Southwest Airlines took to social media to congratulate passengers who stay seated until it’s their row’s turn to deplane. By implication they’re criticizing those who stand up immediately once the plane pulls into the gate and the captain turns off the seat belt sign. This strikes me as misguided.
— Jeremy Danner (@Jeremy_Danner) December 2, 2022
It may seem more ‘civilized’ to wait patiently in your seat, rather than everyone rushing into the aisles. However,
- If everyone waits to get up, it takes longer to deplane the aircraft. That’s because when you get up in the aisle, you remove your bags from the overhead bin. Each passenger not getting their bag until the row ahead has gotten up means several extra seconds per passenger to deplane. It takes longer to turn an aircraft that way, leading to delays – bad for passengers, and especially bad for the airline which needs to schedule longer sit times and winds up with less efficient aircraft utilization and higher costs.
- When you’re in a coach seat on a several hours-long flight (remember – Southwest flies transcons and to Hawaii!) it’s totally reasonable to stand up and get out of that seat as quickly as possible. Why be forced to sit any longer than necessary?
- If the passenger in the aisle gets up, then the passenger in the middle has more space – something they’ve been denied throughout the flight. It’s rude to keep the middle seat passenger hemmed when they don’t have to be.
It was a common early pandemic procedure for some airlines to instruct passengers to remain seated and stand only by row, so that fewer people would be taking items out of overhead bins at once, in order to reduce congestion in the aisles. That meant more time on the plane on most airlines when the engines and APU were off, which meant (depending on aircraft) that HEPA air filtration wasn’t occurring. And in the case of many European airlines it meant waiting longer on the plane in order to crowd into buses after arriving at a hard stand.
There’s no real obligation to cram into the aisles immediately (though try to make room for the passenger in the middle seat to stretch out). But it’s not reasonable to criticize passengers for getting up to stretch, and to get their carry on bags down in order to deplane efficiently.
Maybe if the passenger wasn’t crammed in like a sardine there wouldn’t be a pressing need to relieve an aching body, just saying….
I’m sorry, but if I’m in the middle seat, or even the window seat, and you get up after the plane reaches the gate, and smack me in the face with your jacket, hand, butt, or whatever else sticks out, that just irritates and annoys me more than having to wait a few extra seconds to stand up. You’ve been on that plane for a couple hours, what’s another 2 or three minutes going to do. You’re not going anywhere soon!! The door hasn’t even opened yet. Do people on long bus trips do the same thing? I’m curious? Keep your a** in the seat till it’s your time to go!!
I agree with the guy who had a connecting flight. If the airline has enough time to figure out who’s connecting flight will need to rush off the plane the others can wait just a bit longer. I had to endure this coming home from Korea. Once we got to Los Angeles after being on a flight from Seattle for about 2 hours, we had to run to the next plane to get to Texas. We only had like 5 minutes to spare and people were taking their sweet ass time that weren’t connecting like us.
Is this satire? If not this is the most foolish thing I’ll read for day, if not for 2022. What a reach! You went to some great lengths to rationalize something that makes no sense at all, wow. There is absolutely no room for all passengers to stand up and occupy the aisles so no one is getting off the plane any faster. Deplaning would be easier if more bags were checked, period. This post is so absurd that now I have no intention of reading any of your other musings. If the 59 additional seconds whilst taxing after an hours long flight is painstaking for you, grow up.
This is an idiotic thing to target. With the decline in air travel niceties, the unpacking and repacking and redressing at security and the uncomfortable seating on top of delays and lost luggage, stop asking passengers who are paying tons of money to keep reducing their experience and cater to some misguided idea for some fake “betterment of travel”. If you don’t like people standing when the plane lands, who gives a fly f. No one cares if you like to sit until your row goes or until the plane empties. If tgis is the biggest issue in the life of someone who has the privilege of flying, I challenge you to look for why your life has no meaning. Leave people who are hurting no one by standing alone. FFS don’t we have bigger problems!?
