My request for gate agents: if you’re announcing boarding by group, please enforce the process and turn away those who attempt to board before their group is called. I can’t tell you how many times I am, say, Group F, and I dutifully wait for my group to be called, only to discover that I somehow am the ONLY person left for groups D, E, and F (because I was the only one waiting for my group to be called).
Watch the video again? If you're the only one in your group waiting, think about it? It's nice and courteous of you, but sometimes people don't behave like you want them to or things don't go the way it should. Just go to the gate agent. Get their attention. They are human too.
100%, turn them around and make them do the walk of shame to the back of the queue. I'm on a flight now, lined up right when my boarding group was called and my bag is 7 seats away from where I'm sitting because somehow everyone in this area boarded ahead of me.
Also, please put your personal item UNDER THE SEAT. YOU are the reason there is no room left half way thru boarding for people to put their carryon in the above bins. That's just not right.
Ya we all know it… I’ll recommend this video to those types should I experience any. Just watched his video on Edinburgh. Going to be a great place to see. And when friendly people like this host give helpful advice… makes the world go better. And life easier. Thanks sir. Whose name I’ve forgotten.
Not only is this channel full of practical information, I especially appreciate the encouragement of niceness and civility. It helps to give the world an outside chance of actually being a worthwhile place to live.
I will never forget something I saw at the gate flying out of Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. All flights were delayed due to weather. In coming snowstorm. Everyone at the gate wanted to get out of town before we were buried in snow. Flight delayed multiple times over the course of three hours. At about 8 pm the flight was cancelled. Some idiot started yelling at the gate agent saying he had to get home. He eventually picked up the keyboard and smashed it against the counter. He got arrested. Don’t be that guy.
One of the reasons I often stand closer to the gate agents is because I can't understand the announcements made over the PA system. In most airports, it's a crappy system and the noise and acoustics of the airport don't help either. And if you're in a country where the native language is not English and you don't understand (much) of the native language, it can make it even more difficult to understand. Not the gate agent's fault of course, but the reason I sometimes stand closer. Just to get the messages.
Sometimes it’s absolutely their fault. Make an attempt to learn how to pronounce a passengers name before you start talking. Eununciate, and say numbers very slowly with spaces in between them. Numbers are the hardest thing for people to understand in a foreign language. A 15 min lesson in elocution would help a lot. Lots of people are hard of hearing
100% agree. You can call me whatever you want, I'm standing next to the gate when boarding starts because they don't call the boarding groups loud enough or don't update the screen to show the right number. Many times, in DFW airport I've experienced this problem. We couldn't hear the guy and the next thing we knew, our group was already called. We walked through and guess what? NO OVERHEAD BIN SPACE. Not going to happen again!
Everyone that takes a flight anywhere should be required to watch this video. Unfortunately the folks that NEED to hear this, likey will not. Geat video as always
During my 150K miles per year as a consultant, it was amazing how far a smile went. One time I followed a couple who screamed at the gate agent for 5 minutes. I smiled and made a comment something like "that is a tough act to follow" to get a laugh out of her. Funny, my request to upgrade to first class was granted.
I always make it my mission to try to be the reason that somebody smiles, especially people who work in customer service. It's gotten me a lot of little perks, even when I don't ask for them, and we both end up feeling good. :)
I had a similar experience at a rental car counter. The guy in front of me was an entitled jerk on a rant. When my turn came, I smiled sweetly, complimented the agent on her jewelry and I got a huge upgrade without even asking.
Similar situation here. I try to go out of my way to make their jobs easier and treat them like I'd treat a friend rather than corporate employee...and get rewarded quite often because of it. I don't know how people work public-facing jobs these days with so many entitled brat customers.
I never understood why people sometimes are so rude to not only the employees but to everyone. When im flying i am always in the best mood because im going some place i have never been before.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this video!!! I work at an airport as a gate agent and everything mentioned in this video is spot on sir!!! Also, please don't take out your frustrations out on the gate agents/ airport employees in general. I know traveling/life can be stressful but we are people too! It does go both ways for sure. Let's be kind to each other as much as we can. Thank you. Happy travels 😊😊 P.S. Get better at time management because they dont say to get to the airport 2-3 hours early for nothing! If you can give yourself more time even better!
Added to your ban on listening to music without a personal listening device in the boarding area: playing games or watching videos without personal listening devices, or doing a phone call on speaker at all.
My request: Please show the boarding groups on a monitor as it is sometimes difficult to understand especially for non native English speakers to understand. Or use a AI-generated anouncement. And: Don't anounce that "boarding will start soon" when in reality you have to wait 20min or half an hour longer. That is so annoying.
Yeah, the thing is they don't even speak English when they do. They speak a rather heavily convoluted airline lingo. Me included, but only with workmates and in the office not to the traveling guests. Just like Joker said : nobody cares what it is like to be the other guy these days.
A hunch, that is because the gate agent doesn’t know the actual moment boarding will start (numerous links in the large chain) & they are working on it, it’s coming up “soon”. The gate agents are doing everything within their power.
Couple things I like to add. 1. Don’t try to being a oversized bag that suppose to be checked and try to pass it off as a carry-on. It def slow down the boarding process. 2. If flights is full, bags might be checked at the gate, usually free (depending on airlines). If it full, don’t argue with the gate agent as they are tying to make sure the flights goes out on time. Bags usually end up at the baggage claim at your final destination. 3. Don’t try to bring more than 1 carry-on & 1 personal bags as it slows the boarding process. You will have to either check one of those bags in at the gate, or combine the luggage into 1.
I completely agree with you, but I also believe it is the responsibility of the airline employees to enforce this. I don't know how often I have seen passengers with bags exceeding the supposed size limits go through. Then, their accumulative effects prevent other passengers from using the overhead bins.
@@ff-jk6hv yea... duty free bags are allowed, but since it's not regulated as much as baggage, passengers should be mindful of how much they purchase if they plan on putting it in the overhead bin.
As a gate agent, this is very accurate. Pax are usually a bit nuts. A few minor things you didn't mention: When I as a gate agent come to the gate, and I immediately get thrown at questions, but I haven't even logged in, and then they get mad that I can't answer their question. When pax scans their ticket, but then doesn't enter the jet bridge or the bus (waiting for someone). When pax don't scan their tickets. When pax come late to the gate obviously. ...And many more...
My gosh, Mark this was the best run down on managing the gate - boarding, onboarding and everything in between. Can we have this playing on a loop at the airport, please?
Air Canada was enforcing the boarding groups on my most recent trip a few weeks ago. They repeatedly announced at all three airports I was at that they would send you back to the line if you try to board with the wrong group. Also enforcing the two items only (1 personal and 1 carryon). I just wish they’d go back to boarding the zones from back to front. This front to back seems so much slower.
@@kristenclarkin7662 Yes! Boarding back to front and, monitor where their bags are placed was much more efficient. When a passenger seated at the front of the plane wants to retrieve their headphones from the overhead compartment, the aisle is blocked and boarding is delayed.
I’m a former gate agent. One thing that drove me insane was people who would want to change their seats to sit next to friends or family. In some cases, the small children would not be sitting next to parents….. RESERVE YOUR SEATS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION! If you fly on an airline which charges for pre reserved seat assignment, PAY IT! Don’t all of a sudden be cheap.
