For six years I’ve written about the frustration where American Airlines would begin boarding planes prior to scheduled boarding time. That often meant showing up at the gate correctly, finding the aircraft mostly boarded, and not having any overhead bin space left.
Some agents have even been known to skip upgrading passengers who aren’t at the gate, so boarding early also has meant customers losing out on upgrades.
Gate agents do it because the earlier they start the better chance they have that the flight will push back exactly on time (and they won’t risk their stats or get yelled at for late departures). Flight attendants hate it because this means they are forced to start working earlier than they’re supposed to (and they don’t get paid extra for it).
The American Airlines flight attendants union has a grievance over boarding planes prior to scheduled departure that is pending arbitration. The case won’t be heard until the fall.
According to the union,
[W]e have seen early boarding become the norm rather than the exception. Many times, even after the boarding time has been established during the Departure Dependability Briefing, passengers are being sent down early and before Flight Attendants are ready to receive passengers. This is unacceptable.
Attempts at mediation failed because American Airlines, in the union’s words, “maintains that no language in the [flight attendant contract] prohibits them from boarding early.” They believe they can keep doing it, even though it’s bad for flight attendants and customers.
Sections 11.M. and 14.F. of the flight attendant contract (“JCBA”) details when a flight attendant needs to be on board so that American Airlines can begin passenger boarding of the aircraft. For domestic flights these times are,
- Aircraft with fewer than 165 seats board 30 minutes prior to departure
- Aircraft with 165 or more seats board 35 minutes prior to departure
Boeing 737s used to have 160 seats on them (150 prior to US Airways management taking over the airline) so they boarded 30 minutes prior to departure. Now that they added seats to the aircraft, to match the way they’re configuring Boeing 737 MAX planes, they hold 172 passengers and board 35 minutes to departure.
American’s boarding passes used to print that boarding was 30 minutes to departure even for flights where it was 35, but they’ve fixed that issue that went on for years.
This is one issue on which I hope that the flight attendants prevail.
So here’s the deal the Airlines need to stop telling people a boarding time 15 minutes after you can actually board. This is not only stupid it is expensive. I had a recent flight to Vancouver through LA on AA. We arrived in time for the connection but they closed the doors 15 minutes early. This cost them hotel money, meal vouchers etc. As it was the last flight of the night and it was their fault we were late. How stupid is this?
With all the carry on items and the extra seats added on narrow body aircraft sometimes cannot be boarded within 30 minutes. Additionally some passengers want to debate the size of their carry on items further delaying departures (Gary/Matt in SAN).
Is that the same as pre-boarding? I’ve heard some gate agents use the term ‘preboarding’ to start boarding before the boarding time stated on the boarding pass.
I have over 3 million miles on AA, was EP for years and am now lifetime Platinum since I retired. I live in Charlotte and fly AA almost exclusively.
I have RARELY seen them board a flight early. Sure 5 minutes before the actual time on the countdown clock they may start preboards or call for Concierge Key members but I usually see group 1 called right when the clock shows to start boarding or later.
Gary – you are dragging up things just to stir the pot. Please focus on actual airline business and travel issues instead of reading internal memos and extrapolating it into a catastrophe!!!
Unfortunately AC is wrong and incredibly lucky. I’ve run into this enough times where I just stopped flying them, got sick of needing to be there 45m before departure because they may start boarding 5-10m early or 5 to 10m late, that 15m meant not getting coffee in the lounge or a quick snack on a long day.
Again glad AC was so lucky, but as an EP for 7 years straight bc from 2013 onward, it happened way too often for my liking and stopped booking them except when their F was cheapest.
@ Gary — “2 Million Mile AA Passenger announces he will keep flying on Delta instead.”
AA loves making up their own BS rules. Just had to gate check a bag in F (first to board – plenty of room) as they said that all bags with wheels have to be gate checked per FAA policy. Total bullshit as I just flew up here with the bag. It’s an international sized carry-on that fits in the overhead. Yet the FA’s bag (bigger than mine) is in the closet.
Just full of lies…
Maybe it’s a hub thing….as I agree with AC…as an ORD AA flyer I don’t ever remember boarding early.. .even a few minutes. I’m normally a 10 to 15x out of O’Hare each year and literally it seems like they never board on time..ef alone early. I find AA gate agents really nice and professional at ORD.. but never early
I feel it’s great that they do this at times.
I suppose it’s no surprise to say that AA seems to cut corners wherever it can. My wife has been going around with them about $40 bag fees on each of two flights. Both times she paid it for a second bag (she has gold status) and then was upgraded to first class. Since first class gets 2 free bags she naturally asked for reimbursements. After first an irrelevant boilerplate and then an incoherent reply someone finally wrote they never make bag refunds. So we’re disputing it through our credit card. So it all comes down to a crapshoot on whether its worth gambling on an upgrade before paying. This is a terrible customer service policy just to squeeze a little more out of people, and another good reason to fly Southwest instead.
