Boarding Process

Old Jun 29, 2015, 6:43 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by Widgets
Has anyone seen boarding SKY split up into PMs, GMs, then everyone else? That was part of the new boarding process; GAs would get a pop-up when there are an extreme amount of Medallions (about half the aircraft) and they would be told by the computer to board in that manner.
I don't know the statistical breakdown, but I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't apply to almost every flight out of ATL.
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Old Jun 29, 2015, 6:52 pm
  #32  
 
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I was boarding a flight in ATL today
GA said " We will now start boarding with sky priority"

No Diamond boarding

It is easy to solve if you train and hold accountable GA's

If Delta fired a gate agent for not following the rules the lazy sloppy behavior would end

I wonder if I get a survey on boarding - I doubt it
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Old Jun 29, 2015, 7:22 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by SteveinA2
I was boarding a flight in ATL today
GA said " We will now start boarding with sky priority"

No Diamond boarding

It is easy to solve if you train and hold accountable GA's

If Delta fired a gate agent for not following the rules the lazy sloppy behavior would end

I wonder if I get a survey on boarding - I doubt it
No First class boarding either?
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 2:17 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Widgets
From feedback here it looks like hub-to-hub flights have high HVC concentrations.
Yes, my home airport only goes to ATL, so I do lots of ATL then LAX, some NYC, and a few others on the return, and PREM + SKY + Anyone with amex and economy plus is often times more than 1/2 of the plane.

Maybe I over estimated the numbers a little in my original post due to my frustration, but lets looks at a "small" flight like a 739 from ATL to LAX/NYC/SFO/DFW/MSP.

PREM can be the 20 F seats plus another 20-30 Diamonds (or more certain days and times) easily making 50 people board in premium (27%).

Sky could easily be another 60 people (certain days and times) bringing Sky+PREM to 110 people (61%)

And for some reason (i.e. revenue management a/k/a higher fares) there are less and less 76's making these trips and more and more 73's.


Originally Posted by Widgets
Has anyone seen boarding SKY split up into PMs, GMs, then everyone else? That was part of the new boarding process; GAs would get a pop-up when there are an extreme amount of Medallions (about half the aircraft) and they would be told by the computer to board in that manner.
My home airport who only flys EJ RJ2's to ATL decided to start boarding in this order recently:

1) Pre-Boards
2) People with small children
3) Diamonds
4) Platinum
5) Gold
6) Silver
7) Zone 1
8) Zone 2

At 6 in the morning on Monday morning, they are actually calling out each zone like that. Now since there are only max 50 people getting on this plane 8 "zones" kinda drags it out a little to far.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 3:05 pm
  #35  
 
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OP's opinion Delta's is "the absolute worse" just depends on what you are trying to get out of it. If you were always first, would that be the "absolute best?" But then, isn't it now the worst for someone else?

Seems to me that just the current method is no more or less efficient than any of the other suggestions. Fairly random group of people asked to get on at various intervals.

The really efficient way would be to have folks with a window seat in the back board first, then windows in the front, then middles, etc. IIRC this was how it was a long time ago.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 3:14 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by N615HL

At 6 in the morning on Monday morning, they are actually calling out each zone like that. Now since there are only max 50 people getting on this plane 8 "zones" kinda drags it out a little to far.
CRJ-200s should just be

Pre-boarding
Carseats or strollers
Diamond Medallions
SKY
1
2
3.

I never see CR2s anymore, but when I did, I went rogue and welcomed DMs by name because announcing DM boarding always had ~5 pax when I knew there was only 1 DM traveling alone on the flight.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 3:20 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Widgets

I never see CR2s anymore
I know it will never happen, but I hope for a switch from CR2's to CR7's and/or E170/5's every week.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 4:23 pm
  #38  
 
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Echoing many thoughts

ATL-FLL can either be a fairly decent experience or it can be total chaos.

It's all up to the GA and how they handle it.

Two weeks ago the GA said nothing and it was a complete nightmare. I was in F and couldn't get past the Zone 1 people lined up. I could have been loud and pushed my way past, but I just didn't.

Last week, same flight time (ATL-FLL) the GA took control and actually stopped a few people trying to board in PREM with a very nice, "Oh, i'm sorry sir we aren't boarding Zone xxx yet".

Suddenly after two of those rebuffs, everyone backed off and it was a relatively nice boarding experience.