Thank you for that. It's so annoying being asked repeatedly. And lately I've been saying no to people asking to switch. Like you said,reserve your seats ahead of time. I'm mainly a solo traveler so I book an economy fare and just get assigned a seat. Which is fine by me. But I've been asked a few times to switch to a middle seat. Hell no!! I definitely won't switch I don't care if it's sit next to your child or mother 😅😅😅
Except in the world of massive numbers of delays and cancellations, many people are booked onto flights because airlines screwed up and caused missed connections. In some of those cases, people don’t get to pick their seats.
@@Texas_ncas a gate agent I would be informed if some passengers had been rebooked because of irregular operations. (That’s our term for things being completely f**ked up) I show up at the gate 1 hour prior to departure with and then have a line full of people who want a window seat or an aisle seat, or want to sit at the front of the or demand a free upgrade. The gate agent will know will either print their preflight paperwork in the office or at the gate and then get an idea of what they have in store for them. If there were a lot of rebooking from earlier cancellations etc. Passengers will check in, ignore their seat assignments even if they check in on the automated kiosks and then complain at the gate. It was especially bad with the newlyweds. They were just married and so in love that they would have a meltdown if they were not sitting next to one another.
Always remember one of life's great golden rules: Never mess with someone who can directly impact the service you desire, if you're a jerk to a gate agent, that can quickly escalate into situations you don't want (and that counts for so many situations in life not just at a boarding gate!), they don't want that, they just want to get you on quickly & gone because that's what their boss wants.
A special hello to the gate agent at Madrid who gave me priority boarding without me even asking for it ! The fact that I was wearing a moon boot to protect a broken ankle may have helped ! Anyway I really appreciated it.
A few months ago as we boarded a trip to Europe, a guy walked right up to the gate agent with three bags. They told him he was going to have to consolidate them. He ignored them and walked through. He was brought back and had to repack his bag, right there in front of everybody. He made a big production about it, but we all just grinned at him.
Sometimes the agents are hard to understand when announcing something pertaining to the flights. That’s something that I think is important for them to realize.
FYI: the "departure time" is the moment when ground crew removes the chocks from aircraft's wheels and the pushback truck begins pushing the aircraft unto taxiway. By that time, everyone is seated, seatbelts fastened, doors are fully closed, emergency slides are armed, manifest and load sheet filled, cabin crew strapped in jumpseats. You are NOT getting into the aircraft if you got there 5min before departure time. This is what pilots call "slot time", airlines pay to have it, and they will rather fly an empty aircraft than lose that time slot. Within that slot, aircraft must push back, taxi, do all the checklists, take off, and set their cruise. So I repeat: once the gate is closed, you have to rebook your flight, because this one has departed. Be at the gate 45min before departure time, that is when it typically opens. You need another 45 minutes for security+shopping+toilets, and another 45 for bag drop-off and check-in, if you have a checked bag and didn't check-in online. This is my typical rule for air travel, and no matter which airport I get into, I never have to wait anywhere longer than half an hour with this rule, nor am I late for anything.
@@deepbluehue3 i have often thought this. I am surprised that they aren’t required to have the announcements playing on screens to be ADA compliant. It would serve all people.
It would certainly be better than the disaster documentaries (often about plane crashes) that I see playing on the TV at the gate😂 way too often. (The weather channel needs to consider their audience better).
1:45 - For US departures to Aruba and Curacao, PLEASE fill out their Embarcation Card (Also called an ED card) online ahead of time, and PRINT OUT PROOF OF SAME, and have that with you. I flew to Aruba back in Feb, and about five passengers were frantically filling theirs out on their phones even as we were boarding. Also not a bad idea to print out a paper boarding pass - I tried using my phone and the "bloop bleep" device at the gate wouldn't read it - luckily I had the paper.
@@narabdelaI learned this when my phone completely failed on the way to the airport. No functionality and wouldn’t charge. I get laughed at for keeping a printed pass, but I don’t care.
Don't place your carry on bags in spaces at the front of the plane when your seat is at the back. That happened to me once, where I had to walk to the back to get my bag and believe me I walked and said excuse me quite a bit while people were trying to get around me. It's disrespectful for people to inconvenience people for their own convenience.
I’m glad you enjoy traveling because I don’t anymore. The experience of flying on US carriers has declined markedly IMO over the last 20 years. “Fun” and “pleasant” aren’t words that I associate with flying these days.
Don't bother asking for a 'free upgrade' , they don't exist anymore. It might have worked 10 or 15 years ago, but nowadays airlines track all their customers and automatically hand out upgrades to preferred and frequent fliers.
I heard the story of the ticket agent and the Colonel. Military people have some "right" to open seats and the Colonel in question was super rude about demanding a seat on a full plane from Denver to DC. She sent his bag to Sidney. When It came back she sent it to Bangkok. Nice is good.
They're easy as long as you give yourself plenty of time to make it. Whenever I fly internationally and have a connection, I always make sure there are a minimum of 4 hours between the flights so I have time to make my way to wherever I need to be. I'd rather have to kill time at the airport than push my luck and risk missing a connection because I haven't planned properly.
Some planes have small overhead bins. No matter how much you wish to bring your "cary on bag" on the plane, it will not fit. I've learned this flying on small planes where there is on seat on one side of the isle and two on the other and for international flights where there is a row of seats in the middle of the plane. If you get it past the agents before security, they'll have you gate check it, and thus extend boarding. Also, when flying internationally, pay attention to what the people before you are doing. If someone is going through bags, be ready. If everyone is lining up an hour early in a single file line ask why, so you know if you need to be in that line. They did that for a Passport check in one place. Also get to the airport extra early especially when flying at a foreign airport. They may not do it the same way you're used to at home. And even flying domestically, pay attention to warnings of extra long security times in x city. I've stood in security line for 1.5 hrs before, and watched many people get emotional over missing their flights. Tsa pre check is getting more popular, so it won't save you all the time, and it's not applicable in foreign countries. If you miss your flight, see a gate agent, right away. Most airlines charge a reasonable fee for re-booking (not cheap, but also not as expensive as if you'd booked a last minute trip). It's a bummer, but also not the end of the world.
Thank you for mentioning that people are taking up multiple seats, especially in busy airports, most of which need more seats for the number of passengers boarding the plane. Can't tell you how many times I stood waiting to board because of people taking up multiple seats. Also, don't complain and disparage the people who are preboarding. There is people that need it like when my daughter was on crutches but some dude with entitlement issues pushed her to the side he could get on the plane faster.
Been following you since I started getting serious about travel several years ago. EVERY tip you offer on your vids have served me well. You're a legend, and I'd like to buy you a coffee.
If you get delayed to the point of missing a connection, come to the gate agent armed with the alternative flight you want to be on. It helps them not have to be your travel agent, and you will get to choose the flight you want to be on instead of taking whatever the algorithm on their computer gives them as a solution. Worked for me getting home from Bangkok via Tokyo and even got myself an extra long layover to do some exploring in between flights.
DeGaulle Airport- waiting for my flight. I have a carry on that matches Air France's specs. Getting ready to board in my group, and she says "you'll need to check your bag.' Everyone else's carry-on is headed for the plane. She says take your bag to the space in the hallway. She calls me back because it needs a special tag. So I take it to the bag and calls me up again. I asked why and she said she needed to put the tag on. She says "You didn't bother to listen," I said, "Excuse me? I'm partially deaf." That shut her up. Gate Agents also have to be pleasant and not insult the passengers.