I also have never seen them board early–not that I can recall. Maybe it’s happened here or there, but I always think that I wish they would board early “just this once” when there is a full plane and I have a tight connection or something, and there is ALWAYS a countdown on a screen with “boards in ___ minutes,” which is the earliest it board, sans maybe pre-boarding for wheelchairs, etc, but that often isn’t even announced. So I do wonder where this happens most. I fly most often from DFW, occasionally from ORD. I also fly several DFW “feeder” airports, such as CLL, LAW, SPS, and also I use OKC on occasion. I cannot say that I have seen this. My most recent flight was today from ORD-IAH, and while we arrived 30 minutes early, we definitely did not start boarding our full flight until that countdown clock hit the very minute boarding began.
If you are annoyed now, you’ll get to hate it later.
If AA makes the move to one-gate-agent-boarding perminent, then you’ll see more of this, not less.
My guess is that the majority of passengers are fine with it. Generally speaking, the sooner they start boarding, the more likely they’ll finish on time, close the doors, push back and get into position for taxi and takeoff; and the more often that is done expeditiously, the more often arrival will be on time and you can get on with you business, make connections, or head to the lounge. Obviously schedules are built to maximize use of slots, planes and crews The time they set to start boarding isn’t necessarily the time they are actually ready to do so. Often (very often with AA in my experience) it is later than the set time. If it is sometimes earlier, I don’t see waiting artificially to get going. Of course they should not shut the doors earlier than they would based on the listed time unless all passengers have boarded.
Another example of the inconsistencies that increase travel stress and end up creating resentment.
My suggestion is, if they see all the passengers have checked in time and are available at airport, then early boarding to be done and even fly before time. So flight reaches before time.
I’m based out of OKC and it happens all the time with one specific gate agent. If you complain the response is extremely unprofessional. I rarely see them board early in a “hub” but the smaller airports seem to do this regularly. The hubs usually are doing well to actually open boarding on time and not late.
American needs to stop the early boarding as they miss that the gate agents are also using it as an excuse to close the flights early. I have repeatedly gotten to my gate 15 minutes BEFORE departure and the door is closed. Doesn’t matter if I’m full fare first class or coach, the agents are rude and unwilling to accommodate. I have pictures of the plane sitting with door closed and the gate sign clock showing it’s too early to close the flight but American doesn’t care. Particularly bad at DFW. I now leave 2 hrs between flights simply to sit at a gate waiting. Absolutely appalling and unacceptable! Won’t fly them anymore-and neither does my team of 45 consultants as time is money !
So many complain when boarding is 5 min late, now they are complaining about boarding early. It all comes down to, the plane is there, the crew is there, the cleaning and safety checks are done….why not try to get out a little early? Waiting for a flow time into Kennedy due to saturation… complaints! We get you to your destination early? More complaining with comments that airlines are lying about scheduled “block” times (since everything is a conspiracy). Have to wait a half an hour to deice in s snowstorm so our plane can actually fly safely? Complaints! Land early but have to wait for a gate and eventually still block in a few minutes early? You guessed it ….more complaints! There are many many things in airline travel that does indeed warrant complaining about and as an airline pilot I 100% sympathize…. But this ain’t one of them! Again look at the premise of this article and realize so many people these days are desperate to find something to complain about.
First World Problems!
This is total BS.
As a Gate Agent at AA, WE DO NOT DO THIS.
In some instances we preboard aisle chair passengers 3-5 mins early for OBVIOUS reasons. They require privacy and discretion and don’t need nisy people leering. One flight I had 2 aisle chairs, we started the. 8 mins prior with FA agreement.
FA contract dies NOT PERMIT early boarding. They have and do stop passengers at the door should we start 1 minute early if they want … Some FA are not that anal about 1 minute but some are and that’s up to them
We ALSO preboard deadheaders per contact once minimum crew is onboard.
So just stop with such raging BS.
You’re becoming irrelevant, old, boring, and ridiculous.
You are doing nothing but inciting anger before people arrive at airport and they come aggressive and ready to argue based on the information they’re reading here on your blog.
The abuse gate agents are taking now is just as bad as FAs. Gary Leff, you olayba huge hand in this.
I for one, and my colleagues, will sue you should any of us are assaulted by passengers incited by something they read on your blog that is outrageous and untrue.
Grow up and be a responsible person in these terrible times for air travel.. we don’t need YOU stirring up emotional pots.
