Originally Posted by
minnyfly
I still don't understand how some think it's quicker and/or better to board passengers that in general need more time and have bulky items in the middle of the cattle call when the jetway/aisles are jammed, or near the end when the aisle is still busy, seats are filling up with people, and the overheads are packed. It can't be. It's not logicial. It has to be why DL and WN also get them on as soon as possible in their boarding process. I've seen the struggle for everybody when preboarding is not an option. Want more time with a clear aisle in F before takeoff? Encourage this policy.
I'd love to see a study on it.
I feel just the opposite, I don't know how anyone can think it's faster to board the slowest parties first. It defies general logic. In a marathon, the fastest runners start up front. If the slowest runners were up front, they'd jam up the whole group and EVERYONE would finish the marathon later.
In a buffet line, if the slowest person is up front, EVERYONE gets their food later. If the slowest person is at the back, 90% of the people get their food and get settled and the slowest person can take their time picking out what they want to eat.
Assuming the slowest party will move at the same speed whether they go first or last, and assuming you start a process at the same time in either case, the best case scenario is that the process runs in the same amount of time, not less. The worst case scenario is that everyone slows down to the speed of the slowest person.
As I've stated earlier, if they start boarding earlier, and leave a 10 minute gap before normal boarding, then this will help on-time departures. But if they start at the same time, logic dictates that the BEST they can hope for is the same on-time departure stats as today.