Don't leave your gate when you flight is delayed. Sometimes they say: one hour or two hour delay. DON"T BELIEVE THEM! As they might leave as soon as plane is ready to fly. I had almost made that mistake. And especially in a foreign airport if you don't speak the language. If you stay near the gate at least can see when other people will start moving through the gates.
And with the luggage check/don’t check deal…just make sure you have EVERYTHING on your person you might need during your flight + at least one day, in case your luggage lands up being checked! Nothing worse than seeing your bag going bye-bye down the chute then remembering “oh, crap…forgot to grab my heart pills!”. Sarcasm…but you get the idea.💕
I’d like to add that while body positivity isn’t necessarily bad … if you know you’ll likely be extremely uncomfortable in one seat … just buy a ticket for the next seat. Think of the comfort of your fellow travelers. Not really a gate thing. But I felt it was worth mentioning. I had an uncle who was that size. And I think he mentioned that he often did that. He’s since passed away. But I’m pretty sure that when he traveled to Iloilo, Philippines to meet his now widow for the first time in person he did that. Bought an extra seat I mean. I also agree that kindness goes a long way. I’m a former concierge. When my residents were kind to me when reporting something like a noise complaint I definitely was more apt to want to help. This is Andrew Keener.
Southwest reportedly has a policy for such travelers that if you bought 2 seats for yourself because you don't fit into one and contact them afterwards, they will refund you the cost of the second seat, which I think is very compassionate.
@@normanreichwald6158 You and I see that differently. I personally think it isn’t because so many travelers (from what I’ve heard) don’t do that. And you have someone booked in the seat next to the oversized traveler because said oversized traveler didn’t want to pay for the extra seat.
Unless I'm flying business I wait right until just about everyone has gone through the gate. The plane is not leaving any sooner. Travelling is a privilege that millions in their life will never experience. We should all be grateful.
@@oldbroadabroad6619 the plane isn’t leaving any sooner but the overhead space WILL fill up. Some folks (such as musicians) have carry-on items on which their livelihoods depend that simply cannot be gate checked.
@@oldbroadabroad6619 I agree. I usually check my bag and I allow extra time on travel days for any snafus. My other bag is just my personal item. I almost always fly economy so I have no problem boarding last....less time I have to spend in those tiny plane seats(not that the gate lounge chairs are much better lol).
@@LouisOlenickTromboneYou can pay for priority boarding. I think it comes with buying a seat on some airlines. If my livelihood depended on it, then I'd pay for a little assurance.
@user-ew8vt1ur7j agree!! I'm in Australia so I only fly business to Europe as otherwise it's two days of flying and no sleep. Within Australia and anything under 8 hours I go economy.
As usual, Mark's points make perfect sense, but... this does go both ways. I've encountered plenty of surly gate agents over the years, and I sometimes wonder if anyone who works for a major airline is ever held accountable when they mistreat a passenger. Also, I'm a rule-follower and am happy to comply with baggage regulations and board with my group, but I truly believe the flying public would have a higher opinion of the airlines if they would just enforce their rules consistently. If you don't want personal items in the overhead bins, then address those passengers who do so.
One should always be courteous to gate agents and other airport employees as they have a stressful job. I just wish the airlines didn't deliberately design the airport experience to be stressful so that you'll pay extra to have it go a little better. Regardless, the staff at the airport and on the planes themselves aren't responsible for that.
I don't go to queue till there's almost no one in it, especially since I'm always in the last boarding group. I don't care how late I get onto the plane, as long as I'm not holding it up, we all arrive at the same time anyway. I don't get the point of trying to be the first person onboard, you're going to be sitting in that cramped seat for hours - rather walk around outside for as long as you can.
@@ghaznavid I try to avoid checking bags. If you are one of the last to board the plane, there's a strong chance you have to check your bag. Being in the last group is ok as long as you are among the first in the last group to board.
@@ghaznavidThe overhead lockers tend to fill up very quickly these days. From my experience most people want to board quickly to ensure they can get their stuff in the bin right next to their seat, not ten rows back, which has happened to me before.
@@eddiebruv Yeah, as a taller-than-average guy who pays for seats with additional legroom, I do not want to be boarding last and wind up having my hand luggage (which contains a bunch of medical stuff I really don't want to check) taking up the additional legroom I paid for because there's no space left in the overhead.
@@eddiebruv if you aren't in an emergency exit seat, you can always just put it under the seat in front of you. If your bag isn't massive, it doesn't impact significantly on your legroom. Although it is plausible that I fly with less luggage than the average person.
I had a family member not weigh the suitcase and was severely over the limit. Lost the flight because there was no one there to take the excess back home. Not to mention it was one baggage and one hand bag, but showed up with two hand bags. Chose not to pay the excess fine, ended up paying for another flight.
Great video Mark, you always have fantastic information for travelers. I wish people would follow your advices and understand that traveling could be wonderful when you are prepared to follow rules and accidental mishaps. BTW, you look great! I am a serious traveler but have not been able to do so for the past 3 yrs, have a trip to Portugal and Madeira on my plans for next September and I can't wait to get on that plane. Take care and thank you!
I'm teaching my now traveling teens how to not annoy gate agents. We will all get on the plane, so patience is necessary. I have very little patience for annoying people...they are the problem for sure.
Just recently I was a bit annoyed that several people were taking up seats at the gate with their luggage. A lot of us had to stand because of these selfish AHs. Also, I also don't understand why anyone wants to rush to get on the plane only to sit there uncomfortably before take off -- it is usually the people who want to hog up the overhead storage with their multiple carry-ons. Checking bags is so much easier and you can just wait relaxed until your group is called. All pain comes from resistance to protocol -- it is that kind of BS that spoils the joy of traveling -- mostly for yourself always trying to buck the system. The entire world and life would be more pleasant if people were more conscientious and less self-serving.
I prefer to board asap so that I can put my bag away and get settled into my seat without being in the middle of a crowded plane. Getting on last is a guarantee that there's no more overhead bin space, and that other folks may have to get up to let us into our seats.
I have had only positive experiences with gate agents and really airport staff and even TSA. On one flight that was full and they asked for people to check carry-ons i was reluctant because it was mainly my camera and laptop. I was a later boarding group and had only flown a couple of times and was worried i would have no choice but to check it. The wonderful gate agent changed that without me asking and bumped me up to the first group after disabled, military, etc. She really took care of me.
If the gate agent says "THIS IS A FULL FLIGHT WE NEED YOU TO CONSOLIDATE BAGS AND ANY EXTRA BAGS WILL BE GATE CHECKED" listen to what they say. Don't try to bicker with them. They don't want your crap. If you can't squeeze it in, take that gate-check. Back when I flew Delta/United to see friends in Florida, I milked the free gate-checked bag for all it was worth. I can't tell you how many times I made the gate agent's morning because I willingly ran over to the desk to gate-check my bag before they were even done with the announcement. They had one less person to bicker with during the boarding process, and I got a free checked bag. Double-win!
Same, on my last trip to New Orleans the agent announced the flight was going to be full and needed volunteers to check their bags. I was the first to volunteer and they let me move from boarding group 5 to 2, which was a minor, but nice perk.
I recently flew from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia. About 45 minutes before boarding was due to start I noticed one man loitering by the scanners where some employees were doing their thing. He kept interrupting them (I couldn't hear what was being said) but eventually they had him escorted out of the airport as he was apparently being verbally aggressive to them. I had seen him earlier in a nearby bar knocking back beers so he was obviously the worse for wear. I enjoy a beer myself every now and then at an airport but I really think maybe it's time alcohol was no longer sold at airports, I've seen too many instances on UA-cam of people being violent because they've drunk too much, sometimes a whole plane is de-boarded because of one drunk person mouthing off.
i was waiting for my flight and saw how much grief this guy was giving the gate agents. i gave them each a kindness ducky after for their patience in dealing with the guy. i think they were surprised by the gesture! love the harry potter reference!!!
