why does it rake so long to exit commercial aircraft?

Question

i know why it takes forever for luggage to show up, but why does it take so long even after we're finished on the taxiway & safely @ the gate?

Answer 1

The engines have to be shut down, the plane has to be secured, the jetway has to be connected (which can't be done until the plane is secured), the pilot has to do certain landing checks, etc.

Answer 2

Once you've taxied to the gate and come to a stop, the gate agents still need to connect the jetway/passenger walkway. This could take a few minutes depending on the machinery they are using and exactly how the plane is parked. By this time, though, people are already jamming the aisles of the plane trying to get off. I've seen a lag time of up to 4 or 5 minutes beween when the engines shut down and when the aircraft door is opened. In the mean time, everyone is piling up in the aisles. Inevitably someone is in the aisle but their carry-on bags were stowed a couple of rows behind them, meaning they have to convince other passengers to stand aside so they can back-track and fetch their bags. It's just like how people try to fit one more car through the yellow light during rush hour, then end up stuck in the middle of the intersection, blocking traffic in all directions, till the light cycles again.

I think the exit procedures would be a lot quicker--- or at least feel that way--- if everyone would remain seated until it were their row's turn to exit. People who had to put their bags in the overhead spaces behind them would be able to fetch them more quickly, instead of reaching across several other passengers, and causing a knot. It is impossible to police this, though. Many passengers have their seatbelts off before the flight attendants do and leap into the aisles before the plane even stops. If everyone would have a little patience, deplaning could be a lot more orderly and efficient.

Answer 3

There are times when the aircraft you're flying in has arrived to the designated gate or have had a gate change, if gate change was the case, there is one agent for that gate to operate, so it can be that the agent has not reached the gate prior to the arrival or there might be some ground equipment blocking the path of the gate to reach the aircraft safely.
Also, we may not even think about this, but the ground crew assigned to the gate could be at lunch or working at another gate, or simply removing ground equipment that is parked within the safety area or clearance area for the aircraft.

Answer 4

WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO GET OUT OF AN AIRPLANE? OMG THINK. FIRST OFF THERE ARE THE HANDICAPPED PEOPLE WHO BECAUSE OF DISABILITIES ARE FIRST ON AND FIRST OFF. THEN OF COURSE THERE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE MAYBE 200 THAT ARE ALL WAITING TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE AND EXIT THROUGH ON LITTLE DOOR. ONE PERSON AT A TIME. THIS OF COURSE IS HELD UP BY THE IDIOTS THAT THINK THE FLIMSY OVERHEAD STOW BINS ARE AN ALTERNATIVE TO STOWING BAGGAGE BELOW IN CHECKED BAGGAGE. YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BRING CARRYON BAGGAGE THAT WILL NOT FIT UNDER THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU. NOW THEN FINALLY, THESE STOW BINS ARE NOT ALL THE STRONG AND THE LATCHES ON THEM ARE THE WORST. IF YOU GET INTO SOME ROUGH TURBULENCE'S, THESE BINS COULD FLY OPEN AND THESE BAGS COULD BE EJECTED AND COULD CAUSE SOME SEVERE NECK AND HEAD INJURIES

Answer 5

Because you are not the only one at the airport!!!!!!

Hundreds of planes are going in in out of every single SEMI major or major airport every Hour!!!!!

Stop winging and just take your time. It does not hurt to take 5 more mintiues to get out of an airport. There is never a rush unless you have a connection but you have to leave 3 hours for that!!!!

JUST TAKE YOUR TIME!