How come the Boarding passes now say boarding is 40 minutes before takeoff, but I have never had any any domestic flight board earlier than 30 minutes?

What are the boarding times for DL flights?

I have been told by several GAs that the fictional, additional 10 minutes was added to the BPs to ensure that PAX are at the gate in time to board at T-30... an easy to believe theory, since the practice seemed to have started about the same time DL management rolled out the initial, screwed-up Sky Priority Boarding fiasco.

Previously, you only saw a T-40 domestic boarding on some of the transcon, larger jets, IIRC.

Many times, when I am at the gate at T-40, I am there before the inbound aircraft. And, only about half of my flights are boarding by T-30 anyway.

The most farcical aspect of this, IMO, is putting T-40 on the BPs for regional carriers.

Despite all of the above, you will encounter an occasional situation where the inbound plane is on time, and an overzealous GA will try to board at T-40. So, if you are in one of the early boarding zones, and if you value space in the overheads, be advised.

Bottom line, the T-40 time on the BP just provides another opportunity for DL service inconsistency.

Greater-than-30 minute boarding notices appeared well before Delta acquired NW. I recall NW using them about the time the 757-300s entered the fleet: farther to trudge to the back, more rows to board, same door.

Agreed, as I noted in my post (albeit with less specificity).

But T-40 for a CRJ200? That more often than not won't reach the gate until T-20?

I did have an MD88 boarding between T-35-40 a few days ago. I left the club no earlier than T-45 and about 60 seconds after I arrived by the gates they started boarding.

Then again...my flight to DTW yesterday, an A319...I thought I read the GIDS wrong...we boarded about T-25 or T-20...I could've been in the club sooo much longer .

We only had 13 people on the plane.

It's and effort to insure the gate lice totally block the boarding area well in advance of the actual boarding time.

I've noticed that it really does take a full 40 minutes to board a full 757-300.

Agree that the full 40 minutes is a bit brazen though. On CRJs at outstations, many times the inbound plane isn't even scheduled to land at T-40 - 25 minute turn times on CRJs at smaller outstations isn't atypical.

In the intl flights, they do board more than 30 minutes...but I've never paid enough attention to tell exactly what/where by aircraft.

Last night we boarded T-40 ... which was surprising since the load was light. It took only a few minutes. We probably would have departed early but we had to wait for two runners who had a tight connection.

The reason they added the extra 10 minutes is to ensure families, infrequent travelers etc. know where the gate is and will have extra time to get onboard if necessary. In reality for most FT members you can show up at the real boarding time or final call 10 minutes before the doors close. If you are in the lounge they will announce the time before boarding starts.

Sometimes with a gate change this is a good time to check the Flight Information Displays and go to the next gate as it gives 10 extra minutes to go to the new gate. I usually allow myself 25-30 minutes before the actual boarding time just in case the gate or concourse changes.

Most SCs do not make boarding announcements except perhaps for TATL/TPAC flights in airports that don't have many such flights and for particularly delayed flights.

Leaving 25-30 minutes before boarding is scheduled to start seems like extreme overkill. It's hard to imagine an airport where this would be necessary or prudent except if the SC is before security. Even if you're using the "wrong" SC in ATL, 25-30 minutes to get from any SC to any DL gate is more than sufficient except perhaps for kettles with mobility problems.

The old NW guidelines for boarding was the following:

T-50 to T-60 for A330, 744
T-40 for 757, 753
T-30 for A319, A320, DC-9, E175, CR9
T-20 for Saab, CRJ

DL roughly still follows those guidelines.

My general rules are as follows:
-Assume T-40 for 757s
-Assume T-30 for 737, MD88, A319, A320, E175, CR9
-Assume T-20 for CRJ, ERJ, Saab

My actual time for leaving the SC and being at the gate depends on whether there is an aircraft there or not.
- If it is the first flight of the day, then assume boarding on schedule per above
- If waiting for inbound aircraft inside boarding window, be sure to be in gate area 5 minutes after arrival of inbound flight
- If Saab, ERJ, CRJ, CR9, who cares since its all planeside claimed, get there at T-15
- If no need for overhead bin space, who cares, get there at T-15

Unless it is operated by ASA, in which case most likely 30 minutes after scheduled departure there still will be no aircraft, and the GA will be just as clueless as the passengers.....

Yea some of the regionals are just bad. A few weeks back I approached the gate at 5 minutes PAST departure time with no AC at the gate for a DTW-MHT flight and asked how late we would be. Answer (as she looks down at her screen for confirmation) "We are still showing on time". I said "But it is a 1:15 minute flight and the inbound is not here and we are already late". She says" Sir the system says it is on time..they will make it up in the air". Of course I arrived in MHT 2.5 hours late but are some of these people really that brain-dead?

I will say that Skywest is a star in my book. I get great service from them and they seem to actually screen the people they hire.