There was a gate lice person in line and was then super annoyed that those of us around him started asking what group number he was. He said, “Oh, like 5 seats will make a difference.” Um…yes, board when you’re supposed to board, and yes - I will board before you because that’s the reason they HAVE these numbers!”
I think anxiety about missing out on overhead bin space might be a prime reason for gate lice people. A few months ago I had an international United flight coming up and I thought they might be using their re-introduced WILMA (window, middle, aisle) boarding system. As I had an aisle seat booked, my chances of having space for a big carry on bag might have been very doubtful. So I decided to check a suitcase & brought a tiny back pack onto the plane. The tiny back pack fitted under the seat in front with plenty of room left for my feet. It turned out that United were not using the WILMA boarding system on my flight, but by the time my boarding group got on the plane there was virtually no space left in the B787's big bins. So, by thinking ahead I saved myself any stress and aggravation.😀
Adding to having boarding passes ready, if using a digital pass, *clean your phone*! Makes it simpler for the scanner to read it. Signed, massage therapist who needs to clean her screen more.
One airport that is worrying about the boarding gate is Madrid airport, as there is a new departure gate that is a train ride and 20 min walk away from all the other gates - so allow 40 mins to get to that gate.
Been upgraded to business class or first class several times in the past by just being civil and understanding to a gate agent when there is an issue. Have some possible solutions ready and also be flexible…it goes a long way. Yes..don’t be a jerk.
I used to be one of the gate lice. Then I realized when I rushed to get on the plane first I just sat in my seat for a half hour. Now, I never pay to get into an early boarding line. In fact, I'm often one of the last people on the plane. Then, when I sit down we're in the air in minutes.
My suggestion for gate agents is to please speak more slowly, flight attendants too. Most of the time I cannot understand what is being said, and people have accents that take a moment to adjust to. I'd venture that most travelers want to do things correctly, so help us out, slow down a tad and speak clearly. You've said it 50 times already this week, but most travelers only hear it a couple of times a year, and the announcements are always different.
I'm getting anxiety just from watching this video. My wife loves to travel, and I like to be places, but I hate getting to them. Airports have always stressed me out. Fortunately living in Europe allows me options for land travel. I do love the sentiment of this video though!
I always find speedy boarding funny. Particularly with EasyJet, who I fly with fairly frequently. They only get allowed on about 30 seconds before everyone else, it’s such a waste of money 😂
About a month ago I was flying from Copenhagen to Dublin, was at gate D104 I think, and there was no waiting room near the boarding desk, it was after a long narrow queue corridor, which was already fullly queued up by people long before boarding started, and I had gotten a free upgrade to first class (this was due to a voucher we received from a previous cancelled flight) with priority boarding. When boarding started the queue was already full with people and I couldn't utilize the priority boarding.
One tip I always give to people is... Departure time is departing from the Runway.... not departing from the gate. And If you are flying from a.large airport it may take 15 minutes plus for the plane to taxi to the the runway.
Please say it louder for people in the back! I work at the airport and passengers sometimes show up when the gate is already closed. "but it leaves in 10min". Yes but it's not a bus 🤦
Listening to people's conversations with the gate-agent is exactly why I lean way in and almost talk at a whisper, so that way no one can judge me on the things I am (privately) asking.
Even if the gate agents were responsible for the weather, the delays, the upgrades, or anything else, you still shouldn't YELL at another person just doing their job. Be a civilized human being.
My husband was traveling a couple of years ago. A man threw a fit at the gate and cussed out the agent and made a huge scene. Two men came out of no where and took him into a room near the gate and shut the door. Afterwards, the man found a seat and sat down. He never made a sound and was quiet the entire time.
My request for gate agents: if you’re announcing boarding by group, please enforce the process and turn away those who attempt to board before their group is called. I can’t tell you how many times I am, say, Group F, and I dutifully wait for my group to be called, only to discover that I somehow am the ONLY person left for groups D, E, and F (because I was the only one waiting for my group to be called).
Yep, they seem to be reluctant to send people back if they're in the wrong group. It's really annoying.
Watch the video again?
If you're the only one in your group waiting, think about it?
It's nice and courteous of you, but sometimes people don't behave like you want them to or things don't go the way it should.
Just go to the gate agent. Get their attention. They are human too.
@@Demetri450you're not making sense, Bub.
100%, turn them around and make them do the walk of shame to the back of the queue. I'm on a flight now, lined up right when my boarding group was called and my bag is 7 seats away from where I'm sitting because somehow everyone in this area boarded ahead of me.
Also, please put your personal item UNDER THE SEAT. YOU are the reason there is no room left half way thru boarding for people to put their carryon in the above bins. That's just not right.
The people who need this aren't watching Wolters World.
Right. This is common sense, and telling Americans to not yell and be demanding/ entitled to everything for me.
My thoughts exactly!😀
Exactly 😅
Perhaps the algorithm will grab a few, we can hope.
Ya we all know it… I’ll recommend this video to those types should I experience any. Just watched his video on Edinburgh. Going to be a great place to see. And when friendly people like this host give helpful advice… makes the world go better. And life easier. Thanks sir. Whose name I’ve forgotten.
90% of these tips can be summarized with: don't be a jerk
You are very much correct
Yup, and they usually work also far beyond the realm of gate-staff too!
Yes indeed!
What's sad is that the type of person who really needs this advice also won't click on this video
@@volusian95 Well, then we have to lead by example! 😇
As a seasoned traveler, I’ve noticed that most check-in, gate, and boarding problems are “User-based Problems” (AKA passengers).
You're a 'seasoned' traveller!
Not only is this channel full of practical information, I especially appreciate the encouragement of niceness and civility. It helps to give the world an outside chance of actually being a worthwhile place to live.
Very well said, Mike
I will never forget something I saw at the gate flying out of Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. All flights were delayed due to weather. In coming snowstorm. Everyone at the gate wanted to get out of town before we were buried in snow. Flight delayed multiple times over the course of three hours. At about 8 pm the flight was cancelled. Some idiot started yelling at the gate agent saying he had to get home. He eventually picked up the keyboard and smashed it against the counter. He got arrested. Don’t be that guy.
omg. YIKES!
I'm sure it wasn't his first time in the cuffs... Or his last.
"Gate Lice" 🤣 Too funny! This is one of my pet peeves.
One of the reasons I often stand closer to the gate agents is because I can't understand the announcements made over the PA system. In most airports, it's a crappy system and the noise and acoustics of the airport don't help either. And if you're in a country where the native language is not English and you don't understand (much) of the native language, it can make it even more difficult to understand. Not the gate agent's fault of course, but the reason I sometimes stand closer. Just to get the messages.
Sometimes it’s absolutely their fault. Make an attempt to learn how to pronounce a passengers name before you start talking. Eununciate, and say numbers very slowly with spaces in between them. Numbers are the hardest thing for people to understand in a foreign language. A 15 min lesson in elocution would help a lot. Lots of people are hard of hearing
@@M_SC Also: LOUDNESS will not make you more understandable. Speaking more slowly and enunciation are the key.
