4 ms·

The causality is backwards. Larger hardcase roll-ons followed from checked luggage being a paid extra, not the other way around. The first time I flew in the U

The causality is backwards. Larger hardcase roll-ons followed from checked luggage being a paid extra, not the other way around. The first time I flew in the US I thought there was something wrong with my flight. It took 45 minutes to board and leave! But then it happened again. And again. And again. And slowly it dawned on me that this is just what folks here consider normal. Now we've gone from "you pay extra so you can board last" to "you pay extra so you can board first". It's nuts.

namdnay 7y ago
Well, the actual game is "you pay a bit extra to board first" or "you pay a lot extra to board last". If you're in business or first (on a plane big enough to have properly separated cabins of course), the big advantage of the upper cabin classes is that you have your own luggage bin
- nlawalker 7y ago
  > "you pay a lot extra to board last" In my experience, the first- and business- class folks always take advantage of their ability to board first, because sitting in first class on the tarmac is more comfortable than sitting in the airport terminal.
  - gumby 7y ago
    Nah, go straight from the lounge to the aircraft, waiting until they come get you. Some lounges let you board directly, but even when you can’t you can get up your leisure and cut the queue. If you have to wait in the regular terminal I agree: board first
  - namdnay 7y ago
    I think it depends on the layout of the terminal. If the lounge is not too far from the gate, it's more comfortable to just roll up last minute
  - CaptainZapp 7y ago
    Doesn't much matter on intra European flights. There is usually no first and the difference between business and cattle class is a guaranteed free middle seat and better catering served on real glassware. Seats are (except for slightly more legroom, which, alas, is the case until the exit rows) exactly the same.
CaptainZapp 7y ago
I'm also a bit stumped. Herearound a medium sized plane (A320, for example) takes 20 minutes to fill and there are no 8 (or some other ridiculous amount) of bording groups. There are the high value passengers (business, gold status & above, family with kids), which present their bording passes to a real person and after that the automated gates open for us unwashed masses. I think the cost in time and administrative overhead has a lot to answer for the length of the bording process in the US. 45 minutes for a non wide-body seems, well, a smidgeon excessive.

namdnay 7y ago

Well, the actual game is "you pay a bit extra to board first" or "you pay a lot extra to board last". If you're in business or first (on a plane big enough to have properly separated cabins of course), the big advantage of the upper cabin classes is that you have your own luggage bin

nlawalker 7y ago
> "you pay a lot extra to board last" In my experience, the first- and business- class folks always take advantage of their ability to board first, because sitting in first class on the tarmac is more comfortable than sitting in the airport terminal.
- gumby 7y ago
  Nah, go straight from the lounge to the aircraft, waiting until they come get you. Some lounges let you board directly, but even when you can’t you can get up your leisure and cut the queue. If you have to wait in the regular terminal I agree: board first
- namdnay 7y ago
  I think it depends on the layout of the terminal. If the lounge is not too far from the gate, it's more comfortable to just roll up last minute
- CaptainZapp 7y ago
  Doesn't much matter on intra European flights. There is usually no first and the difference between business and cattle class is a guaranteed free middle seat and better catering served on real glassware. Seats are (except for slightly more legroom, which, alas, is the case until the exit rows) exactly the same.

CaptainZapp 7y ago

I'm also a bit stumped. Herearound a medium sized plane (A320, for example) takes 20 minutes to fill and there are no 8 (or some other ridiculous amount) of bording groups. There are the high value passengers (business, gold status & above, family with kids), which present their bording passes to a real person and after that the automated gates open for us unwashed masses. I think the cost in time and administrative overhead has a lot to answer for the length of the bording process in the US. 45 minutes for a non wide-body seems, well, a smidgeon excessive.