@Gary Leff is a jerk – you may not do this, thank you, but colleagues around the system absolutely do it. As far as whether it’s against the contract, that is what APFA says and American Airlines claims it isn’t. You may think it isn’t going on, but customers see it happening and APFA is taking the practice to arbitration. That wouldn’t be happening if it were made up.
“I for one, and my colleagues, will sue” I would love to see this. In federal court your lawyer who was foolish enough to file would get a rule 11 letter. And the case wasn’t immediately withdrawn, I’d own your counsel’s swimming pool.
As a Flight Attendant at AA I can tell you this DEFINITELY happens more often than it should as the company wants the gate agents and FAs divided rather than working together. It’s not that FAs don’t want to work early, because we’re not paid for boarding regardless of when it starts, it’s that boarding times are CONTRACTUAL. Early boarding is a blatant disregard of the contract the company and union agreed upon and gives the company reason to remove or change what FAs and the union have negotiated in future negotiations.
Pre-boarding wheelchairs and special needs pax STILL violates the contract even when agreed upon by the flight crew. I politely step off before boarding and stop passengers on the jet bridge until the boarding time or place a cart at the door. I’ll do you traveling pax a solid and wait to check in at the gate within minutes of the stated boarding times and we can avoid this altogether.
Man… All this guy does is complain. Stop flying so much then @Gary. Your complaints sound like some unseasoned traveler gripes. God, I bet you’re an *awful* passenger to be around.
I’ve been on 49 AA flights, so far, in 2021 (6 months) and the boarding started exactly on time or within one minute after on every flight, and I’m flying all over the US. Where is this happening?
As an EP I can tell you that early boarding does happen. Oftentimes they are at group 5 or higher at the scheduled boarding times. Furthermore they often just Call groups 1-4 at the same time negating the value of being in groups 1 or 2.
Contrast with United where they seem very consistent with the stated boarding times.
I thought that different sized planes board either 30 or 45 minutes in advance? I thought larger planes start boarding at 45 minutes ahead of out time because they need more time to get everyone on board?
I work at a small airport with regional flights and you really take a hit for everything. Most of our flights are quick turns. Which means they arrive 30 minutes before they are supposed to depart. We are also supposed to start boarding 30 minutes before departure. We actually take a hit for not starting boarding at exactly 30 minutes before, even though people are just deplaning. Then the door is supposed to close at 10 minutes before departure. So we really only have 20 minutes to get everyone off, clean the plane and get everyone on. We usually pull it off, but it does seem a little silly.
Yes! After stuck in traffic and security lines for a 2019 American flight, I rushed to my gate with ten minutes before scheduled takeoff. The plane sat at the gate, but the jetway doors were locked. The attendant told the few of us gathered that they had started boarding early, so they ended boarding early. Most of us stood there for about ten minutes in disbelief until we saw the walkway move, jet door shut, and it taxi away. Couldn’t believe it. A rental car and 12 hour drive got me home but I’ve told friends and family ever since that they can – and will – board early and lock you out, SOL.
Gary you really are becoming a very anal individual with your topics, especially towards certain carriers. You are one of the reasons people in the US are behaving badly towards crews and fellow passengers. You really should maybe seek psychological help or just go away somewhere until you are a decent human being.
The early boarding drives me nuts. Basically it means that often my elite privileges aren’t very helpful because if I walk up when boarding has started, chances are the bins are already full or I have to walk my bag to the back of the plane and try to play that game getting my bag at the end of my flight. Have complained about it a few times and just get a non-response from AA.
Plus, you never know if early boarding will happen or not. So does that mean every time I fly I get to the gate 10 minutes before the boarding time now?
Another sloppy article. Please proof your work. The grievance isn’t about “boarding plans prior to scheduled departure” as you incorrectly stated ( of course one has to board planes prior to a scheduled departure). The grievance is about boarding planes prior to the time the flight attendants are contractual required to be onboard the aircraft ready to receive passengers.
So when flight crews are on the last leg of their trips. Why do they want to board as soon as the last passenger is off of the plane? I’ve seen a plane boarded just yesteday that was a quick turn. All of the first class passengers were boarded and then had to come off the plane because the pilot said maintenance was called. Never said what the issue was but they had to get off. 10 minutes later, maintenance never came out and the passengers were allowed to board. I guess they needed a break?
HELLO I feel so bad for my brother who was going to Jamaica on the27th couldn’t pull up his Covid test and was rescheduled to fly out the next morning. He returned the next day with PROPER documents aand was told his conformation wasn’t right and once AGAIN return tomorrow. Came back the 3rd time 2 hours early and was told he had to show up 2and a half hours early and will not be able to board. So sad missed his trip and out of plenty of MONEY. HE’S going to file a grievance. Unacceptable
You sound like a whiny, entitled prick in this article.
