Nov 15, 2014, 2:15 pm
Air Canada introduces zoned boarding
Jan 30, 2019, 2:31 pm
#4051
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I don't know if I ever had an agent complete check-in in such a manner as to get my companions zone 1. The only time it's worked is through OLCI when I do it in one step.
It seems to assign the zone number during check-in, and looks at all pax status, and fare, to determine the correct zone. If your PNR-companion is checked in as a separate step, then they're the only one whose status is looked at.
Luckily for me the lowest status my companion's ever held was P25K, which still guaranteed they'd be zone 3, not that me bringing a +1 is usually an issue (though there was one time I was SE in J and they didn't want my no-status in Y coming with me, and a recent time where I was SE in J and they didn't want my no-status in PY coming with me, until she realized I was SE in J).
Jan 30, 2019, 2:31 pm
#4052
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How do you guys deal with people massing around the gate? I'm often boarding in Zone 3 but you have people from Zone 4 & 5 lined up together. I don't want to wait in line so I try to wait until the end of the Zone 3 boarding and get in front of the Zone 4 people but I can never tell where the separation is.
Your best bet is to get to the gate earlier and stand at the front of the Zone 3-6 line and wait.
Other than that, it will be a challenge, IMHO.
But my best solution is to board last.
Jan 30, 2019, 2:44 pm
#4053
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 85
Some people ask those massed in front... sometimes I ask an agent if they are in non-shouting-earshot of me and that seems to make others aware around me...
Your best bet is to get to the gate earlier and stand at the front of the Zone 3-6 line and wait.
Other than that, it will be a challenge, IMHO.
But my best solution is to board last.
Jan 30, 2019, 2:47 pm
#4054
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Jan 30, 2019, 2:51 pm
#4055
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, Bonvoy Plat, Hilton G,Nexus, Amex MR Plat,IHG Plat
Posts: 4,427
I agree. I like to board first or last. In between is a gong show. If in J, I dont care when I board though some of those 767 Rouge have not enough bin space. If I am in Y, I like to board in Zone 1 so i can get my bag space and settle down though I am almost always in an aisle seat so will have to get up anyways.
Feb 7, 2019, 6:23 pm
#4056
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM; SPG Plat
Posts: 424
From the sheeple file:
February 5, YYZ gate 41, flight to YEG. I arrive around when boarding is supposed to start. Lots of people in the left line (Z 3+). Around 25 people in the middle line. No one in the right line. I notice that both the zone 2 sign (on the left side of the middle line) and the zone 1sign (on the right side of the middle line) point to the middle line. I casually mention this to the gate agent, who proceeds to swing the zone one sign around so it points to the right line.
About 10 people shift over to the right line, making comments like, "oh, I guess that makes more sense".
Yeah, no kidding.
February 5, YYZ gate 41, flight to YEG. I arrive around when boarding is supposed to start. Lots of people in the left line (Z 3+). Around 25 people in the middle line. No one in the right line. I notice that both the zone 2 sign (on the left side of the middle line) and the zone 1sign (on the right side of the middle line) point to the middle line. I casually mention this to the gate agent, who proceeds to swing the zone one sign around so it points to the right line.
About 10 people shift over to the right line, making comments like, "oh, I guess that makes more sense".
Yeah, no kidding.
Feb 14, 2019, 1:56 pm
#4057
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YHZ
Programs: AC SE100K, AC 1MM, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold,Hertz something or other, Sandals Sapphire, etc
Posts: 1,163
So here is a fun, and true boarding story from yesterday:
Flight 1619 (TPA-YUL) was delayed from 19:30 to 21:00 because of the weather situation in YUL. Delay was posted quite early (I knew about it around 2:00pm).
I go thru security at 19:50 and arrive at the gate at 19:55. As I am walking to the gate I see people boarding, which I assumed was for another flight that was using the gate before our plane arrived, but then I heard a boarding announcement for all zones, all rows for AC1619.
