Delta family boarding?

ADress&AnimalSidekick

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 13, 2019
We will be flying Delta for the first time with an almost 3 year old, a stroller (gate check) and a carseat (will use onboard). We purchased Main cabin tickets. Does anyone know if we will be able to board before main cabin since we have a young child and lots of gear or should we pay to upgrade to get on the plane sooner?

Thanks for your expertise.
 
I always book main cabin and board easily when they are called to be seated
You’ll have plenty of time to get set up in your seats before next level of passengers are allowed into the plane
Main cabin allows you to pre assign your seats
 
We will be flying Delta for the first time with an almost 3 year old, a stroller (gate check) and a carseat (will use onboard). We purchased Main cabin tickets. Does anyone know if we will be able to board before main cabin since we have a young child and lots of gear or should we pay to upgrade to get on the plane sooner?

Thanks for your expertise.

Yes you can board before main cabin however with recent changes you do board after several other booking classes.

And they've reworded it to "families with car seat or stroller".

BOARDING ORDERELIGIBILITY
Pre-BoardingCustomers needing assistance or additional time to board
Active Duty U.S. Military personnel with ID
Delta One®Delta One® customers
Diamond Medallion® Members
First Class or Delta Premium SelectDelta Premium Select customers
First Class customers
Diamond Medallion® Members (if aircraft does not have a Delta One cabin)
Early boarding for customers traveling with carseats and strollers
Delta Comfort+®Delta Comfort+ customers
Sky Priority®Platinum Medallion® members
Gold Medallion® members
Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members
Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold members
GOL Smiles Diamond members
SkyTeam® Elite Plus members
Main Cabin 1Silver Medallion® Members
Delta Corporate Travelers
Priority Boarding Trip Extra customers
Gold, Platinum and Reserve Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card members
Flying Blue Silver members
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members
Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members
GOL Smiles Gold members
Sky Team® Elite
Main Cabin 2Main Cabin customers
Main Cabin 3Main Cabin customers booked in T, X and V fares
Basic EconomyBasic Economy customers (E)
 
I would just ask when you get to the gate. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Gate agents have virtually unlimited authority to make adjustments like this, and it's better for them to have you board early than to board normally and block the aisle for five minutes while you get settled. Their job is to board the plane smoothly within the established time-frame.

Just ask very politely for "help," and tell them you don't want to be "that person" blocking the aisle. Politeness and appreciation go a long way; rudeness is a 100% certain "NO."
 


Yes you can board before main cabin however with recent changes you do board after several other booking classes.

And they've reworded it to "families with car seat or stroller".

BOARDING ORDERELIGIBILITY
Pre-BoardingCustomers needing assistance or additional time to board
Active Duty U.S. Military personnel with ID
Delta One®Delta One® customers
Diamond Medallion® Members
First Class or Delta Premium SelectDelta Premium Select customers
First Class customers
Diamond Medallion® Members (if aircraft does not have a Delta One cabin)
Early boarding for customers traveling with carseats and strollers
Delta Comfort+®Delta Comfort+ customers
Sky Priority®Platinum Medallion® members
Gold Medallion® members
Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members
Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold members
GOL Smiles Diamond members
SkyTeam® Elite Plus members
Main Cabin 1Silver Medallion® Members
Delta Corporate Travelers
Priority Boarding Trip Extra customers
Gold, Platinum and Reserve Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card members
Flying Blue Silver members
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members
Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members
GOL Smiles Gold members
Sky Team® Elite
Main Cabin 2Main Cabin customers
Main Cabin 3Main Cabin customers booked in T, X and V fares
Basic EconomyBasic Economy customers (E)


This is exactly what they did yesterday. And the week before.
 
Ok, I know when we flew twice to the Caymans, on both trips, four flights, we were in the Main cabin. Some of the last to board. We didn't have any problems on any of the flights with not having room above for our carry on luggage. And the flights were pretty much full. So what am I missing? Are there some flights where if you board last, you get no overhead space for your carry on?
 


Ok, I know when we flew twice to the Caymans, on both trips, four flights, we were in the Main cabin. Some of the last to board. We didn't have any problems on any of the flights with not having room above for our carry on luggage. And the flights were pretty much full. So what am I missing? Are there some flights where if you board last, you get no overhead space for your carry on?
Flew Delta home from Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. They kept announcing that the flight was full, there would be limited overhead space, gate check your bag, etc. When we finally were all boarded there were multiple completely empty overhead bins!
 