100% agree. You can call me whatever you want, I'm standing next to the gate when boarding starts because they don't call the boarding groups loud enough or don't update the screen to show the right number. Many times, in DFW airport I've experienced this problem. We couldn't hear the guy and the next thing we knew, our group was already called. We walked through and guess what? NO OVERHEAD BIN SPACE. Not going to happen again!
Everyone that takes a flight anywhere should be required to watch this video. Unfortunately the folks that NEED to hear this, likey will not. Geat video as always
During my 150K miles per year as a consultant, it was amazing how far a smile went. One time I followed a couple who screamed at the gate agent for 5 minutes. I smiled and made a comment something like "that is a tough act to follow" to get a laugh out of her. Funny, my request to upgrade to first class was granted.
I always make it my mission to try to be the reason that somebody smiles, especially people who work in customer service. It's gotten me a lot of little perks, even when I don't ask for them, and we both end up feeling good. :)
I had a similar experience at a rental car counter. The guy in front of me was an entitled jerk on a rant. When my turn came, I smiled sweetly, complimented the agent on her jewelry and I got a huge upgrade without even asking.
How do you get thst? Just ask?
Similar situation here. I try to go out of my way to make their jobs easier and treat them like I'd treat a friend rather than corporate employee...and get rewarded quite often because of it. I don't know how people work public-facing jobs these days with so many entitled brat customers.
Always always always be polite.
I never understood why people sometimes are so rude to not only the employees but to everyone. When im flying i am always in the best mood because im going some place i have never been before.
What about when you're flying back home? 😁
@@elevat1on by then i am exhausted and ready to see my family and my dogs so i am equally excited
@@rickybobby1055 hehe was just a joke man.
I think some of them don’t work in the service industry, or they are bad people there as well:)
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this video!!! I work at an airport as a gate agent and everything mentioned in this video is spot on sir!!! Also, please don't take out your frustrations out on the gate agents/ airport employees in general. I know traveling/life can be stressful but we are people too! It does go both ways for sure. Let's be kind to each other as much as we can. Thank you. Happy travels 😊😊 P.S. Get better at time management because they dont say to get to the airport 2-3 hours early for nothing! If you can give yourself more time even better!
Added to your ban on listening to music without a personal listening device in the boarding area: playing games or watching videos without personal listening devices, or doing a phone call on speaker at all.
@@jimhertwig2220 that is irritating and rude and shows an utter lack of class.
So many people do that.
My request: Please show the boarding groups on a monitor as it is sometimes difficult to understand especially for non native English speakers to understand. Or use a AI-generated anouncement.
And: Don't anounce that "boarding will start soon" when in reality you have to wait 20min or half an hour longer. That is so annoying.
Excellent idea! I often have trouble hearing the announcements.
Yeah, the thing is they don't even speak English when they do. They speak a rather heavily convoluted airline lingo. Me included, but only with workmates and in the office not to the traveling guests. Just like Joker said : nobody cares what it is like to be the other guy these days.
Yep, "Boarding will start soon," and then they either start immediately or like you said, it's another 20 minutes.
@@hassanalihusseini1717 that's an excellent idea. I have hearing aids and often can't get the announcement because of the noise
A hunch, that is because the gate agent doesn’t know the actual moment boarding will start (numerous links in the large chain) & they are working on it, it’s coming up “soon”. The gate agents are doing everything within their power.
Couple things I like to add.
1. Don’t try to being a oversized bag that suppose to be checked and try to pass it off as a carry-on. It def slow down the boarding process.
2. If flights is full, bags might be checked at the gate, usually free (depending on airlines). If it full, don’t argue with the gate agent as they are tying to make sure the flights goes out on time. Bags usually end up at the baggage claim at your final destination.
3. Don’t try to bring more than 1 carry-on & 1 personal bags as it slows the boarding process. You will have to either check one of those bags in at the gate, or combine the luggage into 1.
I completely agree with you, but I also believe it is the responsibility of the airline employees to enforce this. I don't know how often I have seen passengers with bags exceeding the supposed size limits go through. Then, their accumulative effects prevent other passengers from using the overhead bins.
I’ve also seen people bring bags and bags of shopping they did after security check. One person used up a whole bin for themselves.
@@lynnshire7577 Usually duty free bags are allowed
Oh, my six foot long duffle bag will fit. It will fit LOL😂
@@ff-jk6hv yea... duty free bags are allowed, but since it's not regulated as much as baggage, passengers should be mindful of how much they purchase if they plan on putting it in the overhead bin.
As a gate agent, this is very accurate. Pax are usually a bit nuts.
A few minor things you didn't mention:
When I as a gate agent come to the gate, and I immediately get thrown at questions, but I haven't even logged in, and then they get mad that I can't answer their question.
When pax scans their ticket, but then doesn't enter the jet bridge or the bus (waiting for someone).
When pax don't scan their tickets.
When pax come late to the gate obviously.
...And many more...
My gosh, Mark this was the best run down on managing the gate - boarding, onboarding and everything in between. Can we have this playing on a loop at the airport, please?
Air Canada was enforcing the boarding groups on my most recent trip a few weeks ago. They repeatedly announced at all three airports I was at that they would send you back to the line if you try to board with the wrong group. Also enforcing the two items only (1 personal and 1 carryon). I just wish they’d go back to boarding the zones from back to front. This front to back seems so much slower.
@@kristenclarkin7662 Yes! Boarding back to front and, monitor where their bags are placed was much more efficient. When a passenger seated at the front of the plane wants to retrieve their headphones from the overhead compartment, the aisle is blocked and boarding is delayed.
"Brightness all the way up" is a good little reminder - I typically have my phone at like 40%
My phone does that automatically for me whenever I pull up a QR code / ticket.
Also, stop the screen from rotating!
I forget too. I do take a screen shot of my boarding pass to make it easier to retrieve.
@@elevat1on Yes, Google wallet seems to do that automatically on some Samsung phones.
I’m a former gate agent. One thing that drove me insane was people who would want to change their seats to sit next to friends or family. In some cases, the small children would not be sitting next to parents….. RESERVE YOUR SEATS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION! If you fly on an airline which charges for pre reserved seat assignment, PAY IT! Don’t all of a sudden be cheap.
Thank you for that. It's so annoying being asked repeatedly. And lately I've been saying no to people asking to switch. Like you said,reserve your seats ahead of time. I'm mainly a solo traveler so I book an economy fare and just get assigned a seat. Which is fine by me. But I've been asked a few times to switch to a middle seat. Hell no!! I definitely won't switch I don't care if it's sit next to your child or mother 😅😅😅
Except in the world of massive numbers of delays and cancellations, many people are booked onto flights because airlines screwed up and caused missed connections. In some of those cases, people don’t get to pick their seats.
@@Texas_nc I’m speaking of normal operations without delays or cancellations or other irregularities.
@@Cali-707-ica how do you know when it’s that or rebooked flights?
@@Texas_ncas a gate agent I would be informed if some passengers had been rebooked because of irregular operations. (That’s our term for things being completely f**ked up) I show up at the gate 1 hour prior to departure with and then have a line full of people who want a window seat or an aisle seat, or want to sit at the front of the or demand a free upgrade. The gate agent will know will either print their preflight paperwork in the office or at the gate and then get an idea of what they have in store for them. If there were a lot of rebooking from earlier cancellations etc. Passengers will check in, ignore their seat assignments even if they check in on the automated kiosks and then complain at the gate. It was especially bad with the newlyweds. They were just married and so in love that they would have a meltdown if they were not sitting next to one another.
