vpat48

According to NBC nightly news, AA is testing new boarding procedures in a couple of markets where after Business & those needing extra time they are now allowing those without any carryon's and just a personal item..followed by those with carryon's at last.

If successful it could be rolled out systemwide.

Thoughts?

mvoight

Is this even before EXP?
If they are doing this, they need to require that personal item go under the seat. The early boarders should NOT get overhead access.

Firewind

...after the usual privileged.

NBC nightly news just reported that AA confirms that they are experimenting with this new boarding priority.

What do you think?

beerup

No, elites go first, then passengers with personal items only, then passengers with larger carryons.

Yes, the intention is those that board early with personal items will not use the overhead space.

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/america...0#.UUuR0hyG3ws

vpat48

Good luck with that.

Has anybody experienced this new procedure? Do they ignore Zones for those with no luggage or will those folks be assigned to a earlier group while checking in?

JDiver

I can certainly understand why they might want to try this - the mix creates delays whilst people are looking to accommodate their carryons, and this stops all traffic down the aisle to seats. They are hoping elites board and stash, because most of us became elite by flying sufficiently to know the steps to that dance, followed by those without carryons, with those with carryons being more spread out as they seek space and accommodate their baggage.

The problem will then come when those who have taken aisle and middle seats must get up and move out into the aisle to allow those with window and middle seats to take their place after they put their baggage in the overhead compartment.

Will this get the doors closed sooner? I have my doubts, but it sounds as if we are going to experience this and find out.

sinanju

It will not speed things up. It will slow things down. Folks without carry-ons are taking up almost no time being mixed in with those who have carry-ons. They wait, they get their chance, they sit down. Putting them on first doesn't really speed up those who are taking time.

It will however create a new species of gate lice who will clog up the gate area.

Dr. HFH

Not gonna work. People will say that they have only personal items (many of which will be large, resulting in discussions with GAs on whether or not they qualify as personal items) so they can board earlier, then board and use the overhead space. Good luck enforcing this.

FWAAA

Didn't AA run some boarding tests a few years ago that demonstrated that random boarding was either faster than (or no slower than) a highly structured system of windows first, then middles and then, lastly, aisles? I would guess that carryon distribution would be somewhat random around the economy cabin, so this shouldn't slow things down too much.

mvoight

This is true, because there will be Elite putting stuff in the overheads at the same time the non-elite "personal item only" people are boarding. Will the FA, assuming they care, know who is who?
Did anyone at AA think this through?

bubba198

Frontier does it. Works. Of course you have to have personnel that want to make something work. That's the rub.

IceTrojan

Is a hockey stick considered a personal item or a carryon?

SeriouslyLost

Why not? They paid for their ticket and space to stow a carry on. If they stow it above them then what's the problem?

Stripy

Erm....because the point of this new procedure appears to be centered around the policy that those who board first (elites excluded) don't use overhead space. If they're using overhead space just like everyone else why would they be boarding ahead of others?

SeriouslyLost

IIRC, it was a British university study and used BMI and a German airline to test various boarding patterns. Random boarding was only beaten by a peculiar mixing of window/middle/aisle and smaller load blocks spread over the aircraft all at the same time. It was about half the time of the usual block load method most airlines use.