It always amazes me that people without carry on bags crowd the boarding gate. They might be in boarding group seven, but they’re ready to pounce long before gate agents start the boarding process. People stay anchored to their gate for half an hour before the flight even though they don’t need to fight for overhead bin space. This is why at so many airports concessionaires do at-gate food ordering and delivery – they can each customers who won’t move an inch otherwise.
I understand the desire to get off the plane as quickly as possible after sitting in coach, but not the desire to get on it. But the desire to get off as quickly as possible leads to conflict.
When a flight is delayed, and finally arrives at its destination, crew may announce that passengers without a connection should remain seated to let those with a connecting flight get off first, to give them a running chance of making their connection. Almost no one complies, ever.
Passengers in a hurry trying to get off as quickly as possible, ahead of passengers in rows in front of them, can be a source of conflict too. Here’s a woman trying to get by other passengers as they deplane – and the other passengers are having none of it. I’d bet the woman looking to get off wasn’t as polite in asking as she might of been, but they appear to be acting like real jerks.
Let’s talk about how I was bullied and assaulted by two white men on @AmericanAir flight 2658 and American Airlines did nothing. pic.twitter.com/rXplvC6sBd
— Shiva👑 (@Coffee__NoCream) July 19, 2022
@AmericanAir I had a quick layover in Dallas and was pressed for time. The two white men refused to let me out and purposely blocked the path with their foots. At some point they physically put their hands on me and pushed me back. I am disgusted. pic.twitter.com/BTCJZn4awF
— Shiva👑 (@Coffee__NoCream) July 19, 2022
I have a small cut from being pushed by the racist. The representatives at @AmericanAir did nothing. He obviously thought it was funny. I don’t fly @AmericanAir often but I’ll never fly them again. pic.twitter.com/QCMQPQQadj
— Shiva👑 (@Coffee__NoCream) July 19, 2022
When someone asks you to excuse them in the aisle after a delay because they have a short connection, thee ae two possible responses.
But if you’re (really) trying to make a short connection then you should also be politely asking the people ahead of you if you can scoot by them. And do it as unobtrusively as possible, with your carry on bag ready and avoiding getting into their space as much as possible.
If you aren’t at risk of missing a flight, then by all means – you’ve been on the flight longer than you should have been and you want to get off, too – wait the few extra seconds that could be the difference between that person making their flight or not. The delay isn’t their fault. It isn’t yours. Maybe it’s weather, but there’s a good chance it is the airline’s fault and they’ve put you in this position. Don’t take out the anger on other passengers.
