gate lice noun [plural]
/ˈgeɪt ˌlaɪs/
an informal way of referring to people who crowd around the boarding gate at an airport and try to board the plane before their assigned row or section has been called

American Airlines has announced it is expanding its new technology to end a process known as “gate lice,” which is when passengers cut lines in hopes of boarding a flight early. The system audibly flags when a passenger attempts to board the plane before their designated assignment is called and will automatically reject the ticket.
[nypost.com, 21 November 2024]

check-in chicken noun [U]
/ˌtʃek.ɪn ˈtʃɪk.ɪn/
a strategy where an air passenger delays checking in for a flight until the last minute with the aim of being assigned a better seat

There’s a new type of passenger causing chaos in the airport – those playing “check-in chicken”. The latest category of flyer applies to travellers who wait to book a seat until check-ins are almost closed in the hope of scoring the best available seats.
[independent.co.uk, 10 December 2024]

Wilma noun [U]
/ˈwɪl.mə/
abbreviation for window, middle, aisle: a process for boarding a plane where all the passengers in window seats board first, followed by those in middle seats and finally those in aisle seats

A year ago United Airlines introduced the “Wilma” system — where all window-seat passengers board first, then middle seats, then aisle, a sort of “outside in” technique, which the airline claims saves around two minutes per flight — rather than getting the passengers at the back in first, as is more common.
[thetimes.com 8 December 2024]

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