to prioritize comfort for those who need it most. Thank you for sharing this your perspective is so important.
Iβve often wondered why they donβt try boarding and deplaning by seat position instead of section. Windows first, middle second, aisles last; exceptions for small children & special needs. Deplaning is aisles front to back then middle back to front, then windows back to front. It seems as though that would send a steady stream up the aisle instead of the huge breaks left by passengers settling and unsettling row by row. One could estimate the efficiency by timing the spaces between passengers leaving the aircraft.
John, this is the kind of logic airlines should be testing more often. Boarding by seat position makes so much sense, less aisle congestion, smoother flow, and less frustration all around. The current methods often feel like a relic of habit rather than efficiency. Itβs a complex process for sure. Not to easy to implement. Thanky for your reply!
Boarding by seat position from window to aisle would help a lot, but merely boarding the rear of the plane first would significantly alleviate those delays, not to mention the slowdowns from carry-on loading.
Good advice. Iβm surprised how few people seem to realise that if youβve got a reserved seat in the front rows (in Economy) it doesnβt make a lot of sense to push ahead and board early. Let everyone behind you get settled first. I suspect a lot of the rush has its psychological roots in the feeling of powerlessness - you spend so much time waiting in various places before boarding (on a recent straightforward flight I counted six instances of significant waiting around) that you feel an overwhelming urge to get the whole experience over with).
Brilliantly said, Miranda. That insight about the psychological need to reclaim control after all the pre-boarding waiting is spot on. Itβs not just about logistics, itβs about agency. And yes, if youβre seated up front with no carry-on drama, boarding later is almost always smoother. Love your observational approach too, six waiting zones is a lot of passive time!
Doesnβt this just beg the question: why not just check your bags and be free of this rush and hassle? Your personal bag is just an βovernightβ small backpack that goes fine under the seat, at your feet. Easy in and out. No fuss. Makes waiting in air conditioned baggage claim seem like a breeze.
Exactly! Thatβs the heart of what I was getting at once I started traveling with just a small soft bag under the seat, boarding became so much less of a battle. No overhead bin stress, no need to rush, and yesβ¦ baggage claim isnβt the enemy when youβre not in a hurry. Love how you put it: no fuss, just flow.
Just on a flight this week with four deadheading pilots. They boarded first and filled some luggage bins near front of plane. If I followed this advice I would have had no space in overhead bins which the flight attendant was closing before half the passengers boarded.
Classic! Sounds like those deadheading pilots shouldβve read my newsletter before boarding π. Rule #1: donβt steal bin space youβre not sitting under especially if you wear stripes!
Exactly, you end up hunting for a space and may need to have it put in the hold⦠bad news. I want to get on to stow my carry-on. Nowadays with charges carry-on is essential.
That scramble for bin space can really add stress and once that carry-on gets gate-checked, you're stuck waiting at baggage claim too. I always recommend a soft-sided bag for max flexibility in tight bins
Great question, Esther! If everyone followed this strategyβ¦ we might just achieve the impossible: calm, efficient boarding with no wrestling for bin space π. But until that day, Iβll keep quietly slipping on last with my underseat bagβ¦
Germs did not become important in 2020, they have been a fact of life since forever and always will be. If you are afraid of germs in a jetway then you will be afraid of them every other place where there are humans present. That is a very poor way to go through life.
Spot on. I learned this ages ago, when I went on a business trip with a die-hard business travelling lawyer, who said: βshall I get us another coffeeβ when boarding started. When everyone else was already gone, we actually did walk in as if we owned the plane π.
With the start of the carry-on-luggage-frenzy I allowed the βoverhead bin panicβ to get to me for a while, but I observe myself getting back to the good old days of gate loitering.
So many pieces of unconventional advice. I've found overhead space fo baggage is a huge problem in the US and not anywhere else I've travelled to. So personally I think boarding first is more relevant in the US and not so much anywhere else.
Thanks, Janice! Totally agree, the overhead bin scramble is definitely more of a U.S. thing, where boarding groups can feel like a competitive sport. Thatβs why I always remind readers: these βpilot tipsβ arenβt one-size-fits-all, just ideas to adapt depending on where and how you fly.
Personally, when Iβm on the road for just 2β3 days, I try to travel with a soft bag instead of a roller, makes life (and boarding) so much easier especially during summer when flights are often full! Appreciate your insight!
Most of these recommendations seem nonsensical and completely out of phase with the reality of onboarding airplanes. Waiting 10 to 12 minutes almost always results in being trapped in a long line on the jet way. Etc
Totally fair, Jay. My strategy definitely isnβt one-size-fits-all and jet bridge traffic can be its own kind of purgatory. Appreciate you pushing the conversation with real-world nuance.
