“Gate Lice” is the unflattering term for travelers who crowd the gate before boarding.
These overzealous passengers are likely to want to secure a spot in the overhead bin to avoid losing luggage.
But it’s a major annoyance for flight attendants, Rich Henderson, an aviation veteran, told Business Insider.
Flight attendants and savvy travelers have an unflattering word for the overzealous passengers who throng to the gate before boarding — and it’s not something you want murmured your way at the airport.
“Gate lice” are passengers who are likely to position themselves first in line to secure a spot in the overhead bin for their carry-on luggage. But people jostling at the gate before the plane and crew have even arrived is a major annoyance for flight attendants, according to Rich Henderson, a 10-year flight attendant and blog co-founder „Two Guys on a Plane“to Business Insider.
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“Just stay as far away from the boarding area as possible until your group is at least about to be called,” Henderson said. “If our frequent flyers and top people aren’t even close to boarding the plane and your crew isn’t even able to board the plane, you really have no business at the gate.”
The pandemic has impacted how we fly
As David Slotnick, a senior aviation reporter at The Points Guy, wrote in 2021, “gate lice” seemed to be gathering at the airport in the wake of the pandemic.
“It could be that people want more time to settle in since they’ve fallen out of their normal travel routine,” Slotnick wrote in sa report on how the pandemic has changed flying. “Whatever the reason, sometimes boarding an airplane feels like a crowded shopping mall the day before Christmas.”
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After this summer’s travel chaos and the ensuing horror stories of lost luggage, travelers may be particularly anxious to fit their carry-on suitcase into the limited space in the overhead compartment. There’s nothing worse than a carry-on bag you brought with you on purpose, which is then lost by the airline after you’re forced to load it at the gate.
Patience at the gate pays off
But at least the “gate lice” wait their turn – unlike the passengers, who queue before their group is even called.
If you haven’t tried pre-emptively boarding, you’ve at least given it some thought. Whether you’ll have trouble boarding before your group depends on the airline and flight attendant, Henderson said, adding that he doesn’t recommend trying it and finding out.
“There are flight attendants who, if you’re nice and just smile and pretend everything’s normal, don’t care or realize you’re not in your assigned group,” he told Business Insider. “But there are others who, if caught, will come out and shame you.”
This article has been translated from English. You can find the original here.