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My guess: They believe it gives them some kind of advantage in getting off the plane sooner. That if they stand up, get their luggage down from the overhead,
by pwg 8y ago
My guess:
They believe it gives them some kind of advantage in getting off the plane sooner.
That if they stand up, get their luggage down from the overhead, and wait for the door to open, that they somehow will get off the plane significantly faster.
There may also be some amount of "follow the herd" mentality as well. That seeing one (or a few) stand up, others think those standing individuals are going to "get a jump on them" and they then themselves stand. Ultimately leading to a majority of "stand and wait for door" individuals.
The reality is this is likely partially a "tragedy of the commons" situation. If only a very few stood up, then yes, they would likely get off sooner than the rest that remain seated (because they are "ready to go" the moment the door opens). But if almost everyone stands (and seemingly almost everyone does) then the ensuing jam to get down the aisle likely means everyone ends up waiting longer overall.
- mistrQ 8y agoBy being one of the first to stand up you are able to get your luggage faster (if any), skip a few rows down the aisle, get out the plane faster, and ultimately get to the immigration line before everyone else. When flying to the US from the UK I would notice that this could sometimes save 1 hour+. The end goal is to get out of the airport as fast as possible, not just the plane. So the advantage is pretty significant.
- kazinator 8y agoThe advantage is real. If you don't claim your space in the isle, you will likely be overtaken by more than one person. Also, by standing up late, when everyone is already moving, you will be hindering everyone by only getting your overhead luggage then. Of course nobody will want to let you ahead of them, because they know you just want a space to stand so you fiddle with the overhead bin for a while.