Boarding Zones
Oct 25, 2014, 10:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50K (*G), Westjet Gold
Posts: 788
Boarding Zones
Last night I was talking to a colleague, a current AC E50K, about switching some of our business to Westjet. He claimed that Westjet used zones for boarding for a trip he took earlier this month. I don't recall Westjet ever using zones? Is this something new? If so, what are the zones???
Oct 25, 2014, 10:41 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: NEXUS GE, TSA-Pre, AC E50K
Posts: 398
Last few times I flew with westjet - they either boarded back to front (which priority on emergency rows) or they were did general boarding because it wasn't too busy. I don't recall them ever using zones either.
Oct 25, 2014, 8:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,506
WestJet has indeed introduced boarding zones/priority rules:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23548901-post10.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23548901-post10.html
We recently changed our boarding process. Our guests are now boarded in the following groups:
- Pre-boarding (guests needing assistance, families, etc.)
- Seats in Plus, announced as "rows 1-4". (Once tiers are launched on October 29, the announcement will read "rows 1-4 and WestJet Rewards Gold members.)
- Rows 17+
- Rows 11+
- All remaining guests
- Pre-boarding (guests needing assistance, families, etc.)
- Seats in Plus, announced as "rows 1-4". (Once tiers are launched on October 29, the announcement will read "rows 1-4 and WestJet Rewards Gold members.)
- Rows 17+
- Rows 11+
- All remaining guests
Oct 26, 2014, 8:04 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYC
Programs: Aeroplan, Westjet, Marriott, Nexus
Posts: 447
Long time lurker....first time helper!
I have flown Westjet a few times lately and to add to sokolov's link...what's also included with the pre-boarding section are the exit rows (in my experience anyway...four times).
I have flown Westjet a few times lately and to add to sokolov's link...what's also included with the pre-boarding section are the exit rows (in my experience anyway...four times).
Oct 27, 2014, 9:54 am
#6
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 980
Zone boarding is recently new, and is supposed to help speed up boarding, and for the most part, it does.
Pre-boarding (guests needing assistance, families WITH SMALL CHILDREN, etc.) + EMERGENCY EXIT ROWS
ZONE 1: Seats in Plus, announced as "rows 1-4". (Once tiers are launched on October 29, the announcement will read "rows 1-4 and WestJet Rewards Gold members.)
THEN, ZONE 2: Rows 17+
THEN, ZONE 3: Rows 11+
THEN, ZONE 4: ROWS 5+
Pre-boarding (guests needing assistance, families WITH SMALL CHILDREN, etc.) + EMERGENCY EXIT ROWS
ZONE 1: Seats in Plus, announced as "rows 1-4". (Once tiers are launched on October 29, the announcement will read "rows 1-4 and WestJet Rewards Gold members.)
THEN, ZONE 2: Rows 17+
THEN, ZONE 3: Rows 11+
THEN, ZONE 4: ROWS 5+
Oct 31, 2014, 9:01 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 283
I do hope that WS adopt some of the US airlines queueing system (i.e. forming 4 separate lines for the 4 zones). US Air in Phoenix for me was an example of what not to do, multiple zones but only one line so mass confusion, no better than boarding by rows before.
Nov 1, 2014, 11:05 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mostly Canada and the World
Programs: Several
Posts: 484
I just posted in another thread on this. Last night flying yvr to HNL they did call by zone. First was pre boarders as noted above. Then they called zone 1 and gold. Of course there were none so the GA started to call the next zone but everyone just stood and lined up as is usually the case on wesjet. All worked well and he plane was boarded early.
Nov 2, 2014, 11:05 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YQR
Posts: 2,743
I just posted in another thread on this. Last night flying yvr to HNL they did call by zone. First was pre boarders as noted above. Then they called zone 1 and gold. Of course there were none so the GA started to call the next zone but everyone just stood and lined up as is usually the case on wesjet. All worked well and he plane was boarded early.
WS has always been very efficient at boarding passengers so I wonder why they want to change things? Zone boarding works very well on airlines like UA, but largely because they have separate lines for each of their zones: no confusion and it's easy to be at the front of the line for the zone you're in. I can see this slowing things down for WS rather than speed them up.
Nov 3, 2014, 10:14 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,444
Interesting. I heard them calling out zones last week at YQR while I was waiting to board a DL flight and was confused about what they were up to.
WS has always been very efficient at boarding passengers so I wonder why they want to change things? Zone boarding works very well on airlines like UA, but largely because they have separate lines for each of their zones: no confusion and it's easy to be at the front of the line for the zone you're in. I can see this slowing things down for WS rather than speed them up.
WS has always been very efficient at boarding passengers so I wonder why they want to change things? Zone boarding works very well on airlines like UA, but largely because they have separate lines for each of their zones: no confusion and it's easy to be at the front of the line for the zone you're in. I can see this slowing things down for WS rather than speed them up.
Nov 16, 2014, 1:03 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Westjet Gold, Aeroplan Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 6
Air Canada is changing its boarding to be by zones in early December
Air_Canada_adopts_new_boarding_policy_with_five_zo nes
Air_Canada_adopts_new_boarding_policy_with_five_zo nes