Dec 22, 2018, 7:15 pm
New Delta Boarding Process Jan 2019
Dec 11, 2018, 8:59 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
I thought DL was making great strides with their boarding pillars, which I find makes the process less hectic. Putting C+ above Sky is silly and will annoy PM and GM fliers. Already I see Sky people try to board with Premium because they have "Status" and think that's how it works.
Joe blow doesn't know the difference in boarding groups and using all of these names won't help. This boarding process looks like marketing and revenue management put their heads without including operations. Also, it goes without saying, if gate agents don't get serious about enforcing the process none of this matters.
Joe blow doesn't know the difference in boarding groups and using all of these names won't help. This boarding process looks like marketing and revenue management put their heads without including operations. Also, it goes without saying, if gate agents don't get serious about enforcing the process none of this matters.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:01 am
#33
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,486
That's pretty close to what AA has now, and I have to say, I noticed a huge change for the better (i.e. fewer people from later boarding groups crowding the boarding area) when AA went to the numerical system, at least for the FC and elite boarding groups.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:03 am
#34
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
The pillars have nothing to do with speed (not sure why they would). It does help the customer experience as it reduces the "hey, are you in zone PREM/whatever or...?" awkwardness.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:05 am
#35
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: DL Plat, Marriot Plat
Posts: 349
This clearly benefits non-status flyers who have purchased C+, and probably will incentivize more C+ upsells (I know if a non-status friend or family member were flying for a reason they wanted to make sure their roller bag stayed with them, I'd highly encourage buying up to C+).
I also wonder about doing away with numeric zones in the international sphere where non-English speakers may be very confused by "Comfort+", SkyPriority etc rather than a much more simple 1,2,3
Too bad they didn't just go to a strictly numeric system that they could modify however they want down the road. To me this would make the most sense:
Preboard (people with wheelchair attendant and ONE family member only, not announced overhead but instead discreetly done at gate since they wheelchair attendants are there anyway, but this is a whole separate issue)
Parents (max 2)+ children WITH STROLLERS
Military (active duty, in uniform)
1- D1/FC
2- DM
3- C+
4- PM/GM
5- SM/Amex
6,7,8 - Main Cabin
9 - BE
Also, it seems one of the worst contributors to gate lice and congestion are the extended announcements and prolonged preboarding process. So often the scripted announcements are mumbled in to a low quality overhead paging system which half the gate area can't hear so everyone stands up to see what's happening.
I also wonder about doing away with numeric zones in the international sphere where non-English speakers may be very confused by "Comfort+", SkyPriority etc rather than a much more simple 1,2,3
Too bad they didn't just go to a strictly numeric system that they could modify however they want down the road. To me this would make the most sense:
Preboard (people with wheelchair attendant and ONE family member only, not announced overhead but instead discreetly done at gate since they wheelchair attendants are there anyway, but this is a whole separate issue)
Parents (max 2)+ children WITH STROLLERS
Military (active duty, in uniform)
1- D1/FC
2- DM
3- C+
4- PM/GM
5- SM/Amex
6,7,8 - Main Cabin
9 - BE
Also, it seems one of the worst contributors to gate lice and congestion are the extended announcements and prolonged preboarding process. So often the scripted announcements are mumbled in to a low quality overhead paging system which half the gate area can't hear so everyone stands up to see what's happening.
As someone else pointed out AMEX would have a harder time selling Delta cards when you can get Zone 5 boarding
Dec 11, 2018, 9:11 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Good old Delta. They have all but done nothing to what is actually changed in the order of boarding outside of creating some new boarding groups and then color coordinating it(sort of as others pointed out). I think this is more a marketing scheme by Delta to push more revenue. I foresee a 'don't want to board later' book different class/upgrade so you don't have to pay to check your bags.
This definitely feels like marketing showing their worth and someone pushing this up the ladder.
Also the bottom line reality here is Delta doesn't enforce any of this so it doesn't truly matter at all. They rarely enforce number of carry-on bags. They never enforce boarding zones unless someone comes up and asks 'do I board now?'
This definitely feels like marketing showing their worth and someone pushing this up the ladder.
Also the bottom line reality here is Delta doesn't enforce any of this so it doesn't truly matter at all. They rarely enforce number of carry-on bags. They never enforce boarding zones unless someone comes up and asks 'do I board now?'
