Zoned Boarding (2020 onwards)
 

So last night on AC967 I noticed that the zone 1 lineup was a little long. Started chatting with a family in the line that told me they were given zone 1 to compensate for the 4hr delay. I found that interesting. I mentioned to them that zone 1 is supposed to be reserved for Business Class or Super Elite and they told me they were neither.

Another interesting tidbit was that on the outbound a few days earlier (AC966) I overheard the gate agent saying there were 66 people in zone 1...Based on the meal orders and the onboard product manager (or whatever they are called, the agents that roam various flights to make sure everyone is happy) I was one of maybe 2 SE's in the business cabin.

For 66 zone 1 on a 333, there would have to be 39 passengers in Y who are either SE or on the same PNR as an SE.

That seems unlikely, but not impossible.

Sunday at YVR, boarding a flight to PHX.

Departure time, 40 minutes past boarding time, no boarding announcements yet. Obviously the flight is departing late, but being bored and all I ask the male GA for an estimated delay. He says, annoyed, "can't you see I've already started boarding?" Then he says - in a normal voice, not on the PA: "Zone 4." Turns out he's been "boarding" for 15 or 20 minutes whoever is standing within earshot of the podium (keep in mind this is one of the gates that shares a seating area with the adjacent gates - the GAs of which are all making PA announcements that drown out whatever our GA is saying) and thinks he's about to complete boarding despite having, by my estimate when I got on the plane, about 12 people on a 767. When I board, I ask the agent who scans my BP: "do you realize you aren't making any announcements and no one knows you're boarding?" She shrugs, nods in the direction of the male GA and says "this is how he prefers to do it".

I'm more baffled than annoyed.

There's just something 'off' about those flights to PHX apparently.

Our boarding zone on août boarding pass has *.
no number: we shally get zone 2 with our Aeroplan visa infinite or whatever it’s called. We requested a wheelchair at the arrival city as they need to be booked. In Toronto we usually just pick one up when arrive at YYZ I push my wife :
would the wheelchair request replace any boarding zone and that’s why it’s not listed

Yes. I had same “*” when I had my mother with me. Otherwise I am Zone 1 as SE.

Right. Zone * is special assistance. Usually boards before zone 1.

Back in November, YYC-SFO outbound, LAX-YVR-YYC inbound, I was P25K while my 2 companions had no status. I somehow had Zone 2 (I expected Zone 3 since I only bought the standard fare) on my BP while they had Zone 4, this happened for all the flights. I asked the agent in YYC and SFO why that is when I went to check bags and they had no idea.

Being on the same PNR has never been sufficient to share zones with lower-status companions.

You also need to check in at the same time. Through OLCI, that's easy. Check all the boxes.

At the counter, more often than not, they seem to check us in "separately", so I get zone 1, and my companion does not.

Did the OLCI check in with all 3 at the same time, the counter was literally just for bag drop

I just checked in online. While my boarding pass for the first leg has a zone number printed on it, the second one doesn't. Why did this happen? How will I know when to board?

I dont know why this happened, but they usually announce that if you dont have a Zone number printed on your boarding pass, then you should board with one of the later zones (Zone 5 I think).

I haven’t seen this on mainline in a while, but Z1 & Z2 were called simultaneously at LAX today :confused:

I witnessed this a few times between YYZ/YTZ-YUL. In one instance Z1 line was empty.

YTZ-YUL isn't mainline and has no J so it's quite possible there were no zone 1. But I'm not standing up until the make the announcement, and I still want zone 1.

YYZ-YUL that's much less likely.

LAX-YYZ... there were people in zone 1.