Flying home yesterday, I watched as all the usual antics were on display and wondered if there is a better way. I’m sure airline ops teams have been working on this issue for many years, but I thought I would share some light musings on how behaviour that appears to be normal when catching a plane, is out of place anywhere else.
In Britain we queue for everything. As a nation we are renowned for our love of queuing. Yet something happens at an airport departure gate that throws that reserve and sense of order aside, and makes people push and shove to be the first onto the plane. Why is it, that before the staff can invite parents with small children or the elderly up to board, every passenger (and sometime it seems more than that!) is pressed in like a sardine against one another and the desk, to be the first on.
And then, when the staff start calling people by row number (or seating group on low-cost carriers) access to boarding is blocked by a wall of those with seats in the final boarding group, but who don’t want to give up their space by the desk. The behaviour appears to be the same whether seating is allocated or not. I never fail to see the gate staff have to send people back to the line as they have failed to follow a simple instruction. The passenger is irate, the staff member is stressed; where’s the sense in it?
Getting off the plane is another free-for-all. In Europe we have learnt to at least wait for the plane to stop before the melee begins, and people secure their place in the aisle and try and sneak a couple of metres advantage before others are out of their seats. But I have never seen anyone quicker off the mark than the Kyrgyz people. On landing at Bishkek, at least half of the plane took the first point of contact with the tarmac
as the signal to get up, and by the time the brakes had been applied there was at least 20-30 people filling the aisles and pushing their way to the front. And for what? To be first onto a large bus that waits until the whole aircraft has disembarked before setting off on the 50 metre run to the terminal building.
And then there’s the baggage hall, where everyone crowds around the place where bags can be first picked off the ramp. Yesterday we waited nearly an hour before the bags came through, but the folks by the start of the ramp were unwavering in their readiness to pounce once the first bag appeared. We should sign them up for the next Home Guard, such is their dedication and watchfullness.
So why do we behave like this? My own feeling (and I am certainly not immune from the above actions) is boredom. Unlike a car journey, everything that happens is out of our control, and almost every event (check-in, boarding, disembarking, collecting bags) requires waiting along with many others. Getting ahead gives us a psychological illusion that we are taking some sort of control in a situation where we are otherwise helpless. Of course, we can’t make the plane go faster by getting on early. Nor can we get our luggage first just by getting to the ramp early. But when most of us are in control (of sorts) in our everyday car journeys, this fight to get in front of others is in some way an extension of our driving habits.
Scary isn't it? It makes me wonder why people like that even travel, it seems so stressful.
In a way I can say you beat me to it – I was tempted to write something similar after flying with Qatar airlines [no reflection on the airline or staff - they're great] but the pax themselves who did the same. One ‘arrogant’ idiot – was actually standing as the plane came in land – QR 688/15/09/2009 – ‘YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE’…..as the crew were screaming blue murder at her, almost aborting the flight save serious injury to herself or others.
Personally I felt her name should have been recorded and banned form all flight with the airline thereafter……….I DIGRESS!!
I constantly find myself sitting with a dry smirk on my face whilst still on the plane, before then walking calmly onto that BUS as the last one, only to secure my position by the already crowded door! Then what happens….I'm first off the bus and like a Gazelle through passport control first while the HEAP falls out the bus and to the floor
That said I wish airlines would listen to pax when we book our seats.
I have to constantly push my way forward to board first or change my seats because of my right leg; being and unable to stand on it for any period or time, or otherwise find airlines do not even know the configuration of their own aircraft!!
More recently placing me in seats with a huge media box on the floor in front of me, and of course, on the right side. This does annoy me greatly and shows a lack of real care I feel, however I wait my turn once on the plane and always seem able find staff and another accommodating pax to swap with and appreciative to my plight.
God – to win the lottery and fly business class!!
Tweeter – PirateShieldQGM
The lines I can handle, the waiting in the back of the airplane to disembark is fine too, but it's the horrific time spent waiting for delayed flights, or flights that are at the gate but board late. Luton airport will always hold first place in that category with a six hour wait for a delayed flight to France.
@Andy – do you think those people who behave stressfully at the airport show the same behaviour while driving, in supermarkets or waiting to be served in a bar? Or is it a peculiarity of airports?
@Mike – your experience on Qatar sounds familiar – I hope she reads this and adds to the debate and tells us why! Like you say, the airport bus is a great leveller.
@Jacki There were times when airlines were considerate if you were delayed for a ling time: meal vouchers, message service to allow you to go out of the airport if close to a town. Nowadays, I understand that there are some large loopholes that allow them to get out of offering care to their passengers if they are made to wait.
Thanks to all for stopping by and commenting!
I think the solution is first class travel. I cannot speak from personal experience of course but relay those of my brother whose somewhat smug expression says it all as he describes the travel experience. The limo ride too and from the airport, private lounge, express check in etc. etc. !
I feel bad hearing these stories. I have had excellent airport karma. Nothing major has ever happened on a plane, I have never had longer than an 1 hour delay in the domestic US or abroad and I actually like airports and rank them on a scale as far as my experience there goes. I think an earlier commenter was right. I bet the people who cause the most fuss at an airport are also ones that are impatient and cause problems at the store, while driving and anywhere else where patience is required. I doubt that it is specific to the airport.
