Why You Don’t Want to Be Called ‘Gate Lice’ in the Airport

• “Gate lice” is the uncomplimentary name utilized to explain tourists who crowd eviction prior to boarding.
• These overeager travelers most likely wish to secure overhead bin space to avoid lost baggage.
• But it’s a significant flight attendant animal peeve, Rich Henderson, an air travel veteran, informed Insider.

Flight attendants and skilled tourists have an uncomplimentary word for the overeager mob of travelers who crowd eviction prior to boarding — and it’s not something you wish to be mumbled your method at the airport.

“Gate lice” are travelers who place themselves to be initially in line at eviction, most likely so they can secure overhead space for their carry-on bags. But individuals crowding eviction prior to the airplane and team has actually even gotten here is a significant flight attendant animal peeve, Rich Henderson, a flight attendant of ten years and a cocreator of the blog site “Two Guys on a Plane,” informed Insider.

“Just remain as out of the method as possible of the boarding location up until your group is at least near to being called,” Henderson said. “If our regular fliers and top-tier individuals aren’t even near to getting on the airplane and your team isn’t even near to getting on the airplane, you truly have no business standing right at eviction.”

Crowds of “gate lice” forming in the airport appeared to end up being more extensive following the pandemic, as David Slotnick, a senior air travel press reporter at The Points Guy, composed in 2021.

“It might be that individuals are nervous to have more time to settle in, considered that they have actually fallen out of their typical travel regimens,” Slotnick composed in his direct account of how the pandemic changed flying. “Whatever the factor, in some cases going to board a flight has actually seemed like browsing a congested shopping center the day prior to Christmas.”

After this summer season’s travel mayhem and subsequent scary stories of lost luggage, tourists might be additional nervous to get their carry-on travel suitcase in the minimal overhead bin space. There’s absolutely nothing even worse than deliberately bringing a carry-on bag with you, just to have the airline company lose it after being required to inspect it at eviction.

But a minimum of “gate lice” are waiting on their rely on board — unlike travelers who cut the line prior to their group is even called.

If you have not attempted preemptively boarding, you have actually at least considered it. Whether or not you get in difficulty for boarding prior to your zone depends upon the airline company and gate attendant, Henderson said, including that he does not advise attempting and discovering.

“There are some gate representatives that, if you’re great and simply smile, and imitate whatever’s typical, they will not care or they will not observe that you’re not because appointed zone,” he informed Insider. “But there are others that if you’re captured they will out you and they will pity you.”

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