jamesteroh

I like the change. Especially when I have a bulkhead C+ seat. It's nice not having to worry about bin space.

KDCAflyer

So....what's wrong with 1,2,3,4,5 again?

jamesteroh

There's probably a lot of diamonds that are sitting in back who booked last minute tickets that paid more for their last minute coach ticket than people sitting up front. Most B, M and Y fares are more expensive than an A or P fare.

Seeing diamond's are getting stuck sitting in the back more often than ever due to FCM, I don't see the big deal. I'm sure most diamonds are like me, and usually carry on and if you are in a bulk head it's nice not having to worry about bin space being taken when you board. The old system was too big of a mess allowing gold's, PM's and DM's to all board at one time. I guess the other way around it would be to board F, then diamonds, then PM's then Golds and FO's and then by zones, but Delta has too many zones as it.

SYRRDU

As a DM, the PREM boarding is silly. Yes my UG is at ~90%, but on the occasion that I don't get the UG, I can wait for FC to board and I won't loose the chance to use the overhead. My two flights this past Thursday had several lice waiting over 30 min before the posted boarding time (nothing new) and when they did board in PREM, they all marched to EC+ and beyond.

baccarat_king

LOL

My "new" Delta boarding process is very simple :

- Those who need special assistance.
- Zone 1 (or call it BS for "Big Spender") : Flight segment paid (MQDs) >$2000
- Zone 2 : $1000 to $1999
- Zone 3 : $500 to $999
- Zone 4 : < $500

Feel free to tweak my amounts.

Families with children, want to board first; just buy into Zone 1 ("BS").

kenn0223

As a DM that usually books 4 to 48 hrs prior to departure I can assure you there is plenty of overhead space for us Y, B, M fare purchasers since FC and C+ are nearly always booked full 12 hours prior to departure (if not sooner). I usually end up in regular ole economy unless I get an upgrade at the gate.

18sas

I would love it if they would go back to this, but I'm not sure we'll ever see this again.

After all, "And that's not all...Delta AMEX cardholders get to board with Zone 4!" is not an effective credit card sales pitch.

KDCAflyer

They wouldn't have to sell it as zone 3 boarding, but as priority boarding before the rest of general boarding. Even current advertising on Amex's website only mentions "priority boarding," not the zone number. Since the vast majority of the cabin (on flights that aren't almost all elites) should be boarding with 4 or 5, boarding in 3 could still be considered priority.

I would also point out that US Airways used to sell their credit card with zone 2 boarding. They didn't seem to have any problems with that. Credit card advertising should not be the reason why the entire DL boarding process has to be complex, and ultimately broken.

Zone 1
First/Business

Zone 2
DM/PM/GM

Zone 3
Priority (and FO)

Zone 4-5
General Boarding

flyerUSA

There is no accounting for what a US Airways traveler enjoys, because anyone who was loyal to that airline was clearly irrational and or self-hating.

I'd rather take a bus.

SYRRDU

^ what he said. They drove me away as a CP about 7 years ago. I don't much like AA, but I need a second airline and UA destroyed CO. I expect the NEW AA to be more like the OLD US.

Sabai

DL/AX assert that one of the advantages of using their credit card is "priority boarding," which in practice means being in the third tranche.

Having Prem and Sky before Zone One obfuscates this sleight of hand; the ensuing confusion is of no concern to the MBAs in marketing - that's an operational issue.

brocklee9000

Yeah, this is mostly why I don't understand why DMs are part of PREM now, other than the obvious concession of throwing them a bone. Even as a GM seated in Y bulkhead exit rows all the time, I never had to worry too much about getting space. Sure, I had to be vigilant about boarding, and had to be a bit of a gate lice, but only to the smallest extent (when PREM boarding was called, I would pack up my things and get ready for the SP rush).

I would proudly be Zone 4, 95% of the time.

N615HL

yes, this is perfect, boarding zones based on dollars spent

flyerUSA

I just boarded LAS-LAX. Gate lice everywhere!!!! entitled pushy line cutting imbeciles. There is no hope for these people. One woman decided she could board because the sign says SkyPriority. The sign is always there. 24/7 whether a flight is at the gate or not. She just barges right up front. Her husband stays back like a normal human being. She turns around all mad, hurry up come up!!!! He says well I'm waiting for them to call us. She says, "it says Sky Priority right here!!!! Let's go!!!!"

There is no hope. These people just assume Sky Priority is the very first to board, and also assume they are the only people on the whole plane with the same rank.

All I care about is the gate agent, shutting them down. And she did. They almost always do. As they should. Let the pushy dense people figure it out the hard way.

brocklee9000

If anyone ever needs a convincing argument for human cloning, it would be to clone the occasional GAs that are reported in these forums, the ones that adamantly marshal boarding, so they can be sent to each gate in America, and eventually the world. Then this nonsense would finally be eradicated.