I go to the GA and say "what's up" and she says the plane arrived earlier than expected and they are trying to depart early. I then asked about the upgrade list to see if my upgrade was processed. She told me they couldn't process the upgrade list until the flight was closed for check in, and asked me to come back in 5 minutes. She then proceeded to announce "Final Boarding" for AC1619, which I believe was at 19:57.
I had never witnessed someone doing a final boarding call before the flight actually closed for check in.
I mentioned that there were likely people who were not even at the airport yet, since boarding was not supposed to commence for 30 mins. She just shrugged her shoulders and sent another GA to go check the restaurants.
Sure enough, my seatmate arrived huffing and puffing at 20:25.
To my surprise, everyone was on board and we left the gate almost 30 mins earlier than the delayed departure time.
Would have been an interesting scenario if they had left someone behind....
Flight 1619 (TPA-YUL) was delayed from 19:30 to 21:00 because of the weather situation in YUL. Delay was posted quite early (I knew about it around 2:00pm).
I go thru security at 19:50 and arrive at the gate at 19:55. As I am walking to the gate I see people boarding, which I assumed was for another flight that was using the gate before our plane arrived, but then I heard a boarding announcement for all zones, all rows for AC1619.
I go to the GA and say "what's up" and she says the plane arrived earlier than expected and they are trying to depart early. I then asked about the upgrade list to see if my upgrade was processed. She told me they couldn't process the upgrade list until the flight was closed for check in, and asked me to come back in 5 minutes. She then proceeded to announce "Final Boarding" for AC1619, which I believe was at 19:57.
I had never witnessed someone doing a final boarding call before the flight actually closed for check in.
I mentioned that there were likely people who were not even at the airport yet, since boarding was not supposed to commence for 30 mins. She just shrugged her shoulders and sent another GA to go check the restaurants.
Sure enough, my seatmate arrived huffing and puffing at 20:25.
To my surprise, everyone was on board and we left the gate almost 30 mins earlier than the delayed departure time.
Would have been an interesting scenario if they had left someone behind....
Feb 14, 2019, 3:27 pm
#4058
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Sounds like the fun and games that I've run into in the Caribbean. But those are much smaller planes.
Glad it worked out.
Glad it worked out.
Feb 14, 2019, 3:52 pm
#4059
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YHZ
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Posts: 1,163
Feb 16, 2019, 11:07 am
#4060
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SFO G93 for 563 SFO-YVR.
I showed up for some zone greater than 3.
I walked into the empty 1/2 lane. When an agent freed up, she held back 3-5 and asked if I was zone 2.
I said "zone 1", and she boarded me.
Exactly as it should work.
AC@SFO has a special place in my heart.
I showed up for some zone greater than 3.
I walked into the empty 1/2 lane. When an agent freed up, she held back 3-5 and asked if I was zone 2.
I said "zone 1", and she boarded me.
Exactly as it should work.
AC@SFO has a special place in my heart.
Feb 16, 2019, 11:22 am
#4061
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE100K MM
Posts: 588
Yesterday we had the musical instrument preboarding again.
So now the order is W, M, DYKWIA, 1, 2 ...
W - Wheelchair
M - Musical Instruments
etc
Makes me want to travel with a Tuba.
So now the order is W, M, DYKWIA, 1, 2 ...
W - Wheelchair
M - Musical Instruments
etc
Makes me want to travel with a Tuba.
Feb 16, 2019, 2:38 pm
#4063
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM; SPG Plat
Posts: 424
Harmonica?
Feb 16, 2019, 3:11 pm
#4064
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE100K, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,132
An inflatable mattress pad packed in a viola case seems perfectly sensible to me.
Feb 22, 2019, 5:33 pm
#4065
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 28
I’m sure I’m beating a dead horse, but the gate agents at SFO are great. Someone in zone 5 tried to board when only zone 3 was called. She was politely told to sit down.