Flew Delta home from Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. They kept announcing that the flight was full, there would be limited overhead space, gate check your bag, etc. When we finally were all boarded there were multiple completely empty overhead bins!
They probably do something similar to what was announced on one of my SWA flights in late June--not enough bags were checked for a completely full flight which prompted the gate agent for SWA to announce all in the C boarding group to come up and get gate check tags in advance just in case. The gate agent further explained that not enough bags checked meant that people were probably traveling more with carry ons thus less available space in the overhead bins.

It's always a risk (key word risk) when you're one of the last ones to board a plane that overhead bin space will be gone.
 
Flew Delta home from Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. They kept announcing that the flight was full, there would be limited overhead space, gate check your bag, etc. When we finally were all boarded there were multiple completely empty overhead bins!
Ya, sounds about right. Do you think they were trying to make a buck more of off more checked bags maybe?
 
The reason for my ignorance with airlines is the fact that I never flew until last year because I was terrified to do so. Then I was forced to do it twice to the Cayman Islands. I am a little braver now, but still cautious at the same time.
 
Gate checking doesn't cost the passenger anything in that situation so no they aren't trying to make a buck...
I wouldn't mid gate checking so much if they brought the bags back up to the jetway like they used to. Now they check it through to your final destination and you have to go to baggage claim to get it. Last time I gate checked with a connecting flight and they lost my carryon with a damp bathing suit in it.
 
Ok, I know when we flew twice to the Caymans, on both trips, four flights, we were in the Main cabin. Some of the last to board. We didn't have any problems on any of the flights with not having room above for our carry on luggage. And the flights were pretty much full. So what am I missing? Are there some flights where if you board last, you get no overhead space for your carry on?
Correct. Either no space anywhere close to your seat, or no space at all, so that your bag would have to be gate checked. Either of those scenarios could delay you upon leaving the plane, and gate checked bags could potentially be lost just like any other checked bags. You do not have to pay for the gate checking of your bags, though.
 
Just ask very politely for "help," and tell them you don't want to be "that person" blocking the aisle. Politeness and appreciation go a long way; rudeness is a 100% certain "NO."
Meh. I suspect that your frequent flier status with the airline goes a lot further than your manners. There is no excuse for being pushy or rude, but I have had multiple airport experiences of being perfectly polite, unassuming, smiling, and yet still have had a request such as this very bluntly dismissed & was told off for even asking, and I have also been treated rudely when I wasn't asking for anything special at all. It doesn't happen every time we fly, but it's happened multiple times & each time it was memorable. These airport agents (not talking about flight attendants) often aren't terribly customer service oriented. Of course all fliers should be polite to them, but it would be nice if they would consistently return the favor. My job is also hard & also often requires working with difficult people (teacher), but I always have to be polite. I'd lose my job if I talked to my students' parents the way I've had some airport check-in and gate-agents talk to me.
 
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I wouldn't mid gate checking so much if they brought the bags back up to the jetway like they used to. Now they check it through to your final destination and you have to go to baggage claim to get it. Last time I gate checked with a connecting flight and they lost my carryon with a damp bathing suit in it.
It's been a long time since I've had to gate check. I can understand not wanting to have to go to the baggage claim to get it because yeah they used to just put it in the jetway like strollers and wheelchairs. I can't remember if the SWA gate agent I mentioned earlier said something about baggage claim vs in the jetway TBH though.
 
I wouldn't mid gate checking so much if they brought the bags back up to the jetway like they used to. Now they check it through to your final destination and you have to go to baggage claim to get it. Last time I gate checked with a connecting flight and they lost my carryon with a damp bathing suit in it.
It depends on the flight. Some smaller planes, that don't have room for "normal" sized carry ons, will do the thing where they deliver at the jetway.

It's important to know what is expected when you hand over your bags.
 
Meh. I suspect that your frequent flier status with the airline goes a lot further than your manners.
Frequent flyer status often is very helpful, but I've also seen some very entitled high-level frequent flyers get disappointed -- leading to rants about being Platinum, "What is your name?" etc. Kind of amusing and heartwarming to watch, actually!

I'm pretty sure rude outweighs status.
 
Frequent flyer status often is very helpful, but I've also seen some very entitled high-level frequent flyers get disappointed -- leading to rants about being Platinum, "What is your name?" etc. Kind of amusing and heartwarming to watch, actually!

I'm pretty sure rude outweighs status.
I said no one should be rude, but that being polite does not help in the way you suggested it might to the OP, if you have no status. In my experience the only thing that helps at airports is status. They certainly might shut down the request/entitled demand of a rude status passenger, but a no-status passenger being extra polite still isn't going to get anywhere, and might be treated rudely, to boot.
 
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