FlyingMoose

The idea was great, the implementation and execution was unfortunately terrible to say the least. It easily made the boarding process take twice as long. I do encourage airlines to continue finding means to embark and disembark the aircraft more efficient and faster. To date the most efficient approach seems to use both front and rear doors and split up the passengers to the right door by seat row.

What they do well at AMS is the 2 line concept, similar to the LHR example. Even when flying SK most passengers understand the priority and no-priority queue concept so it can easily be replicated at ARN/CPH/OSL. In addition they use recorded announcements as opposed to having the ground staff try to make the announcement in their broken English and often leaving a different messages between the Scandinavian announcements and the English one.

Ideally there are no more than 3 zones, the insanity of US airlines with 9 boarding groups isn't productive either.

Short-haul:
1) EBD/EBG/Plus
2) EBS/*A Gold
3) Coach

Long-haul:
1) Business
2) EBD/EBG/*A Gold/Plus
3) Other status/Coach

If anything, some kind of status should bring you on-board ahead of the masses in order to secure overhead bin space near your seat, if you're flying coach.

livious

I had Zone A as EBG flying GO. No idea on Zone B.

Jainzar

Maybe EBS in Go? Similar to AY's group 2 for AY+ Silver. At least that would raise the value of EBS if you are in front of non status passengers.

alltforsverige

This thread is fantastic. After years of growing accustomed to pushy Americans and gate lice, I was truly shocked at the boarding and deboarding chaos of the usually orderly Swedes. Thanks to all posters for making me laugh as I pictured your extremely realistic descriptions.

This is an area I really wish airlines would standardize. As one poster said, even the simple 2-line system at AMS works reasonably well. The herd in a gate area in Scandinavia before a flight departing for the US is one of my least favorite aspects of the whole travel process. Regardless of which cabin I'm flying in that day or status I have or don't, I'd much prefer it to be clean and orderly. If that means I have to sit and wait patiently to board at the end, so be it. If I'm lucky enough to be up front or have priority boarding, I'd rather not have to push past 200 people as politely as I can (because even a comparatively early gate arrival doesn't ensure arriving sooner than a very punctual group of people) while they look at me like the rude one. (And no, I am not one of those people from the DYKWIA threads shoving my way through while screaming "Diamond coming! Diamond on the way!")

livious

My biggest grip in Scandinavia is that the immediate area around the gate gets congested and it is not worth the fight to priority board, even when it is offered and enforced. I find myself checking my bag more often so that I can board last and not worry about finding space on board.

There should be a yellow "stand behind line" like they have at the baggage carousel. Even better, give the gate staff those foam spray cans that soccer/football refs use and give the gate a 10m perimeter. They could even use a card based system to punish those blocking the area or boarding early. A yellow card gets you re-seated next to a kids or near the toilet in the back, red card means you can't board.

What Oliver alluded to is the most baffling. Swedes will take a number and line up for about anything, but getting on an airport seems to baffle them altogether. I would love to hear an explanation of why this is.

Von_Schnitzelhausen

Gotta love them swedes

fassy

One of the irritating things for me is not the people pushing into the aircraft... it is how they store their hand-luggage. Never outside of Scandinavia you see pax slam their bag in the first free bin at row 2and than steam down the aisle to row 27 to sit down.

i see that happen in CPH and ARN a lot and that makes me real angry...

oliver2002

Thats SOP for GS/1K flying United when they didn't get an upgrade to F. They usually put their kitchen sink sized trolley in the first two rows of Y, irregardless of where they are sitting.

FT Guest xyzpdq

Try ANY US domestic flight. The amount of luggage taken as carry-on is a complete joke.

While something can be won in the boarding sequence - the number one time stealer in the boarding is the time it takes to find space for your (oversized?) lugage check 7 bins to find find space, move other items around, etc.

fassy

I do quite a fair amount of US domestic flying and while I agree that the amount of luggage hauled on board is ridiculous... I haven't observed the 'I store my bag wherever I want' attitude that often. Of course as oliver said, you see it especially with those DYKWIA-elites but I have rarely see it with the regular pax. Of course in the end everybody scrambles to the bag stored but normally most people take their stuff to their row. Perhaps I have been unlucky and was flying a lot with Scandinavian-DYKWIA-elites whicch have a lot of US-training

FlyingMoose

Which is exclusively because of poor and extremely slow luggage handling at airports. If I need to choose between carry-on and walking out of the airport immediately after a 12 hour flight or adding at least 45 minutes at the luggage belt, its a quick decision. One that the majority makes similarly.

fassy

I would rather say:

1) poor and slow luggage handling
2) no free bags included in the fare

1) usually is the reason for business travelers, 2) the reason for the private traveler. And most of the time I see the private travelers hauling their enormous bags on board. Most of business travelers I know are used to pack light and efficient.... or just pay luggage/have it included in the fare. I can go to a trade-show week with 3 suits and casual clothing only having a normal EU-sized carry-on and fresh things to wear every day. In the worst case I just use the laundry service for a few $.

In Europe I think the increase in cabin baggage is mostly caused by the HBO fares...

helosc

Priority boarding was enforced in Bologna yesterday (manned boarding automats).
Unfortunately it just meant a longer standing up wait for the bus.......

FT Guest xyzpdq

I was not arguing the reason - and I do agree with the points made by fassy.
I was merely pointing to complete cattle market the lugage is on US domestic flights.

And our friends in the BA forum is discussing somethin quite similar:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...sh-broken.html

Jainzar

It seems like the 3 zones are the following:
Zone A: priority
Zone B: back of the plane
Zone C: rest

https://finalcall.travel/no/sas-test...ing-kobenhavn/