It's funny how the process of traveling is something I really don't enjoy, but seeing this footage during a travel drought makes me miss airports 😅
Always remember one of life's great golden rules: Never mess with someone who can directly impact the service you desire, if you're a jerk to a gate agent, that can quickly escalate into situations you don't want (and that counts for so many situations in life not just at a boarding gate!), they don't want that, they just want to get you on quickly & gone because that's what their boss wants.
A special hello to the gate agent at Madrid who gave me priority boarding without me even asking for it ! The fact that I was wearing a moon boot to protect a broken ankle may have helped ! Anyway I really appreciated it.
A few months ago as we boarded a trip to Europe, a guy walked right up to the gate agent with three bags. They told him he was going to have to consolidate them. He ignored them and walked through. He was brought back and had to repack his bag, right there in front of everybody. He made a big production about it, but we all just grinned at him.
Pre-flight entertainment!
Sometimes the agents are hard to understand when announcing something pertaining to the flights. That’s something that I think is important for them to realize.
Gate Lice.....good one Mark!!
FYI: the "departure time" is the moment when ground crew removes the chocks from aircraft's wheels and the pushback truck begins pushing the aircraft unto taxiway. By that time, everyone is seated, seatbelts fastened, doors are fully closed, emergency slides are armed, manifest and load sheet filled, cabin crew strapped in jumpseats. You are NOT getting into the aircraft if you got there 5min before departure time. This is what pilots call "slot time", airlines pay to have it, and they will rather fly an empty aircraft than lose that time slot. Within that slot, aircraft must push back, taxi, do all the checklists, take off, and set their cruise. So I repeat: once the gate is closed, you have to rebook your flight, because this one has departed.
Be at the gate 45min before departure time, that is when it typically opens. You need another 45 minutes for security+shopping+toilets, and another 45 for bag drop-off and check-in, if you have a checked bag and didn't check-in online. This is my typical rule for air travel, and no matter which airport I get into, I never have to wait anywhere longer than half an hour with this rule, nor am I late for anything.
THIS should be playing with subtitles on tvs AT THE AIRPORT ! ON REPEAT !!!
... not just here ...
haha that would be awesome!
@@deepbluehue3 i have often thought this. I am surprised that they aren’t required to have the announcements playing on screens to be ADA compliant. It would serve all people.
It would certainly be better than the disaster documentaries (often about plane crashes) that I see playing on the TV at the gate😂 way too often. (The weather channel needs to consider their audience better).
@@normanreichwald6158 Hahaha yea that's unfortunate !
1:45 - For US departures to Aruba and Curacao, PLEASE fill out their Embarcation Card (Also called an ED card) online ahead of time, and PRINT OUT PROOF OF SAME, and have that with you. I flew to Aruba back in Feb, and about five passengers were frantically filling theirs out on their phones even as we were boarding. Also not a bad idea to print out a paper boarding pass - I tried using my phone and the "bloop bleep" device at the gate wouldn't read it - luckily I had the paper.
Agreed. I never rely on a boarding pass on my phone. I've seen too many people having issues with them.
@@narabdelaI learned this when my phone completely failed on the way to the airport. No functionality and wouldn’t charge. I get laughed at for keeping a printed pass, but I don’t care.
Don't place your carry on bags in spaces at the front of the plane when your seat is at the back.
That happened to me once, where I had to walk to the back to get my bag and believe me I walked and said excuse me quite a bit while people were trying to get around me. It's disrespectful for people to inconvenience people for their own convenience.
And can be problematic if you are trying to make a connection.
You are allowed to
@@angelaclements1244so it was you 😂 seriously, stop doing that. It causes way more problems for the whole flight.
@@JoaoSantos-lj3jp won't do it again 😂
@@angelaclements1244 lol appreciate you
I’m glad you enjoy traveling because I don’t anymore. The experience of flying on US carriers has declined markedly IMO over the last 20 years. “Fun” and “pleasant” aren’t words that I associate with flying these days.
Don't bother asking for a 'free upgrade' , they don't exist anymore. It might have worked 10 or 15 years ago, but nowadays airlines track all their customers and automatically hand out upgrades to preferred and frequent fliers.
Not to mention that you can't even ask for a paid upgrade at the airport.
When right in front of me, don't put your cabin bag in the reserved "main cabin extra" bag area above my seat and walk to the back of the plane.
Yes. And don’t move mine to an area behind me so you can use the space above me
I heard the story of the ticket agent and the Colonel. Military people have some "right" to open seats and the Colonel in question was super rude about demanding a seat on a full plane from Denver to DC. She sent his bag to Sidney. When It came back she sent it to Bangkok. Nice is good.
I love this! Be kind, respectful, and thoughtful.
Airports give me anxiety. I avoid connect flights as much as possible. Too stressful
They're easy as long as you give yourself plenty of time to make it. Whenever I fly internationally and have a connection, I always make sure there are a minimum of 4 hours between the flights so I have time to make my way to wherever I need to be. I'd rather have to kill time at the airport than push my luck and risk missing a connection because I haven't planned properly.
@@shaunpierce4174and some airports have really good shopping!
Same here. If I’m flying to an airport where I don’t know the layout I go online ahead of time so I know what’s what.
Looking fantastic Mark!
Some planes have small overhead bins. No matter how much you wish to bring your "cary on bag" on the plane, it will not fit. I've learned this flying on small planes where there is on seat on one side of the isle and two on the other and for international flights where there is a row of seats in the middle of the plane. If you get it past the agents before security, they'll have you gate check it, and thus extend boarding.
Also, when flying internationally, pay attention to what the people before you are doing. If someone is going through bags, be ready. If everyone is lining up an hour early in a single file line ask why, so you know if you need to be in that line. They did that for a Passport check in one place. Also get to the airport extra early especially when flying at a foreign airport. They may not do it the same way you're used to at home.
And even flying domestically, pay attention to warnings of extra long security times in x city. I've stood in security line for 1.5 hrs before, and watched many people get emotional over missing their flights. Tsa pre check is getting more popular, so it won't save you all the time, and it's not applicable in foreign countries.
If you miss your flight, see a gate agent, right away. Most airlines charge a reasonable fee for re-booking (not cheap, but also not as expensive as if you'd booked a last minute trip). It's a bummer, but also not the end of the world.
Thank you for mentioning that people are taking up multiple seats, especially in busy airports, most of which need more seats for the number of passengers boarding the plane. Can't tell you how many times I stood waiting to board because of people taking up multiple seats.
Also, don't complain and disparage the people who are preboarding. There is people that need it like when my daughter was on crutches but some dude with entitlement issues pushed her to the side he could get on the plane faster.
Been following you since I started getting serious about travel several years ago. EVERY tip you offer on your vids have served me well. You're a legend, and I'd like to buy you a coffee.
Wolter - if you travel first or business class you do not have these problems.
My, you are looking good.
He's not Wolter, he's Mark. Wolters is his surname.
@@hughbiggins4339 Good to know, thanks.
If you get delayed to the point of missing a connection, come to the gate agent armed with the alternative flight you want to be on. It helps them not have to be your travel agent, and you will get to choose the flight you want to be on instead of taking whatever the algorithm on their computer gives them as a solution. Worked for me getting home from Bangkok via Tokyo and even got myself an extra long layover to do some exploring in between flights.