I know one thing for sure…this summer will be my first, last, and never ever flight with American Airline! Period, no more. And, will tell all my friends not to travel with AA.
We saw adelta flight leaving at least 30 minutes before departure time on the board. A passenger comes walking up to her gate and it was pulling off. According to schedule she should not have missed her flight.they closed the door and pushed off way early
My BIL used to work for AA, I can fly for kinda free, but refuse to. They’re really awful and inconsistent. I too have had a plane push back early.
Going to Japan in the fall; not flying AA.
35 minutes before departure for more than 165 passengers is NOT ENOUGH. Please believe me. On international flights it is impossible for a plane to take off on time if the passengers are boarding only 35 minutes prior. It’s chaotic. If the flight is to depart on time, early boarding is the solution.
Wow. Just wow
1. Love boarding early, gives everyone a little more time to get settled in, get thier crap in overheads or under seats, plug thier kids into games or dvd ir tv, ect….
2. Early may mean some will make that next connected flight.
3. This is the first ive heard of f,a. Not being paid, if this is true , it’s not a when boarding starts problem, ours a renegotiate your groups contact problem to cover early starts.
4. Writer of this article whines….a lot…
5. If you or the f.a. dont like it. Dont fly aa or they can quit and go elsewhere.
I’ve been to the gate 5 minutes before the departure time and found that the plane had left! I wrote AA a letter and their response was that the departure time was actually the “wheels off the ground time” and that I needed to be at the gate 15 minutes before that time! What a load of crap that was! And even if it were true, what a completely useless time to a passenger! I could see them leaving early if all known passengers were onboard but that was clearly not the case. But I was only a Gold frequent flyer.
This is kinda ridiculous. Boo hoo you can’t get your little snacky because the flight is boarding 5 mins early?? Waaaaa….just show up earlier, get you snack and quit crying! What a bunch of spoiled travelers with first world problems…”my flight boards too early”…pathetic!!!
I don’t mind early boarding, but closing the door early when there are still pax to board, even if they are not yet at the gate, is unacceptable. Even more so if the reason for a late passenger is a connecting flight delay ON THE SAME AIRLINE.
I can also understand the FA’s resistance to early boarding if management is breaking contractual rules. Inch/mile, etc.
I am a flight attendant for American and this is not true of boarding. We board right on time 99 per cent of the time.
Not sure where you are getting your information. On a/c with up to 150 seats it is 30 min prior to departure. A/C with more than 150 seats it’s 35 min prior and international is 45 min prior.
These are the facts.
If you are in the DFW area and use American Airlines shame on you. Southwest is right over at Love Field and twiceThe airline American ever was.
I just avoid any US airline unless it’s urgent. Early and late boarding aren’t the issue. It’s the sardine seating, paying the fee for a small pet carrier onboard that doesn’t fit under the seat, even tho it’s extra small and the extra fee was paid, and I flew business and the constantly changing rules all staff are expected to be up on despite their exhausting job. I look forward to the day they redesign plane seating in a way that is comfortable.
Yes American Airlines has went down the drain. They are boarding too early and not honoring their passengers. Also they have severe delays lately. I will never use this Airlines and it has been so disappointing been using them since the 80s. Not anymore they are worst than Spirit and I’ve never flew with them but this is unacceptable
As a 22 + year employee of AA, I’ll continue to do whatever it takes to push the plane on time. If you cannot arrive early, Spirit Airlines is designed for you.
This article is so stupid, the earlier the better. So many important things to write and you writing about this stupidity.
This is not “bad for customers” as the weasel who wrote this clickbait wants you to believe. It’s bad for lazy, rude, inconsiderate people who show up when they feel like and think they’re entitled to make people wait for them. I don’t have any trouble with upgrades or storage because I’m a responsible adadult.
The personal vendetta against AA by this author is not only appalling, but borders on PATHOLOGICAL!
This exact thing just happened to me last Sunday, flying AA First Class DFW to ORD.
I showed up 5-10 minutes prior to “boarding time” and saw they were on group SIX!
At first I thought they were boarding back to front only to realize that was not the case at all.
My question is: Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, a pending storm that can cause issues, why not adhere to the published times? And to go so far as to close the gate early? Just doesn’t make sense.
Lastly, let’s stop criticizing the author and blaming him for violence against crew.
To think he causes crazy behavior, influences the weak to cause violence because he writes about a travel issue is asinine.
People do crazy, violent things because – wait for it – they are crazy and violent, not because an article landed in their newsfeed.
The other 99.999% of us can read this content all day long and then just roll our eyes when it happens to us.
No they wont and they charge 800 we had a fight we was at kansas city they put us down as a no show and we was there trying to get another flight finley got a fight but now have a 20 hour lay over in Tokyo