Once upon a time, Sharon and I were flying on Delta on an MD-88 (a now-retired aircraft that Delta phased out in 2020). I didn’t mind that plane for shorter flights because it had a 3-2 seating arrangement. With that, I could choose to sit on the side with two seats, and then Sharon could have the window (her favorite), and I could have the aisle (my favorite). We’d also have the bonus of not needing to worry about who’d sit in the middle seat.
One downside of that setup: the overhead bin on the two-seat side was smaller and didn’t fit as many carry-on bags. Everyone had to put their larger bags on the side with the three seats since those bins were bigger. And if you boarded later, you’d often get stuck gate-checking your bag because the “good” bin space was already gone.
I didn’t want to have to gate-check a carry-on bag if I didn’t absolutely have to, so I found a way to board the plane earlier (at least on this flight). Here’s how I did it.
Delta MD-88 seating chart – larger image
The real issue: “gate check it” (even when there’s still space)
As this was a short weekend trip, we only had our roll-aboard carry-on bags. On previous trips, we’d found that while these bags were well within the airline’s carry-on size restrictions, we were still asked to check them when the overhead bins were “all filled.”
What made it irritating was when we were told the bins were “all full,” but there was still plenty of space when we got on the plane.
We should have been told we needed to gate check our bags because “we don’t want to waste time when boarding because we’re graded on leaving on time, so we will gate check your bag to speed things up,” but we might end up breaking things in your bag in the process.
Where we started in the boarding order
When I originally printed boarding passes for our flight, we weren’t in an early boarding group. That might not sound like a big deal, but “not early” often means “your carry-on is now a volunteer for gate-check duty.”
Quick note: Delta’s exact boarding order and labels have changed over time (today they use numbered zones). If you want to see the current boarding order, Delta posts it here: Delta Boarding Priority.
The obvious solution: a Delta Amex card (but we didn’t have one yet)
One way to get earlier boarding on Delta is to have one of their co-brand American Express cards. At the time, we didn’t have a Delta card because we weren’t flying on Delta very often.
Since then, we saw some big sign-up bonuses and applied for both the Delta SkyMiles cards. If you would like to apply for either of those cards, I’d appreciate it if you’d use our referral links for the Personal Card and the Business Card. We do earn a referral bonus when you sign up for a card using our links, which is always appreciated.
(As always, card offers and benefits can change — compare current terms before applying.)
So how else could we board earlier? Well, let me tell you a story…
When it comes to picking seats, I’m the one who cares if the seat has legroom:
Knees, may I introduce you to seat
while Sharon doesn’t tend to care so much.
WHEEEEEEEEE! Legroom galore for Sharon
This is why I’ll typically ignore the airlines’ attempt to upsell me on larger seats. While I’ll enjoy the room, it would mean I’d have to upgrade both our seats to get extra legroom. I can deal with limited legroom because, for my entire childhood, I spent summer vacations cramped in the back seat of a car with a front bench seat and a father who was 6’3”. I’ve become an expert in contorting my figure into whatever space is available, and my cheapness keeps me from paying for extra legroom most of the time.
What are Delta “Preferred” Seats?
Delta’s “Preferred Seats” aren’t the same thing as Comfort+. They’re generally “better” Main Cabin seats — think location (closer to the front), and sometimes specific types of seats like bulkhead or exit row.
As Delta currently describes them, Preferred Seats can include:
- Exit row seats
- Bulkhead window and aisle seats
- Seats in front of Delta Main
Preferred Seats are typically available for purchase up until the check-in window closes on most Delta-operated flights, but they come with strings attached: they’re generally non-changeable and non-refundable (except as required by law), and they can’t be transferred to a new flight or itinerary. If you cancel your flight, you may receive an eCredit for the value of the Preferred Seat only if you cancel before the 24-hour check-in window opens (on Delta-operated flights only). For Delta’s current wording, see “Seats Help.”
Also, Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) customers are not eligible to purchase Preferred Seats.
Should you pay extra?
I knew that Delta’s Comfort+ seats provide increased legroom, dedicated overhead bin space, and earlier boarding, but I didn’t want to pay extra for a flight under an hour.
When I checked in for this flight, I was offered the option to move into “Preferred” seats for $9 each. These were not the exit row seats, and they didn’t have extra legroom — they were simply further up in the plane.
That would typically not be a selling point for me. But on this flight, selecting those Preferred Seats also moved us into an earlier boarding group.
That’s the key evergreen takeaway: don’t assume buying a seat will change your boarding group — verify what Delta shows you before you pay. On our reservation, the boarding group changed after seat selection, which was enough to justify the $18 total.
It was money well spent. We boarded earlier, found space for our carry-on bags in the overhead bins (on the side of the plane with the larger bins), and we were seated closer to the front of the plane.
And sitting closer to the front came in handy later, since we had an extremely close connection because of a flight delay due to weather. The few minutes we saved by getting off the plane sooner might have kept us from missing our connecting flight and having to spend the night in Atlanta.
Trust me; I’m not thrilled about having to pay the airlines so I can board earlier to ensure the carry-on bag I’m allowed to bring on the plane won’t have to be gate-checked. However, paying $9 to improve our odds of overhead bin space felt like a small price to pay.
It’s just another case of the airline’s base service being so unfriendly to the passengers that you’ll pay extra to get the same services that used to be included in the price of your ticket.
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