European theme parks closing again with Covid resurgence, bad news for California operators

Actually, loading from the back to front of the plane is the least efficient method. Southwest's "sit where you want" loading is probably the best. Loading window to isle is another fast method, but is less convenient for people traveling together since they typically can't board together.

Source: https://www.rd.com/article/fastest-way-board-airplane/

The desire to board is because you have to fight for overhead space, and it started when they started charging for checked bags. I used to love checking bags, especially if you weren't flying direct. I remember going to Hawaii, big island specifically, and having three segments carrying nothing. Those were the days.

One of my regular airlines on this side of the pond insists that all backpacks should go under the seat in front of you to save overhead space for bigger bags.

As a direct consequence of that stupid regulation – I've got long legs, and contorting myself for a whole flight is no fun – I've started carrying a bigger overhead bag that doesn't fit under the seat.

Jeff said:

The desire to board is because you have to fight for overhead space, and it started when they started charging for checked bags.

I still don't get it. I've used the loophole more times than I can count where if the overheads are full, most airlines will tag your carry-on at the gate and check it for free at the end of the jetway.

Not even just when the overheads are full......most of the dozen flights I've been on in the past year, they ask for bag-check volunteers beforehand at the gate.

Later,
EV

Same.

Long time fans of the "valet check" at the gate when we travel. We purposefully hang back because:

1. Sitting on a plane while everyone loads sucks. (Unless you're in first class. Then you can point and laugh at the masses and wipe your brow with hundos when they walk by - the same reason you use FOL access at the parks.)

2. The later on, the more chance they'll offer the valet check.

I have had to be one of those people before... the kind that crowds the gate, that immediately stands up, etc. When you have multiple connections or are trying to catch the last flight out of the day, timing is everything. I can't let them gate-check my bag if I've got a 23-minute layover in Philadelphia which requires me to go from Terminal A to Terminal F. So I have to make sure I get on the plane as quickly as possible to grab an overhead bin, and get off as quickly as possible to get to the other gate so I can repeat the process.

I hate it, but I get it.

Valid.

But that sounds terrible and stressful.

From my experience when I have a short connection, I just tell them what my next flight is and the bag is transferred over if I have to gate check it. While you may only have 23 minutes to get to your next flight, your bag has much more time to make it over.

I know Southwest is not the perfect airline, but the free checked bags make flying with them completely worth it. On my last 3 WDW trips, I loved the ease of being able to check the bags at our home airport and not deal with them until we arrived at our hotel that night. On our last trip, we checked everything but a couple of small backpacks and checked them at the hotel because our room wasn't ready. We were on Main Street within an hour and a half of getting off the plane.

I tend to research ad nauseum while booking flights to try to avoid super short (and super long) layovers to avoid any chance of my bag not making it. But yeah, as 99er said, I've had many short layovers where I've gate-checked my bag and it hasn't failed to meet me at the final destination yet.

In Europe, gate checked bags are returned at the baggage carousel. On a bad day that can take as long as an hour after landing.

Flew two segments on Delta yesterday, for the first time post-COVID. Things were surprisingly orderly.

* Mask compliance was good to very good.
* Plane loaded back to front, and gate lice seemed to be much less of an issue.
* Middle seats were blocked unless a party was traveling together, so overhead space wasn't a problem.
* We were asked to remain seated until the row in front of us cleared 6', and compliance with that was very good.

In short, most people were courteous and did their best to mitigate risk to themselves and others. Interestingly mask compliance was lowest in the ATL SkyClub; announcements reminded us to keep masks on unless we were actively eating or drinking, but a number of folks were taking significant liberties with the word "actively." This seemed to be better in the DTW Club, but it was also much less crowded so maybe there were just fewer opportunities to observe it.

Likewise, DTW terminal was on the quiet side, but the two we saw in ATL had healthier crowds. I think this is because Delta has consolidated operations in ATL with the decline in passenger traffic, reducing connections at their other eastern US hubs. Even so, I think as many as 2-3 of the 6 terminals at ATL might be closed (at least, the SkyClubs in them were....that probably means few or no flights into/out of them.)

I normally don't have to pay luggage fees b/c I either have status, a credit card that comps a bag, or both. I aggressively check bags so that I don't have to do the overhead space shuffle, but I also avoid short connections whenever possible and don't generally fly standby. I'd much rather have an extra 20 minutes in the lounge and saunter on the plane near the end of boarding than to be among people throwing elbows.

In Europe, gate checked bags are returned at the baggage carousel.

At least for Delta, there are two possibilities. Small jets (typically the CRJs) can't accommodate "normal" carry on bags; for those the bag is returned to you planeside. Folks checking at the gate on larger jets (more or less anything else) will have their bags checked to their final destination, and are retrieved at the carousel. US airports have had timely luggage returns the past several years---I think in part because the baggage fees result in fewer checked bags overall.

Lord Gonchar said:

2. The later on, the more chance they'll offer the valet check.

And depending on the airline, the valet check often comes with the major perk of the bags being on the jetway when you depart, rather than having to go to the baggage carousel.

We travel with 3 kids so overhead space is prime real estate for us. We need tablets, stuffies, blankets, workbooks, hand held games, changes of clothes, etc. etc. and they all need a place to go during takeoff and landing. Also, we tend to only check one bag so we have some other normal stuff in our carry-ons.

All that to say, valet helps us a little but not a lot and we're the people fighting to board first so we can get overhead space near where we're seated.

Brian Noble said:

* We were asked to remain seated until the row in front of us cleared 6', and compliance with that was very good.

This needs to be enforced always. I think it's worse than the crowding at the gate, because at least you can avoid that.

I totally understand the need to get some overhead space, especially when traveling with children. More so when you want your bag near you because nothing is more annoying than being in 36A and your bag is above row 13. My annoyance with with those who line up early are typically when those people are group 4, 5, or 6 and the gate agent just called group 1. Or on United when those in the last group line up early because the last group bought the discounted ticket that doesn't even come with overhead space. It just makes the boarding process take longer, especially if the boarding lane is just a single lane that all groups have to use.

Same here for having a kid. The problem is that when I do get forced into adjacent overhead space, it's always behind me. If I'm in 30 and you need to put my crap over 12, go for it, I don't care. Unfortunately, it never lands that way, so we deplane and I'm like, "Hey, four rows back, can you grab that for me?" while I get stink-eyes from everyone in between, like it's my fault.

I guess I'm lucky that my kids were little in the days before it took 1001 devices to travel with children.

That sounds snarkier than it's supposed to.

I'm always fascinated when I hear other people's travel stories because (and I know I'm always the exception) our kids were never high-maintenance travelers. Long car trips, flights, even longer days at the park, getting back on the road late. They just went with it.

I often wonder how much of that is nuture vs nature?

I tend to believe it's because that's how we taught them to travel. "This is what this is. Deal." But it probably takes a certain kind of kid to roll like that.

Probably just another area where my path is "weird" compared to the consensus, yet somehow I still come out with the W.

But yeah, (in my best Jerry Seinfeld), "What's up with the overhead bins on airplanes?"

Rest assured, if I could have prevented autism, I would have.