My last three trips on Delta I was boarding zone 1. I don't fly enough to earn status, I don't have the Delta Amex and I just purchase regular Economy tickets through my corporate travel agent. I do have Pre-Check but that is as close as it gets to any sort of "status". I am trying to figure out how I keep getting zone 1? Believe, I am not complaining at all, just curious if there is something I am not thinking of here?

Clue: it is where your seat is located.
Zone 1 is toward the front of the aircraft and other Zones further back in numerical order.

The thing is they have Zone 1 go through the Sky Priority lane.

This is what they have on their website:

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-priority.html

Pre-Boarding
Customers needing assistance or additional time to board, including families with car seats or strollers.

Premium Boarding Zone
Delta One™ customers
First Class customers
Diamond Medallion� members

Sky Priority Boarding Zone
Platinum Medallion� members
Gold Medallion� members
Delta Comfort+™ customers
Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members
Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold members
GOL Smiles Diamond members
SkyTeam� Elite Plus members

Zone 1
Silver Medallion� members
Priority Boarding Trip Extra customers
Gold, Platinum and Reserve Delta SkyMiles� Credit Card members
Flying Blue Silver members
Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members
GOL Smiles Gold members
Sky Team� Elite
Crossover RewardsTM SPG� Platinum members
Capital One World Mastercard� cardholders

Zone 2
Main Cabin

Zone 3
Basic Economy

Zone 1 also includes exit rows.

I wasn't in an exit row. I don't pay for preferred seating or Comfort+. Just a regular old Main Cabin seat.

Some companies have a negotiated contract with DL that offers even non-status passengers Zone 1 boarding and access to preferred seats. And probably other benefits too. I can book exit row seats when booking a ticket through my corporate website but not when I book on DL.com.

Does your travel agent have a deal with Delta? (Is Delta a preferred carrier for your business travel?)

I was thinking maybe it has something to do with a corporate contract. Our booking tool lists all three US carriers as preferred vendors. I haven't tried to book an exit row but next trip I'll pick one and see what happens.

Don't AS elites get anything now?