Yes, the author downplays the failure to find space for your carry-on. I've had it happen several times.
One thing I don't understand is why they don't board the rear seats first, because the main thing that causes aisle jams is waiting for people that need help loading bags in the overhead bins. The person finally gets it in place and then everyone is stalled by the person in the next row back as they struggle with theirs and so on all the way back.
I rarely have a carry-on and book an aisle seat. I wait for everyone to board and then I go
Stephanie, youβre a kindred spirit! Thatβs exactly the move aisle seat, no carry-on, last to boardβ¦ and still first to relax. You basically wrote the pilotβs playbook. π
First mistake is buying a plane ticket.
Haha touchΓ©, Steve. Step one: donβt fly. Step two: donβt need to read my boarding tips π. But hey, if you ever do book againβ¦ Iβve got you covered!
I canβt even fly in a video game.
Flew for business 50 weeks a year for 20 years. 1. Would not drag a bag on other than a SMALL under seat item, no matter what. 2. I never lost a bag ( there were delays) in 20 years. 3. Donβt pack what you would not want to lose. 4. If you are tall & over 200 lbs buy a better seat if available. (That gets a LOT more important as you get older.) 5. Have patience. Lots of patience sometimes as needed. 6. Buckle your seatbelt. 7. Donβt recline your seat. Your log legs will take care of a recliner in the row in front of you. Be kind, listen, keep alert. Enjoy the experience.
David, this is pure gold. Every single point here is worth its own chapter in a travel guide especially #6 and #7. Seatbelt on at all times (turbulence doesnβt knock), and kindness really does go a long way at 35,000 feet. Thanks for sharing your hard-earned wisdom from the skies.
Thanks for the kind words. A whole separate subject is the people you meet, like the sweet fuzzy haired 80 year old woman who ferried aircraft of all sizes back & fourth across the Atlantic in WWII. Met on a fun bouncy day from Hartsfield to somewhere. Was privileged to have met 2 of these unsung heroβs.
Before 9/11 the difference when summer & vacation travelers started to board as opposed to the complete quiet & often seamless seating of fellow road warriors on an early flight was the annual tsunami of change. After 9/11 & efficiency analysis, things got more complicated, and not as much fun. However, the fashion parade down the aisles of your favorite large airport remains the best zoo exhibit you will ever see.
Distance between seats has gotten a lot tighter. Comfort depends on your body size; at 6β3β & 220lbs I have 1-2 inches knee to seat clearance on coach seats. The seat in front slams into my knees if it can recline at all. You are fortunate to be able to sleep with your head straight. Then there are the 250 lb linebackers in the other 2 seats in your row. Very unhappy sardines, but amusing for flight attendants to smile at.
If you have experienced accommodation on military transport aircraft your perspective about crowding and especially comfort change dramatically. As to stupid behavior on aircraft or any other kind of public transportation, they have brought that along as long on as long as I can remember. You can βt fix stupid. ( I have fantasized about the possible effectiveness of duct tape)
My strategy is to avoid the de-humanising cattle experience altogether. From the check in queue to the 'security' grope to the lack of seating space to being cared for by a Vaxxed crew.. Nah.. It's now just a another 'symptom' of a society I don't want to be part of.
Appreciate you sharing your take, XF1. Thereβs no doubt modern air travel can feel cold, crowded, and disconnected and for some, it crosses a line thatβs just not worth it. I get it. My goalβs always been to make the experience a little more human and a little less stressful, especially for those who still need to fly.
Appreciated⦠I have a humble VFR only PPL and enjoy slipping the bonds of earth blah blah blah.. Cattle truck travel limits the emotional engagement that many more people should experience from flying⦠but there it is, functional and not fun.
Well ok but I haven't been on plane recently that there was enough space in overhead bins. The planes are always packed full (half empty flights are forty years in my past), and there is barely enough space for my legs never mind my luggage underneath the seat in front of me. Hence my rush is always about procuring some comfort for my replaced hips and broken pelvis that didn't heal quite right. Flying these days is a misery only to be undertaken if there is absolutely no alternative.
Anne, I really hear you and you're absolutely right. The space crunch today is no joke, and for anyone dealing with pain or mobility challenges, itβs a grueling experience. I wish more could be done to prioritize comfort for those who need it most. Thank you for sharing this your perspective is so important.