What I also wanted to mention was the clogging of the queue by the "Zone 1" passengers that are led to believe (or just don't read the fine print) that they are the 1st to get on the plane. I see so many of them lined up, AMEX card clutched tightly to their boarding pass very happy to use this "perk".
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 10:08 am
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by RVBOOS
What I also wanted to mention was the clogging of the queue by the "Zone 1" passengers that are led to believe (or just don't read the fine print) that they are the 1st to get on the plane. I see so many of them lined up, AMEX card clutched tightly to their boarding pass very happy to use this "perk".
It doesn't help that the airlines perpetuate these issues in wanting to convince everyone they are getting some value by naming the boarding groups confusingly. A normal person would assume Zone 1 boards first, as you would assume for Group A or whatever. Instead we get our groups A and 1 behind First and Sky who are behind those with Triple Super Premium status who themselves are lower than the Gold Pressed Latinum group....

It's like the marketing departments are endlessly repeating the scene from Spinal Tap in which their amps go to 11, unlike everyone else's that only go to 10, making theirs "1 louder."
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 12:46 pm
  #40  
 
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I wish they would do boarding zones by the position you sit on in your row, i.e., windows get Zone 2A, then middles 2B, aisles 2C. I wonder how much time everyone cumulatively waits when a window seat gets to their row and the two already sitting in their way have to lumber themselves up and around so they can get in.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 1:30 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Navig8R
N615HL, I agree that the other part of the problem is that anyone can be Zone 1 if they choose to purchase Delta AMEX. Prem/Sky should be designated for those sitting up front, Zone 1 for the Comfort Plus cabin, then everyone else in Zone's 2 and 3. Zone 1 does seem to make a large portion of the passenger base these days.


No thanks. This would lead to absolute pandemonium.
This is the way Air France boarded an intra-Europe flight (CDG-BUD) that I took in December, 2014. It was a cavalry charge when they called for Sky Priority.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 1:44 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by drew870mitchell
I wish they would do boarding zones by the position you sit on in your row, i.e., windows get Zone 2A, then middles 2B, aisles 2C. I wonder how much time everyone cumulatively waits when a window seat gets to their row and the two already sitting in their way have to lumber themselves up and around so they can get in.
This has been shown in experiments not to be faster than the current method. People getting up and letting people in just clears the backlog ahead of them and has little effect on overall boarding time The actual fastest configurations were found, too:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14717695

I tell a porky: the window/middle/aisle is faster then current... just not the most efficient.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 1:50 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by NotHamSarnie
This has been shown in experiments not to be faster than the current method. People getting up and letting people in just clears the backlog ahead of them and has little effect on overall boarding time The actual fastest configurations were found, too:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14717695

I tell a porky: the window/middle/aisle is faster then current... just not the most efficient.
Not to mention, I doubt that the multitude of traveling groups (parent-child, H/W, just friends, or whatever) would want to split up to board, even if the window-middle-aisle method saved a few minutes.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 1:51 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by Delta Hog
Not to mention, I doubt that the multitude of traveling groups (parent-child, H/W, just friends, or whatever) would want to split up to board, even if the window-middle-aisle method saved a few minutes.
Absolutely. I think it's a false savings at the expense of customer angst. Plus it relies on people using the overhead bins in their rows, since that is the big time-killer. In reality, those near the back would fill up the bins in the front and it would be a cluster.
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Old Jul 6, 2015, 2:08 pm
  #45  
 
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Overhead space is the root cause

I have to agree with @JeffCO and @Widgets here.

The root cause of the boarding pandemonium is jockeying for overhead bin space. To help alivieate this issue, I offer the following possible solutions:

1. Charge non-status passengers for carry-on bags that can't fit under the seat in front of them
Upside:
+ Less rush for overhead bin space
+ Additional revenue stream
Downsides:
- Complexity of charging for all or some carry-on bags
- Customer dissatisfaction / outrage
- Additional occurrence of bags missing connections

2. Don't charge to check bags
Upsides:
+ Less rush for overhead bin space
+ Customer goodwill
Downsides:
- Lost revenue stream

3. Enforce reserved overhead bins for PREM/C+
Upside:
+ Allows high-value customers to board last while still having space for their overhead luggage.
+ Doesn't add too much complexity to boarding process
Downside:
- May be difficult for FAs to enforce
- Doesn't do much to alleviate boarding process for the bulk of passengers

4. Valet bag service for PREM and C+
Upsides:
+ High-value passengers can have the freedom to board last without worrying about their bags not making it onboard
+ With proper training, Delta agents can more effectively utilize overhead bin space
+ Might be viewed as an additional luxury of PREM/C+
Downsides:
- Adds complexity and may require additional staffing
- May slow down boarding process (though ideally this would be done while the plane is being cleaned / serviced)
- Bags would have to be placed directly above assigned seats or there may be confusion finding the right bag
- Doesn't do much to alleviate boarding process for the bulk of passengers
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