I think we all know what gate hanging is… and I think we all hate it!

But in case you don’t know: Most airlines board by passenger group, and some people out there seemingly “need” to be the first in line for their respective boarding group.

These “gate hangers” stand around and block the entire boarding area, making the entire airplane boarding experience completely unpleasant.

To provide an example: there may be 9 different boarding groups for a particular flight; some passengers of boarding group 6 (the “gate hangers”), may all congregate around the boarding area during boarding period for groups 1-5, thereby blocking anyone in groups 1-5 from clear access to the gate.

Gate hangers are not always easily identified, so an individual in group 5, may not realize that gate hangers are waiting for group 6, and are not even in line for group 5, but rather hanging around to be first in line for group 6. The folks in group 5 get stuck behind them long enough that gate 6 gets called and they miss their window to board with group 5.

Perhaps it doesn’t seem like much, but this epidemic has become absolutely unbearable over the last few years. It is madness and the airlines have failed to address the problem and it is no longer enough to verbally shame gate hangers - THEY MUST BE BANNED!

This is not Coachella. We are not fighting for a position on the airplane. We have assigned seats! It is time for change!

While there is no magic bullet, and a suite of solutions implemented by the airlines is likely the best path forward, a ban would at least serve as a deterrent to the gate hangers, and is one way to begin to widely address the violation of right to peacefully and pleasantly board an aircraft.

We must acknowledge the fact that some gate hangers may be attempting to board as early as possible to avoid losing access to overhead bins, therefore requiring baggage to be checked and collected at baggage claim. After personal numerous interviews, it has been concluded that this is NOT the primary reason for gate hanging, but rather a need or intense desire to be “first” of a boarding group.