Iβve often wondered why they donβt try boarding and deplaning by seat position instead of section. Windows first, middle second, aisles last; exceptions for small children & special needs. Deplaning is aisles front to back then middle back to front, then windows back to front. It seems as though that would send a steady stream up the aisle instead of the huge breaks left by passengers settling and unsettling row by row. One could estimate the efficiency by timing the spaces between passengers leaving the aircraft.
John, this is the kind of logic airlines should be testing more often. Boarding by seat position makes so much sense, less aisle congestion, smoother flow, and less frustration all around. The current methods often feel like a relic of habit rather than efficiency. Itβs a complex process for sure. Not to easy to implement. Thanky for your reply!
Boarding by seat position from window to aisle would help a lot, but merely boarding the rear of the plane first would significantly alleviate those delays, not to mention the slowdowns from carry-on loading.
Good advice. Iβm surprised how few people seem to realise that if youβve got a reserved seat in the front rows (in Economy) it doesnβt make a lot of sense to push ahead and board early. Let everyone behind you get settled first. I suspect a lot of the rush has its psychological roots in the feeling of powerlessness - you spend so much time waiting in various places before boarding (on a recent straightforward flight I counted six instances of significant waiting around) that you feel an overwhelming urge to get the whole experience over with).
Brilliantly said, Miranda. That insight about the psychological need to reclaim control after all the pre-boarding waiting is spot on. Itβs not just about logistics, itβs about agency. And yes, if youβre seated up front with no carry-on drama, boarding later is almost always smoother. Love your observational approach too, six waiting zones is a lot of passive time!
Doesnβt this just beg the question: why not just check your bags and be free of this rush and hassle? Your personal bag is just an βovernightβ small backpack that goes fine under the seat, at your feet. Easy in and out. No fuss. Makes waiting in air conditioned baggage claim seem like a breeze.
Exactly! Thatβs the heart of what I was getting at once I started traveling with just a small soft bag under the seat, boarding became so much less of a battle. No overhead bin stress, no need to rush, and yesβ¦ baggage claim isnβt the enemy when youβre not in a hurry. Love how you put it: no fuss, just flow.
Just on a flight this week with four deadheading pilots. They boarded first and filled some luggage bins near front of plane. If I followed this advice I would have had no space in overhead bins which the flight attendant was closing before half the passengers boarded.
Classic! Sounds like those deadheading pilots shouldβve read my newsletter before boarding π. Rule #1: donβt steal bin space youβre not sitting under especially if you wear stripes!
One of the advantages of boarding early is that you can use the overhead locker; board later and itβs usually fullβ¦
I always say: no carry-on, no problem. A soft bag under the seat buys me peace and a later stroll onboard. Thanks for your reply!
Exactly, you end up hunting for a space and may need to have it put in the hold⦠bad news. I want to get on to stow my carry-on. Nowadays with charges carry-on is essential.
That scramble for bin space can really add stress and once that carry-on gets gate-checked, you're stuck waiting at baggage claim too. I always recommend a soft-sided bag for max flexibility in tight bins
I work in aviation and I'm embarrassed that I tried reading this.
Yep, Iβm totally with you on all of thisβ¦.but does this work if EVERYONE applies your strategy??!
Great question, Esther! If everyone followed this strategyβ¦ we might just achieve the impossible: calm, efficient boarding with no wrestling for bin space π. But until that day, Iβll keep quietly slipping on last with my underseat bagβ¦
Ha haβ¦your secret is safe with me π€ͺ
Germs did not become important in 2020, they have been a fact of life since forever and always will be. If you are afraid of germs in a jetway then you will be afraid of them every other place where there are humans present. That is a very poor way to go through life.
Spot on. I learned this ages ago, when I went on a business trip with a die-hard business travelling lawyer, who said: βshall I get us another coffeeβ when boarding started. When everyone else was already gone, we actually did walk in as if we owned the plane π.
With the start of the carry-on-luggage-frenzy I allowed the βoverhead bin panicβ to get to me for a while, but I observe myself getting back to the good old days of gate loitering.
So many pieces of unconventional advice. I've found overhead space fo baggage is a huge problem in the US and not anywhere else I've travelled to. So personally I think boarding first is more relevant in the US and not so much anywhere else.
Thanks, Janice! Totally agree, the overhead bin scramble is definitely more of a U.S. thing, where boarding groups can feel like a competitive sport. Thatβs why I always remind readers: these βpilot tipsβ arenβt one-size-fits-all, just ideas to adapt depending on where and how you fly.
Personally, when Iβm on the road for just 2β3 days, I try to travel with a soft bag instead of a roller, makes life (and boarding) so much easier especially during summer when flights are often full! Appreciate your insight!