DeGaulle Airport- waiting for my flight. I have a carry on that matches Air France's specs. Getting ready to board in my group, and she says "you'll need to check your bag.' Everyone else's carry-on is headed for the plane. She says take your bag to the space in the hallway. She calls me back because it needs a special tag. So I take it to the bag and calls me up again. I asked why and she said she needed to put the tag on. She says "You didn't bother to listen,"
I said, "Excuse me? I'm partially deaf."
That shut her up.
Gate Agents also have to be pleasant and not insult the passengers.
You are a national treasure. Thank you for sharing your tips with us
Don't leave your gate when you flight is delayed. Sometimes they say: one hour or two hour delay. DON"T BELIEVE THEM! As they might leave as soon as plane is ready to fly. I had almost made that mistake. And especially in a foreign airport if you don't speak the language. If you stay near the gate at least can see when other people will start moving through the gates.
That happened to me one time they said a 45 minute delay and then suddenly I believe it was a 15 minute and then boarding at least I wasn’t very far.
I love this video..Like me you go to the Baltics a lot and the connection was Miami-Chicago-Helsinki -Vilnius
Its tough when you run through the airport on account of a late first flight and the connection closes the door early.
That happened to me at O Hare and worse, the gate agent laughed. I never have good luck there
And with the luggage check/don’t check deal…just make sure you have EVERYTHING on your person you might need during your flight + at least one day, in case your luggage lands up being checked! Nothing worse than seeing your bag going bye-bye down the chute then remembering “oh, crap…forgot to grab my heart pills!”. Sarcasm…but you get the idea.💕
I’d like to add that while body positivity isn’t necessarily bad … if you know you’ll likely be extremely uncomfortable in one seat … just buy a ticket for the next seat. Think of the comfort of your fellow travelers. Not really a gate thing. But I felt it was worth mentioning. I had an uncle who was that size. And I think he mentioned that he often did that. He’s since passed away. But I’m pretty sure that when he traveled to Iloilo, Philippines to meet his now widow for the first time in person he did that. Bought an extra seat I mean.
I also agree that kindness goes a long way. I’m a former concierge. When my residents were kind to me when reporting something like a noise complaint I definitely was more apt to want to help. This is Andrew Keener.
Southwest reportedly has a policy for such travelers that if you bought 2 seats for yourself because you don't fit into one and contact them afterwards, they will refund you the cost of the second seat, which I think is very compassionate.
@@normanreichwald6158 You and I see that differently. I personally think it isn’t because so many travelers (from what I’ve heard) don’t do that. And you have someone booked in the seat next to the oversized traveler because said oversized traveler didn’t want to pay for the extra seat.
Unless I'm flying business I wait right until just about everyone has gone through the gate. The plane is not leaving any sooner. Travelling is a privilege that millions in their life will never experience. We should all be grateful.
@@oldbroadabroad6619 the plane isn’t leaving any sooner but the overhead space WILL fill up. Some folks (such as musicians) have carry-on items on which their livelihoods depend that simply cannot be gate checked.
@@oldbroadabroad6619 I agree. I usually check my bag and I allow extra time on travel days for any snafus. My other bag is just my personal item. I almost always fly economy so I have no problem boarding last....less time I have to spend in those tiny plane seats(not that the gate lounge chairs are much better lol).
@@LouisOlenickTromboneYou can pay for priority boarding. I think it comes with buying a seat on some airlines. If my livelihood depended on it, then I'd pay for a little assurance.
@LouisOlenickTrombone I'm assuming a trombone? 🤣 I only have a small carry on that goes under the seat so I'm ok with everyone else filling the space.
@user-ew8vt1ur7j agree!! I'm in Australia so I only fly business to Europe as otherwise it's two days of flying and no sleep. Within Australia and anything under 8 hours I go economy.
Great advice as always Mark👍🏻👍🏻🇭🇲🇭🇲
As usual, Mark's points make perfect sense, but... this does go both ways. I've encountered plenty of surly gate agents over the years, and I sometimes wonder if anyone who works for a major airline is ever held accountable when they mistreat a passenger. Also, I'm a rule-follower and am happy to comply with baggage regulations and board with my group, but I truly believe the flying public would have a higher opinion of the airlines if they would just enforce their rules consistently. If you don't want personal items in the overhead bins, then address those passengers who do so.
One should always be courteous to gate agents and other airport employees as they have a stressful job. I just wish the airlines didn't deliberately design the airport experience to be stressful so that you'll pay extra to have it go a little better. Regardless, the staff at the airport and on the planes themselves aren't responsible for that.
"Gate Lice" is kinda how they do things overseas. Everyone lines up a long time before boarding. Of course, they line up by boarding group.
I don't go to queue till there's almost no one in it, especially since I'm always in the last boarding group. I don't care how late I get onto the plane, as long as I'm not holding it up, we all arrive at the same time anyway. I don't get the point of trying to be the first person onboard, you're going to be sitting in that cramped seat for hours - rather walk around outside for as long as you can.
@@ghaznavid I try to avoid checking bags. If you are one of the last to board the plane, there's a strong chance you have to check your bag. Being in the last group is ok as long as you are among the first in the last group to board.
@@ghaznavidThe overhead lockers tend to fill up very quickly these days. From my experience most people want to board quickly to ensure they can get their stuff in the bin right next to their seat, not ten rows back, which has happened to me before.
@@eddiebruv Yeah, as a taller-than-average guy who pays for seats with additional legroom, I do not want to be boarding last and wind up having my hand luggage (which contains a bunch of medical stuff I really don't want to check) taking up the additional legroom I paid for because there's no space left in the overhead.
@@eddiebruv if you aren't in an emergency exit seat, you can always just put it under the seat in front of you. If your bag isn't massive, it doesn't impact significantly on your legroom. Although it is plausible that I fly with less luggage than the average person.
I had a family member not weigh the suitcase and was severely over the limit. Lost the flight because there was no one there to take the excess back home. Not to mention it was one baggage and one hand bag, but showed up with two hand bags. Chose not to pay the excess fine, ended up paying for another flight.
Great video!! You have touched on all the points that travellers need to know! The gate lice is a perfect descriptor :)
This video should be playing on a loop in every airport!
This video had some great advice but it's also kinda sad that it had to be made. When did we forget to just be human??
This is very helpful. We all benefit from understanding how things work in new and different environments and places.
You're looking extra good, Mark!
I love your channel. So educational.
Hope you and your beautiful family are well! Thanks so much for all your tips over the years!
Great tips-treat others how you would like to be treated
Great video Mark, you always have fantastic information for travelers. I wish people would follow your advices and understand that traveling could be wonderful when you are prepared to follow rules and accidental mishaps. BTW, you look great! I am a serious traveler but have not been able to do so for the past 3 yrs, have a trip to Portugal and Madeira on my plans for next September and I can't wait to get on that plane. Take care and thank you!
I'm teaching my now traveling teens how to not annoy gate agents. We will all get on the plane, so patience is necessary. I have very little patience for annoying people...they are the problem for sure.
Dr. Wolter, I want to congratulate you on your weight loss. You're looking great and still giving great advice!
Just recently I was a bit annoyed that several people were taking up seats at the gate with their luggage. A lot of us had to stand because of these selfish AHs. Also, I also don't understand why anyone wants to rush to get on the plane only to sit there uncomfortably before take off -- it is usually the people who want to hog up the overhead storage with their multiple carry-ons. Checking bags is so much easier and you can just wait relaxed until your group is called. All pain comes from resistance to protocol -- it is that kind of BS that spoils the joy of traveling -- mostly for yourself always trying to buck the system. The entire world and life would be more pleasant if people were more conscientious and less self-serving.
