UA stops families with kids from early boarding

From the San Francisco Chronicle

As per usual lots of pro and anti views !

[preiffer]

Good. Never understood it.

On the one (claimed) hand, these are people who need extra time to get settled.

On the other (realistic) hand, these are the groups who hold up the entire aisles and jet bridges as they "get settled" while others are trying to board.

Where one goes, others are likely to follow. I'm thinking back to the first time we did a transatlantic flight with the kids in tow. It was a BA flight and I don't think there was any early boarding offered for those with small children.

We managed

[honey lamb]

Good. Never understood it.

On the one (claimed) hand, these are people who need extra time to get settled.

On the other (realistic) hand, these are the groups who hold up the entire aisles and jet bridges as they "get settled" while others are trying to board.

Plus the fact that the kids have a longer wait once strapped into their seats so that toddlers become very restless and bored and want to get out of their seats. Cue screaming and crying! :0

As someone with a toddler, I actually think that "early boarding" is not a good idea anyway: longer couped up in a small space!

Providing you travel pretty light (which we do), then boarding quite late is actually a lot better.

Also I have seen a lot of people "abuse" this pre boarding: am not sure that it is intended for "children" of 10/13/15... (a bit like "parent and child" spaces at the supermarket...)

Good. Never understood it.

On the one (claimed) hand, these are people who need extra time to get settled.

On the other (realistic) hand, these are the groups who hold up the entire aisles and jet bridges as they "get settled" while others are trying to board.

Plus the fact that the kids have a longer wait once strapped into their seats so that toddlers become very restless and bored and want to get out of their seats. Cue screaming and crying! :0

Exactly!

It makes more sense to bring the families on last, I.e. lest restless time. There seats are allocated so if they come on last they can take the appropriate time to settle their family without blocking the aisles. Travelled through Rome airport over New Year, business class with Italia and even security had families first in the express queue crazy. Or is it Im bitter now my kids are all grown up?

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but isn't it the case that letting families on early, because they take more time to settle, is better in terms of getting away on time - if last and close to doors closed, it could take longer?

I do agree however about ennui setting in and restlessness.

I assume this is just economy where they'd typically seat you according to rows as a Crowd Control measure.

It would be a tad rich if you'd paid to board early and didn't get it...

I assume this is just economy where they'd typically seat you according to rows as a Crowd Control measure.

It would be a tad rich if you'd paid to board early and didn't get it...

I got to the gate in Miami unusually early recently as the lounge was so bad I couldn't stay a minute longer, and had to wait while they boarded children first. I'm often last on so not sure if this happens all the time.

Also I have seen a lot of people "abuse" this pre boarding: am not sure that it is intended for "children" of 10/13/15... (a bit like "parent and child" spaces at the supermarket...)

Its not necessarily abuse - we've got two 9/10 boys with disabilities who look 'normal' but I'd want them on board out of the crowd early.

At LHR last year (flying BA) we asked about preboarding at the gate (as we were advised by BACS) and they kindly checked everything and allowed us to as a family to sit behind the gate agents and were, with a few others (mainly adults) boarded before they'd even started anyone else coming through.

At LAX on return we were told *sharply* I might add to line up with the younger children for pre boarding. And yes we got a lot of 'who do you think you are' stares. (And I noticed a lot of other families with similar age children started to line up behind us too...)

But please don't automatically assume just because kids @look@ normal that they are ....

Also I have seen a lot of people "abuse" this pre boarding: am not sure that it is intended for "children" of 10/13/15... (a bit like "parent and child" spaces at the supermarket...)

Ahh parent and child spaces at the supermarket - I always take those, so that children in cars don't dent my doors when opening their's ): .

Maybe the answer is to give families the option, which I guess means the status quo?

Excellent news. Exceptions can be made in special circumstances. Job done.

the problem with a lot of the American carriers is they allow people to take the kitchen sink on board and the overheads get full bloody quick. thats why everyone wants to get on board first.

[Decker]

Given the increase in child obesity it would seem that there is a moral imperative to use child and parent parking to ensure the little tykes get more exercise. Cf "A modest proposal"