You’ve made it to your gate! Now it’s time for more waiting in line. This might take a while.

While you’re here, check your boarding pass for your seat number. It will usually be something like 1A or 33F. In general, the numbers are the row number from front to back, and the letter is the seat from right to left as you are looking at the front of the plane.

The Gate Agent will make some announcements about the order of boarding groups and what flight to which city is departing from that gate. (They don’t want to send you to the wrong city!)

Welcome to the wonderful world of Boarding Groups. Each airline handles who gets on the plane in what order differently. Some do it exclusively by class, some have seperate groups for people needing assistance, some baord the economy-class passengers from back to front, others from front to back, etc.

Your ticket may also have a boarding group number on it. It may have a row number. If you’re on Southwest, it will have a group and position number. However your airline handles it, there will be signs and announcements for which group is supposed to be boarding now, and usually which group is boaring next.

If you are confused, ask an airline employee. They can help you.

Once your group is called, go towards the door leading to the plane. There will be a big line going to a stand by the door. At the stand is an airline employee who will scan your boarding pass. For international flights, they will also check your passport.

For most flights, you will now be on the jetbridge. This is a long ramp leading from the airport terminal to the door of the plane, so you never have to go outside! For some flights, you might have to walk onto the tarmac and up some stairs to your plane. For others, you might have to take a bus from the terminal to your plane.

Now you’re on the plane! Time to find your seat. You can show your boarding pass to the Flight Attendant as you get on the plane, and they will tell you what side of the plane your seat is on. There will also be labels over each row telling you what row it is and showing which seat is which.

As you strart getting near your seat, start looking for room in the overhead storage bins. Your carry-on luggage needs to go into one of these bins, which is why I told you to be able to lift it above your head way back in the Packing section.

Try to put your carry-on luggage into a bin near your seat. If it will fit this way, put it in wheels first, standing on its side. That way, more bags can fit. There might be a diagram on the bin showing you how to do this.

Sometimes, they will run out of room in the overhead luggage space and will either ask or require some people to check their carry-on bags. This will

Once you have properly put your carry-on luggage in the overhead bin, take your seat. You will see some space under the seat in front of you. Put your personal item (purse or backpack) on the floor in this space.

You are now boarded and seated!

Before the flight leavs, the flight attendants will make at least one announcement welcoming everyone on board and announcing what city they will be flying to. (They don’t want to send you to the wrong city!)

They will also make an announcement about turning off and stowing larger electronic devices. The general rule of thumb is that if the device is designed to be operated with one hand, you can leave it on, but in airplane mode. So you can keep playing on your phone, reading your Kindle, or listenig to the latest jams on your Zune as long as it’s in airplane mode. That means no cell connections. Keep your laptop in your backpack for now.

After that, they will make a safety announcement.