Originally Posted by
Adam Smith
I think the bottom line is AC has too few zones. I think the US3 are pretty much all doing something like:
- GS/ConciergeKey/whatever DL's equivalent is
- 1K/EXP/Diamond
- J/F/some lesser elites
- Even lesser elites + *G
- ~3-6 more groups after that
Not including people with disabilities or parents with small children, I think there are about 8-9 boarding calls on most US3 flights I'm on vs AC's max of 6. I think AA even has group 8 or group 9 on some flights (and ConciergeKey and EXP aren't part of a numbered zone, as far as I recall, so it would have been more like 10-11 total groups).
AC also does a consistently poor job of both policing gates and following zoned boarding procedures. For anyone to really feel they're really getting value out of it, I think they also need to do better on that front.
i think UA is the only one that puts non-invite tiers (1K) ahead of F.
AA puts "front-cabin" ahead of EXP (it seems like J on 3-cabin boards with EXP).
DL boards Diamond with the front cabin.
I'd be fine with any approach except UA's.
As for more numbers (or unnumbered zones), that can work too.
But you're right, of course. There's no point adding a 7th zone if they often screw up before they even call zone 2.