Boarding the Plane, My Recent Experience With Some Helpful Tips

I make it through security and I make my way down the terminal to my gate. I saved time by knowing the security rules, therefore making that experience just a bit faster for me. Although sometimes I get stopped for an extra check, today I breezed through and was on my way.

I stop at one of the shops to grab some coffee and a quick bite to eat on the plane, use the restroom (which is always recommended before boarding) and proceed to my gate. Now I have a few minutes to settle in and get organized before we board. Looking around you see many people on phones, computers, MP3 players, gaming items, reading, and more. It is always interesting to people-watch during this time.

The gate agent announces it is time to start boarding. Now you must understand that First Class and Elite Frequent Flyers get the first board priority. This is the perk of flying often and having your frequent flyer with gazillions of miles on it. It is a fact that 90% of the people in first class paid for a coach seat and just get upgraded based on their status. Once on board they are treated like kings and queens.

On most airlines you are given a boarding number. This is their system of boarding their elite first, then back of plane to front window seats to aisle seats. It actually is a good system when it works smoothly. I am happy this trip because I am seating level 2, which means I board early and can usually get to my seat fairly quickly.

The line to the gate agent moves quickly. They scan your ticket and you start down the ramp. Normally about half way down you are stopped in a traffic jam and it is stop and go from there. I enter the plane and am immediately stopped by a flight attendant who steps out in front of me. She leans over to the man in first class and offers to hang up his coat. With the line building behind me she precedes to stand in the middle of the aisle and hang this gentleman's coat.

Now I am normally patient but this was insane. She glared at me the whole time with a smirk like he was a king and because I was a popper in the back of the plane I was just going to have to wait. She took her time, too, as she smoothed out the coat, buttoned the top button, placed it on the hanger oh so gently, and then placed the tag on it so she would know who it went to. Mind you the line behind me is getting longer and longer. After all, I was seating 2 so there were still 3 levels of people behind me in the now traffic jam.

Finally she finished hanging this man's coat and decided now to walk directly into the line behind me asking others to move for her. I was appalled to say the least. I kept my mouth shut to avoid any further delays but my blood was boiling. Who was she to be so arrogant? I have seen passengers hold up boarding with their carry on luggage, but for a flight attendant to hold up the boarding of a plane so she can hang a coat was incredible to me.

The rest of us poppers took our seat in the plane. Truly I was grateful that the other flight attendants were extremely nice and helpful to the rest of us on the plane. I give them credit, because I know they do put up with a lot on those flights. I take my seat and my flight begins.

All in all I was grateful I took the 2 hours to do all of this. It made my tolerance just a bit higher and my stress level less. I wasn't rushed and disorganized and that made life easier for me. I laugh at the other situations because I could have been the richest person on the plane sitting in that last seat and the flight attendant treated me and the others like we weren't anything because we were coach. That is not my normal experience, which is a very good thing, but worth noting nonetheless.