Now yall want to tell meople when to stand up? After paying all that money? First it was don’t kneel. And a t-shirt as a treat?
Is there any research or study to back your claim that it takes longer? Seems odd to not provide any support when that’s your main premise.
Please let’s go back to those little cages we used to have to put our carryons in to measure proper size for over head bins. All bags that do t fit need to be checked. And only put your bag above your seat. Think of others. It’s not hard to wait for a few rows ahead to leave before standing and getting your bag. Such a First World Ptiblem!
Bad take. I think the premise of the shirt isn’t standing up, it’s the rude people who push past when they need to wait their turn. I’ve got no problem with people standing up, just don’t push ahead unless you have a connection. But I guess it is also a bit quicker to grab a bag if able before you unload.
Sounds like the writer of this article is part of the problem group. Probably one of the ones that carry a max sized carry on bag, a back pack, a purse, a laptop bag, and tell the airline it’s all necessary to have on board, while other people get asked to check their bags because there’s no more. Do I sound bitter?
this is the dumbest thing i’ve ever read
Blah Blah Blah, just wait your turn, stop complaining be civilize. Most of the time it’s your choice where you’re setting by getting to the airport early or paying the extra money for better seat, if you can’t do one or the other what can I say, take a chill pill.
This is a nonsensical article, written to defend something you probably don’t ever deal with. How often do you actually travel coach anymore?
All it does is congest the aisles so that people with connections have a harder time getting out and, if like what happened on a recent flight of mine, people start getting ahead of themselves by trying to get off because they’re ready but the people ahead of them aren’t, it makes deplaning frustrating, and take longer than needs to.
I just got off a plane to Puerto Rico, here’s what happens when you stand up acting the fool trying to do the *me first thing*, our plane landed in a small airport so we had to use the stairs to deplane, but because every single passenger stood up in the back of the plane trying to get off first the plane tilted back and litterally the plane angled upwards lifting the plane almost 2 feet from the stairs, now the crew asked begged pleaded people please sit down especially in the front of the plane so the weight could be taken off the back, did even 1 person sit? Nope instead more stood in the front pushing and cramming themselves in the isle. I get everyone wants off, I think that the airlines are ridiculous cramming so many people in a tube, but orderly disembarking front tot back or back to front can easily be done and doesn’t take that much more time. Also your reasons where…just…really??
Can you show me your lab results and report where you tested which method deplanes faster?
Those who jump up immediately upon landing aren’t doing it for increased efficiency, making connecting flights, physical comfort or any other lame excuse the author rationalized. It’s pure self-entitlement and disregard for others. It’s also unsafe. The carry on size limits are rarely enforced and if I’m still sitting, someone prying a bag out of the overhead bin can and has smacked people below them in their zeal. If the aisle is packed with people, where does the author think their loads of carry on luggage, backpacks, oversized purses, etc. Land?
I’m all for the flight attendants taking more control of the process, enforcing the size and number limits for carryon items and simply demanding that everyone stay seated so those with close connecting flights be allowed to deplane first.
Here’s the problem… people aren’t just standing up. They’re pushing forward and not letting people ahead of them out, causing even more travel rage. It’s not so much the standing as the pushy, inconsiderate behavior.
Seriously? Why is this a post. Click bait has hit rock bottom. Airlines are changing rules that keep passengers from getting on their flights. You want to focus more on what you expect the passengers to do. If I want to stand up, by God I will.
I have yet to be disappointed by Southwest I have booked package deals plus just single flights..never been rude too by an employee…always been helpful checking in… don’t really feel comfortable with online check in…i have highly recommended the company.. you’d be surprised on how many people don’t know they do package deals..always ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Bonnie! Airlines are the root of all this displaced anger and impatience.
Bryan.
What is the difference, regarding the weight, if people sit or stand? Are you suggesting, when people stand, it adds weight to that part of the airplane?
What an amazing story!