Amen
When all else fails, try common sense...
I prefer to board asap so that I can put my bag away and get settled into my seat without being in the middle of a crowded plane. Getting on last is a guarantee that there's no more overhead bin space, and that other folks may have to get up to let us into our seats.
I have had only positive experiences with gate agents and really airport staff and even TSA. On one flight that was full and they asked for people to check carry-ons i was reluctant because it was mainly my camera and laptop. I was a later boarding group and had only flown a couple of times and was worried i would have no choice but to check it. The wonderful gate agent changed that without me asking and bumped me up to the first group after disabled, military, etc. She really took care of me.
Honestly, the boarding lines are the worst part. I try to only bring what fits under the seat so I can relax about it.
ME TOO!!! Makes life so much easier...
@@martyham10 So much less stressful if you don't care where you are in line!
@@musingsatmidlife5278 Great point of view... Thank you! Marty
If the gate agent says "THIS IS A FULL FLIGHT WE NEED YOU TO CONSOLIDATE BAGS AND ANY EXTRA BAGS WILL BE GATE CHECKED" listen to what they say. Don't try to bicker with them. They don't want your crap. If you can't squeeze it in, take that gate-check. Back when I flew Delta/United to see friends in Florida, I milked the free gate-checked bag for all it was worth. I can't tell you how many times I made the gate agent's morning because I willingly ran over to the desk to gate-check my bag before they were even done with the announcement. They had one less person to bicker with during the boarding process, and I got a free checked bag. Double-win!
Same, on my last trip to New Orleans the agent announced the flight was going to be full and needed volunteers to check their bags. I was the first to volunteer and they let me move from boarding group 5 to 2, which was a minor, but nice perk.
I recently flew from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia. About 45 minutes before boarding was due to start I noticed one man loitering by the scanners where some employees were doing their thing. He kept interrupting them (I couldn't hear what was being said) but eventually they had him escorted out of the airport as he was apparently being verbally aggressive to them. I had seen him earlier in a nearby bar knocking back beers so he was obviously the worse for wear. I enjoy a beer myself every now and then at an airport but I really think maybe it's time alcohol was no longer sold at airports, I've seen too many instances on UA-cam of people being violent because they've drunk too much, sometimes a whole plane is de-boarded because of one drunk person mouthing off.
i was waiting for my flight and saw how much grief this guy was giving the gate agents. i gave them each a kindness ducky after for their patience in dealing with the guy. i think they were surprised by the gesture!
love the harry potter reference!!!
There was a gate lice person in line and was then super annoyed that those of us around him started asking what group number he was. He said, “Oh, like 5 seats will make a difference.” Um…yes, board when you’re supposed to board, and yes - I will board before you because that’s the reason they HAVE these numbers!”
(Melanie here) Hi Wolter! I like your new glasses. Thanks for all your great videos.
It's sad that people have to be reminded of these things.
I think anxiety about missing out on overhead bin space might be a prime reason for gate lice people. A few months ago I had an international United flight coming up and I thought they might be using their re-introduced WILMA (window, middle, aisle) boarding system. As I had an aisle seat booked, my chances of having space for a big carry on bag might have been very doubtful. So I decided to check a suitcase & brought a tiny back pack onto the plane. The tiny back pack fitted under the seat in front with plenty of room left for my feet. It turned out that United were not using the WILMA boarding system on my flight, but by the time my boarding group got on the plane there was virtually no space left in the B787's big bins. So, by thinking ahead I saved myself any stress and aggravation.😀
Adding to having boarding passes ready, if using a digital pass, *clean your phone*!
Makes it simpler for the scanner to read it.
Signed, massage therapist who needs to clean her screen more.
Nice to see some shots from Schiphol, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Thank you for all the helpful tips
One airport that is worrying about the boarding gate is Madrid airport, as there is a new departure gate that is a train ride and 20 min walk away from all the other gates - so allow 40 mins to get to that gate.
Just flew in from there last night. Very much true
@@mk_vqz4086 The plane I caught was delayed or I would have missed it. Beware Madrid airport!
@@flower-ss2jtSame!!😂😂😂
computers were down last time.. all flights were 2 hours late..
@@robviousobviously5757 Lucky you, not having to run for that new Madrid gate!
I hate when people stand up and block the access for boarding 1, 2, 3, they are 5, 6, or 7😒 and slow down the lines.
Looking good Mark!
Been upgraded to business class or first class several times in the past by just being civil and understanding to a gate agent when there is an issue. Have some possible solutions ready and also be flexible…it goes a long way. Yes..don’t be a jerk.
I used to be one of the gate lice. Then I realized when I rushed to get on the plane first I just sat in my seat for a half hour. Now, I never pay to get into an early boarding line. In fact, I'm often one of the last people on the plane. Then, when I sit down we're in the air in minutes.
Thank you!! Excellent advice!!
Good info. Thanks! Glade I found your channel.
My suggestion for gate agents is to please speak more slowly, flight attendants too. Most of the time I cannot understand what is being said, and people have accents that take a moment to adjust to. I'd venture that most travelers want to do things correctly, so help us out, slow down a tad and speak clearly. You've said it 50 times already this week, but most travelers only hear it a couple of times a year, and the announcements are always different.
indeed. And hearing it over the crappy PA systems into the noise of the all the people around the gate talking doesn't help either.
@@koenven7012 Yes!!
You ARE looking good! Congrats on the weight loss 🙂
I’m currently travelling and your videos are very helpful indeed. It’s bloody hot here in Rome 🥵
Alohomora! Nice HP reference! =)
I'm getting anxiety just from watching this video. My wife loves to travel, and I like to be places, but I hate getting to them. Airports have always stressed me out. Fortunately living in Europe allows me options for land travel. I do love the sentiment of this video though!
Hey Mark, awesome video
I always find speedy boarding funny. Particularly with EasyJet, who I fly with fairly frequently. They only get allowed on about 30 seconds before everyone else, it’s such a waste of money 😂
About a month ago I was flying from Copenhagen to Dublin, was at gate D104 I think, and there was no waiting room near the boarding desk, it was after a long narrow queue corridor, which was already fullly queued up by people long before boarding started, and I had gotten a free upgrade to first class (this was due to a voucher we received from a previous cancelled flight) with priority boarding. When boarding started the queue was already full with people and I couldn't utilize the priority boarding.
One tip I always give to people is... Departure time is departing from the Runway.... not departing from the gate. And If you are flying from a.large airport it may take 15 minutes plus for the plane to taxi to the the runway.
Please say it louder for people in the back! I work at the airport and passengers sometimes show up when the gate is already closed. "but it leaves in 10min". Yes but it's not a bus 🤦
Listening to people's conversations with the gate-agent is exactly why I lean way in and almost talk at a whisper, so that way no one can judge me on the things I am (privately) asking.
Smart tips! Thanks
Even if the gate agents were responsible for the weather, the delays, the upgrades, or anything else, you still shouldn't YELL at another person just doing their job. Be a civilized human being.
Amen to that!!!
and if they were responsible for that, yelling at them might get you the adverse effect anyway.
Exactly ❤
Excellent video.
My husband was traveling a couple of years ago. A man threw a fit at the gate and cussed out the agent and made a huge scene. Two men came out of no where and took him into a room near the gate and shut the door. Afterwards, the man found a seat and sat down. He never made a sound and was quiet the entire time.