I couldn't agree more. Don't just make a new policy, go see if it actually works. So far, this one isn't working. My next two trips are actually strangely short distances so I'm driving to my destinations but I'll be back at ATL and in ORD in two weeks to see if anything has improved from my point of view.

Because they are monetizing priority boarding (and the folks who are in love with revenue-based changes to SkyMiles are going to be shocked when they find out that buying priority boarding gets more points with DL than all their expensive ticket buying), and you really can't say "Buy Zone 3 boarding!" and get anyone excited. With "Buy Zone 1 boarding!", people don't realize that they're really in the third zone (or fourth zone if you count pre-boards, then first/business, then SkyPriority).

So, does anyone know the way it's really supposed to work now? I have searched and cannot find a definitive list of the order.

What I saw over the weekend:

1) Pre-board
2) First/Biz
3) Premium (what is this?)
4) Sky
5) Zone 1
6) etc... other numeric zones

So Diamond, Platinum and Gold are now 3rd/4th on the list. Thanks, Delta.

First/Biz = Premium, although it seems there's been an increase in PREM being registered as the zone for all segments even if only one is upgraded. (Bizarrely, one-cabin CRJs are seeing PREM as a boarding zone.) Nothing has changed other than the numbering/names.

I think "PREM" is the zone F/J board in, and perhaps some others as well based on FT posts (perhaps IT glitch). GM and higher board in "SKY" zone and then FO, AmEx, and paid priority boarding board in Zone 1.

So this is really nothing new from the way it has been for the past year, except the zones have been renamed and the FOs get screwed a bit more than usual.

Something is definitely not working right, then. They are announcing First and Premium as two separate zones. Well, of course, I can't say it's happening everywhere but it happened in ATL and TPA.

Sounds like they need to work on the zones on BP's because it's a little out of whack.


The way you explain is what I thought was going to happen.

1) Pre-board
2) First
3) Sky
4) Zone 1

Just bumped previously Zone 1 people into Sky and the Zones moved up by one number.

It doesn't really surprise me that Delta screwed up the implementation of something so seemingly simple (and unnecessary), but SkyMilesInsider outlined in the Trip Extras thread how it is supposed to work:

At ATL yesterday the GA called for Sky Zone. Realizing there was total confusion, she clarified that they were boarding Sky Priority members. Boarding continued, and I heard the GA tell several pax, "You're boarding out of your zone" but let them board anyway.
Someone recently said that there are probably a lot of Sky Miles members who fly once or twice a year and are not Sky Priority, but they hear boarding calls for Sky Zone or Sky Priority passengers and wrongly assume that Sky Zone/Sky Priority = Sky Miles members.

Thanks, I knew I read that full description somewhere but just couldn't find it quickly.

...Bizarrely, one-cabin CRJs are seeing PREM as a boarding zone...

That's because every seat is first class.

Now you're sounding like a DL Connection FA who once tried to convince me that their planes were "fun-sized" after explaining that in the previous 48 hours I had flown SYD-KUL-LHR on MH 747s, LHR-DTW on a DL 764, DTW-MSP on a 757, and was following this all p with a SkyWest CR2.

I have heard flight attendants tell a similiar joke on Southwest. They will say every class is a first class seat

...unless you try to go through the elite security line! :p

Pretty soon it'll be:

1. Prem...................
....
.....
20. All zones all rows
21. Zone 1

22. FOs