There is nothing wrong, with the current deplaning system. The problem, lies with the idiots who don’t follow the system.
No offense, but I have been flying for close to 5 decades… and unless I absolutely have a need to stand? I’d rather wait until folks with small children, the elderly and other passengers requiring assistance have deplaned.
We learned about lines in pre-school for a reason. I think the point here is to understand that you shouldn’t grab your stuff and rush up the aisle as far as you can. This makes it hard for those aisles to stand up and grab their bags.. I get it.. you are in a rush.. but so is everyone else and you are not more important than everyone else on that plane. Get it together America.
Utter nonsense Gary has spilled on us.
Next up — Gary thinks it’s OK to rush the gate before they call you because…um…several seconds.
I have the solution. A traffic cop on every flight. Biden is doing away with Air Marshalls, who don’t participate in deplaning. Get a New York traffic cop, and the problem is solved.
Deplaning is NOT a baggage problem. It’s a people problem.
I always get a window seat. I decided long ago not to try to deplane until the rest of the impatient morons have left the aircraft. The aircraft is not going anywhere soon and someone has to be the last to deplane. The extra few minutes I spend sitting down really have no effect on my well being. After deplaning, I am not stressed out and continue on my way. Try it, you might like it.
People that don’t stand are probably the same ones that come and sit next to you at the gate when there are open seats everywhere. I also don’t understand why people care if others stand. Pushing forward is not the same. I don’t fly coach much any more but when I do my back hurts before we take off. I stand as soon as I can to get away from the fatty in the middle seat and be more comfortable. It doesn’t impact anyone else if I’m standing in the aisle or sitting in my seat. Also, I wouldn’t fly a middle but if I was stuck there I’d be pissed you didn’t stand and get away from me.
Nah, you’re wrong. What slows deplaning down is everyone jumping into the aisles to grab bags even though the 10 rows in front of them haven’t moved yet. All the jostling with people in front and back slows everyone down.
I’ve been traveling a lot this year and let me tell you when people just stay sitting it takes forever to deplane. Plus I typically move around a lot and to be sitting for anything more than an hour is torturous to me so getting up when I can is the best feeling. Also there are so much bigger problems in the world right now who gives a shit if someone decides to stand honestly.
Only mouth breathing smooth brains think it’s a good idea to rush to the front of the plane to get off first. Extremely ignorant.
Sorry, but I’m standing up when I want to, and that’s going to be immediately. I’m not pushing anyone, I’m not hurting anyone, I’m just standing up and waiting my turn to start walking. Southwest can shove it.
I’m 6’5″ tall. Trust me when I say flying is not a comfortable experience. By time the plane lands my back, butt and legs are screaming in pain. Is it a big deal if I stand in the isle next to my seat to gain a small measure of relief?
Feel free to stand up, move to the aisle, and get your bag.
JUST DON’T MOVE FORWARD PAST YOUR ROW.
I prefer to stand and stretch my legs after being crammed into the seat for several hours. For people in the aisle seats, it also gives them a chance to get their bag from the overhead and speeds up deplaning. If everyone just sat and waited, it would take forever for people in the rear of the plane to get off.
For those of you who take your bags from under the seat or overhead during taxi are blocking the exit area. If you need to evacuate, the aisles are blocked because of your luggage. So keep your bags stowed until the seat belt sign goes off. That’s safety! I was a flight attendant for 41 years, and no one understood the reason you don’t taxi with your bag in your lap!!!
Please stay seated until at least there is room try being considered of others. Not everyone has a connection flight. If you’re standing you probably have an offensive part of your body engaged in the seated person’s face which is probably your intention.
This sounds like a ploy to get passengers to pay for the more expensive seats .
I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and being seated in SWA seats are extremely painful after about an hour. I would never purposely impose on my fellow seatmates, but standing for some is only for pain relief.
I don’t mind if the person in the aisle seat stands to remove their carry on and then holds that position.What is very rude is when they rush ahead before the passengers in the seats in front of them have the chance to stand,remove their carry on and deplane.
