Cutting in Line At the Airport – Another Reason Airline Travel is Hell

When I was a kid, my parents would make us wait to the board the plane until the last minute. Their rationale was why do we want to sit on the plane any longer than we have to. That was a time when you would check your bag or actually bags and you might have a small carryon. With the airlines insatiable appetite for ancillary fees like checked bags, travelers try to avoid checking bags and bring as much as they can with their carry-ons. I have seen some travelers bring a rollaboard, a backpack and a garment bag on board. I would have to say that is more than their allotted carry on items. Most airlines limit you to one carry-on bag and a personal item. 

With limited storage on the plane, now everyone wants to board first. The sooner you board, the more likely you will get one of the coveted overhead bin spaces. The rush to board first has gotten out of control. People are getting creative in how to jump the line before their turn and everyone else.

I have seen people put on these complicated knee braces and multiple people ordering wheelchairs even though in both cases these were not needed. Typically, those are not the folks that really bother me. They tend not to be a large number of people. The people who really annoy me are the one who push to get to the front and the group skippers.

Typical Board Process

As airlines struggle to board people in the most efficient manner to reduce the turnaround time on the ground, certain standard boarding process approaches have taken hold. Let’s leave Southwest out the mix because they are the exception to the rule but they may be changing in the coming months. Most Airlines board their passengers in the following order: 

VIPs -- If you’re a celebrity or a high-ranking government personnel, you will be able to board before everyone else and deplane early as well. I was on a flight with a Supreme Court justice who boarded and deplaned first before any and all other travelers. 

Elite Airline Loyalty Members. If you are in the top elite status of your airline loyalty program, you will have the honor of boarding first. This makes sense that airlines take care of the people who travel and spend the most on the flights.

First Class – Once again, if you pay up, you do get certain privileges. Boarding early is one of them.

Families with Young Children. If you have young kids, especially kids in a stroller, you get to board early, too.

People with Disabilities (or sometimes, People who need more time to Board) – People who have mobility issues (like being in a wheelchair or something like that) are able to board early.

First Responders and Active Military Personnel. Thank you for your service. This is a relative new benefit for helping our first responders and active military personnel. A welcomed addition.

Semi-Elite Airline Loyalty Member and Premium Credit Card Holders: Some benefits of flying often or signing up for some credit cards offer early boarding privileges as a benefit.

Premium Economy Seats –Some airlines offer certain seats that are almost economy but the real benefit is that you get to board early than regular economy.

Economy Seats – After everyone else, you get to board.

So How Can You Board Early Than You Are Entitled To?

Passengers have resorted to new strategies to board faster. Here are some of the most reprehensible ones.

Disability fakers

These people either order a wheelchair or fake some injury like a knee brace, crutches, cane, or even a splint, which you can buy on Amazon inexpensively. 

Pushing ahead

An annoying trend is traveler go to the front of the line whether they’re allowed to or not. These travelers feel that they are entitled to go early because the rules just do not apply to them. This creates a mass of people at the gate which will only delay the boarding process.

 Wrong group

This is the item that really annoys me. Some travelers will get in the line for Priority Boarding when they are in Zone 5, the last zone to board. Once again people feel that they are entitled to board regardless of the rules. The gate agents will rarely kick someone off the line. But when they do that, I cheer to myself. I guess the gate agents do not care and do not want to deal with all the travel rage. For the rest of us, this is just not fair

 So What?

Some people will be thinking so what? Everyone will get on the plane to their destination, so what is the big deal if some people jump the line to get on the plane early. How does this affect everyone else?

Putting it bluntly, cutting the line is just plain wrong. It is like people who do not return the store shopping carts and leave them in parking spots so no can park there. 

Another reason for why it is wrong is the very reason why people are cutting the line. People want access to the overhead bins. The people who earned or paid for that right are behind people who think that they deserve them because they think that they are better than everyone else. I can not stand that self importance.

How to Get Priority Boarding

Buy a seat in first class

One of the perks of being in first class is boarding early. These passengers have paid up so you can too.

Join a loyalty program

If you join a loyalty program, one of the valuable perks is earlier boarding. 

Sign Up for A Select Credit Card.

If you choose your credit card right, you may receive early boarding as one of its perks. Check the terms of your credit cards.

My advice to you is that if early boarding is important to you then do it the right way and sign up a loyalty program or credit card that will provide you this benefit.

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