You’ve made it through the endless line at security and grabbed a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants at the airport.
Now, it’s simply a case of waiting for your turn to head to your gate and lugging your carry-on bag onto the plane.
But for some people, the queuing hasn’t stopped.
‘Gate lice’ often strike as soon as boarding is announced by the airport staff and are particularly keen to get on the aircraft.
They cluster around the gate even if it isn’t their turn to board yet, and form long queues right up to the flustered airport worker who is trying to smoothly work through the passengers and check their boarding passes.
This pesky travel trend is a common sight in almost any airport, and it infuriates other passengers who take a more relaxed approach and sit nearby to wait before boarding.
Many have captured the social phenomenon on video and shared it on sites like TikTok, aghast at how eager their fellow travellers can be.
One holidaymaker, who goes by @ellamejones on the app, posted a clip of passengers eagerly lining up for their flight.
‘Gate lice’ often strike as soon as boarding is announced by the airport staff and are particularly keen to get on the aircraft
They cluster around the gate even if it isn’t their turn to board yet, and form long queues right up to the flustered airport worker who is trying to smoothly work through the passengers and check their boarding passes
She captioned the footage: ‘People queuing up for a plane before their flight, even when the plane isn’t here to then also sit in already allocated seats has to be one of the biggest universal mysteries.’
Another, who goes by @elizamartinx, echoed Ella’s thoughts and shared a video of a seemingly endless line of passengers.
‘I’ll never understand why people stand in long queues to board at the airport. Your plane seat isn’t going to be taken,’ she penned, sharing that she ‘chills’ until the queue goes down instead.
But who is in the right?
Lee Thompson, co-founder of group solo travel company Flash Pack, gives the Daily Mail his take on the matter.
‘I completely understand why people do this,’ he says. ‘What’s really going on is something I call carry-on FOMO.’
Lee explains how there are many reasons why passengers may be keen to board and want to secure a good place in the queue.
‘People are tired, anxious, often travelling with kids, and desperate for the holiday to start perfectly,’ he adds.
But who is in the right? Lee Thompson (pictured), co-founder of group solo travel company Flash Pack, exclusively tells the Daily Mail his take on the matter
Some may be concerned about cabin bag space in the overhead lockers and choose to line up early so they are guaranteed storage near their seat.
Lee says, ‘They’re worried about overhead locker space, whether they’ll be sitting together, whether something will go wrong.’
Queuing can also give people a ‘sense of calm’ and control, according to the travel expert, who admits he used to line up early for boarding himself.
‘The moment boarding is announced, that anxiety turns into a surge,’ Lee explains.
‘Everyone stands up at once – even if the plane isn’t there yet.’
But now, Lee takes a different approach to travelling and his airport queuing habits after realising ‘the panic is mostly about luggage’.
He says, ‘I now avoid roller bags wherever possible and take a soft bag that fits under the seat. If your bag fits under the seat, you can sit back, relax, catch up on emails and board calmly at the end.
‘I find this time relaxing, useful to catch up on life admin!’
Lee says, ‘They’re worried about overhead locker space, whether they’ll be sitting together, whether something will go wrong’ (stock)
However, the expert highlights how this might not always work on budget airlines where the space is more limited.
‘If you board late on those flights, nine times out of ten they’ll take your bag off you and put it in the hold, and you’ve just added an extra hour, sometimes an hour and a half, to your journey on the other side waiting at baggage reclaim,’ Lee adds.
‘In that situation, it’s not rudeness or impatience, it’s self-defence. It really is every man for themselves.’
American Airlines introduced new technology in 2024 that stamps out the problem of people attempting to board before their group is called.
The software flags when a boarding pass is scanned early and makes a sound to let the gate worker know the passenger’s group isn’t boarding yet.
Staff members can then ask the traveller to join the line again when it is their turn to board.
The systems and technology advancements to tackle ‘gate lice’ will surely be welcomed by passengers who prefer to wait for their boarding group.
Travel writer Meaghan Kenny has compared the airport queuing critters to those who eagerly jump up the second the plane arrives at the gate.
American Airlines introduced new technology in 2024 that stomps out the problem of people attempting to board before their group is called (stock)
In some cases, this can be before the seatbelt sign has turned off, a trend called ‘aisle lice’, which the Daily Mail recently reported on.
Writing in Conde Nast Traveller, she said, ‘I would put them in the same category as people who, as soon as you land, jump up to grab their bags and try to get ahead of everybody.
‘It creates chaos, and people can’t see or hear what’s going on.
‘It’s not like there’s open seating on the plane, just relax, you’ll get to your seat.’