I think this more about getting up and rushing the isle to advance forward and maybe gain 3 steps. Wait your turn like everyone else or sit in the first few rows. If trying to make a connection make it know and politely move forward as most people will not mind.
Just wait your turn ,stop crowding and excuses about your problems you could drive, take a train or a bus!
I travel for work, 50 weeks out of the year. I also require a cane for mobility. What bugs me is when passengers put their bags in an overhead bin 20 rows forward of their seat and rush to get to it the moment the plane lands. Then they proceed to stand there, blocking those who are actually seated there which typically results in an awkward situation where others are ready but a whole row is basically held hostage due to someone’s poor manners.
I need a little extra time and space, so I always pick an aisle seat and I get up as soon as an opening allows me to move into an empty row in front of me where I wait for everyone else to deplane before I get my bag and leave.
I was on SW flight 431 on Sunday afternoon, December 18th. After landing in LAS, a passenger shoved his way past passengers in front of him to deplane, when an older passenger refused to move more quickly, it resulted in a verbal reprimand by flight attendants of both passenger, not the guy in a rush to leave… . and then that passenger waited to assault the older passenger, he punched punched in the mouth, in the jetway.
Departing planes is just another example of “it is all about me” culture….everyone is up immediately as they believe their departing is far more urgent than any other passenger.. sad commentary of society.
As a frequent flyer who is almost always seated in the back of the plane to save money, I draw two conclusions about the author from this article: 1) the author is rude; and 2) the author the author is selfish. Wait your turn to deplane! It does *not* take any longer. Get over yourself and be mindful of others!!
I agree with the organition and I’m one of those who doesn’t mind waiting until the line to deplane reach me. However, there should be considerantion when the plane is delayed and some people may miss the connection flight. It almost happened to me Flying from MAF to OKC, stopping in HOU
This is a horrible reach of a rationalization for people just being impatient and rude. None of the reasons you sited hold much water. I am an “old” middle aged man and yes being cramped into an airplane seat for hours is uncomfortable, but jumping into the aisle the moment the plane pulls up to the gate doesn’t really accomplish much. Just be patient and respectful of other people’s space and wait your turn. Pretty simple.
YOU are part of the gigantic problem that currently exists in the world…YOU and YOUR time are more important than EVERYONE else in front of you on the plane right?..just like when you drive down the highway. I bet you are that idiot that rides slowly in the left (passing lane) instead of getting out of the way to let people pass you. Thanks for passing on the horrible self-entitled ideology Jack ass! Stop posting this crap!
For years, I have felt that it would be more efficient for people in the aisles to deboard planes first, then people in the middle seat, and finally, people in window seats (assuming that there are only six seats per row) following the logic that Gary has described here.
If I have my bags and can quickly walk past other passengers, it seems inefficient for me to have to wait for people to get up in other rows and remove their bags. Yes, there have also been flights where I have gladly let other people who have their bags and are ready to walk go past me, because it is more efficient.
I have wondered why so much has been done to study efficiency in boarding airplanes, but little has been done to study efficiency of deboarding airplanes in regular circumstances.
I have been flying for over 60 years. When the plane has indicated that the seat belts come off I believe that’s when the passengers in the aisle seats need to get up, stretch and be able to safely retrieve their belongings. We are not talking about abusive pushing or going forward when it’s not your aisles turn. We are also not talking about someone who can’t handle the bag that they have brought on. The time it takes for let’s say 25 people to stand up and retrieve their bags happens within the first 2 minutes after the seat belt sign comes off. Now if the airline wishes to wait until each row has gotten their bags and are moving forward for the exit before the next row can get up and retrieve their bags, that will add up to a lot of lost time. One quarter of the passengers are ready to go when their aisle comes up to exit. It is definitely a quicker system. For those who need to stretch more to be able to retrieve their bags and walk out without abusing their joints it helps to stand up before it’s your aisle turn to exit. Excellent article!