A few reasons why I always try to get on first though I’m careful never to be rude towards other passengers and always follow instructions of cabin crew;
- Especially on budget airlines leg space is limited (I’m 6″4) and if you’re one of the first people on, you can generally nab either the first row or the middle row next to the emergency exits for ample legroom
- If you’re travelling with other people, it’s more likely you’ll be able to sit together if on first
- I generally only travel with hand luggage on short haul flights so I breeze straight through most airports on arrival upon landing. If you’re stuck behind a large group of families and/or old people, you can be stuck there for an extra 15 minutes. while this doesn’t seem like much, it can mean alot when you’ve just been sat in a very large breadbin for the previous two hours..
Although, all of the above is no excuse for being rude and/or inconsiderate to fellow passengers.
I find traveling by plane stressful, especially in the States. Everyone is anxious to get their shoes and belts off at security. Then at the gate, the cloud forms before pre-boarding has even been called. That said, on our last flight from San Francisco we found that people did let us through to the front because we were in the seat section they were calling.
As for why this happens, I think it’s anxiety or wanting the whole ordeal to be over quickly. Hence, the jumping in line to get in their tiny seat first.
Don’t fly any more than I can help, but recognise some of the behaviours described though not all.
I suspect travelling at some of the larger, busier airports you simply come in contact with more selfish, competitive people, or some sort of crowd psychology kicks in. Like Mike, I and my co-travellers use the tactic of waiting till all the rest get off the plane and get on the bus last so we can get off it first. However most baggage never arrives that quickly on the carousel, so we’re never that bothered about getting there first. Particularly on holidays, who wants unnecessary stress?
I agree that the tactics some people use don’t appear to get them anywhere faster. It’s like those nutters on the roads who dangerously overtake you and who you end up sitting behind for the rest of your journey or meet at the next set of traffic lights a few hundred metres down the road. At the end of the day, some of the populace haven’t got the thinking power to stand back and look at such a situation and figure out how best to deal with it.
However, there are probably ways these behaviours could be avoided by changing procedures or the design of airports, where safety is at risk.
A sense of control?
In my experience, I know whether a flight will be good or bad by the way the staff treat the passengers. When staff courteously (not condescendingly or bossily) take control with a firm greeting and real assistance, passengers settle.
If the flight is late, a simple announcement about what the airline has done to rebook connecting passengers goes a long way. Then only those outside the admin arrangements have to panic.
Of course there are cultural differences based on habit and expectation. I understand Japanese passengers take a fraction of the time that Kiwi passengers take to disembark. That influences profitability.
Because the situation at an airport is fluid, if not essentially chaotic (anyone can arrive at any time with any personal crisis), it’s important for staff to be genuinely skilled at dealing with variety and variation.
Often that is left to chance. Staff on long haul flights vary procedures to accommodate what they know what passengers really want.
After route and large differences in price, I do choose my airline by passenger behavior. If staff don’t attend to issues as they arise, they are probably careless about safety too. I vote with my feet and wallet.
And on the journey, I speak up. If a kid hasn’t been fed (not mine anyone’s), I ring the bell and point it out. A good crew well welcome the opportunity to smooth a situation before it escalates (into a bad tempered child in this case.)
I think we all mostly agree that the they airport is one of the worst aspect of travel. Not much you can do about it; and it doesn’t help to get to their and feel/act like this is the most horrendous thing ever. You already know that going into it… play a mind trick with yourself. Imagine the worst scenarios, play them out in your head, and then plan for and expect to see the worst. That way when you get there, you will either be pleasantly surprised, or you can can sit back and enjoy the freak-show drama, all the while chuckling that you knew it would happen.
Fellow blogger Chris Owen has a nice new post along these line too: http://chriscruises.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/enjoyable-travel-it-sure-is-a-lot-about-attitude/
I’m just going to come out and say it: the British way of queuing is wrong, sick and wrong. I witnessed blood in a queue for the cafeteria in the V&A, of all places. Perhaps you need to reassess your priorities. Chillax
I realized the ridiculousness of this years ago. I now simply sit in my seat on the airplane until not only has the plane docked, not only have people begun to get off, but I stay seated right up until the people in front of me are nearly ready to move–I get up and 10 or 20 seconds later I’m walking forward. No, I don’t care that you, person who I got in front of when I stood up, have been standing there like an idiot for the past 15 minutes, it’s not my fault you didn’t think this through and realize how pointless it is to do that, I don’t care.
Just sit there and read a book (or memorize some Spanish vocabulary, in my case, since that’s the language I’m learning right now) until the people in front of you are about to start moving, THEN get up. If other people want to freak out and get up and pack themselves together in the aisle like sardines in a big aluminum tube, let them.
Cheers,
Andrew
I am guilty of waiting for my baggage anxiously. I guess it’s related to the fact that I’m afraid that someone will mistakenly grab my bag. and I will lose the things in it. They may not be essential stuff but still…..I would prefer not to lose them.
Perhaps it’s the infantalisation of flying that stops us behaving like reasonable adults. In what other mode of transport are we constantly talked down to about ‘don’t slip on the steps on your way out’, ‘make sure your seatbelt is fastened’ etc. Also that yawning time chasm between the plane coming to a stop and the steps materialising.
I realise there are some solid health and safety reasons behind it – and the need to cover themselves from possible litigation more t the point if they don’t make the announcements – but it does grate and makes you even more impatient to disembark.