Dec 11, 2018, 9:11 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
Honestly, this is the best advertisement ever for the Southwest A-B-C process. Fast, egalitarian, friendly, efficient, not designed to make people feel bad.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:12 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: DTW
Programs: DL - PM, (NW - Plat), AA - Gold, Marriott - Plat, Avis - First
Posts: 955
With how absurd the whole boarding process has gotten these day, unless I'm in F, if its a nonstop flight I just board at the very end and gate-check my bag. In most places, by the time I deboard and hit the head, my bags beat me to the baggage claim. Then again about 50% of my flights are on CRJ/CR7/CR9 with pink-tags so it doesn't matter either.
The Monday morning / Thursday afternoon full 737/757/A320 flights are just a whole lot of stupid these days with the boarding process, gate lice, and that 75% of the plane boards in SKY.
The Monday morning / Thursday afternoon full 737/757/A320 flights are just a whole lot of stupid these days with the boarding process, gate lice, and that 75% of the plane boards in SKY.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:18 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,343
Just because they refuse to call it Zone 1, Zone 2, etc. does not make it zone-less boarding. This is still zone boarding so claiming "Gone are the days of zone boarding" is false IMO.
-RM
-RM
Dec 11, 2018, 9:21 am
#41
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
With how absurd the whole boarding process has gotten these day, unless I'm in F, if its a nonstop flight I just board at the very end and gate-check my bag. In most places, by the time I deboard and hit the head, my bags beat me to the baggage claim. Then again about 50% of my flights are on CRJ/CR7/CR9 with pink-tags so it doesn't matter either.
I always find it a little weird how people clamor to board first on regional jets. It's like you want to spend an extra 15-20 minutes sitting in a cramped seat instead of in the gate area? WHY?? I'm always the last person on a regional, since there is no benefit to boarding first. People have been so programmed to value boarding first as some sort of perk they just don't think about it.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:23 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PBI/FLL/MIA
Programs: DL DM/2MM, MR Ambassador, National EE
Posts: 1,614
AA has the best boarding process of all domestics, by far IMO. It's about the only thing I like about them, lol...
The thing I like is that there's rarely congestion and I think that's because AA limits pre-boarding announcements. Their GAs are rarely on the mic telling passengers how the boarding process will work. They don't make pre-board announcements either - passengers that require pre-boarding make themselves known during ticketing or check-in and are called by name to pre-board. You rarely see the ridiculous congestion that is standard during DL boarding.
As soon as DL GAs start telling passengers how the boarding process will work you can literally watch the stampede begin.
The thing I like is that there's rarely congestion and I think that's because AA limits pre-boarding announcements. Their GAs are rarely on the mic telling passengers how the boarding process will work. They don't make pre-board announcements either - passengers that require pre-boarding make themselves known during ticketing or check-in and are called by name to pre-board. You rarely see the ridiculous congestion that is standard during DL boarding.
As soon as DL GAs start telling passengers how the boarding process will work you can literally watch the stampede begin.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:33 am
#43
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,894
This is why I try to avoid Monday morning / Thursday afternoon flights. If business trips start on Monday morning, I fly out on Saturday or Sunday. Better yet, start meetings on Tuesday or Wednesday morning and fly out Monday/Tuesday night. Try to fly back Friday mornings or afternoons.
Dec 11, 2018, 9:37 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Dec 11, 2018, 9:41 am
#45
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: Marriott, IHG, Delta, United
Posts: 575
This change will do little to aleviate the “Gate Lice” issue. The biggest cause of Gate Lice has always been the previous Zone 1, which is now the new Zone 5/ Main Cabin 1. Most elites who complain about the Gate Lice issue are already onboard (obviously) by that point, so they don’t realize how much of the issue is caused by that group in particular.
And the reason is obvious, the Group 1 (now 5) is way too big. You have all the FOs, who are least likely to get upgrades and board in F/C+, plus all the Amex holders, plus the Amex companions. The group is simply way too big.
The obvious solution, as AA does, is to:
-first board PMs/GMs, then
-board remaining C+/FOs, then
-Amex and companions.
This does two key things. First it separates the group that is too big (former Zone 1) into two smaller parts FOs and Amex) which would help tremendously with the Gate Lice. Also, it allows basically two groups where you have a mix of C+/Y, allowing for a faster board. Alas, Delta had a chance and didn’t get it done.
And the reason is obvious, the Group 1 (now 5) is way too big. You have all the FOs, who are least likely to get upgrades and board in F/C+, plus all the Amex holders, plus the Amex companions. The group is simply way too big.
The obvious solution, as AA does, is to:
-first board PMs/GMs, then
-board remaining C+/FOs, then
-Amex and companions.
This does two key things. First it separates the group that is too big (former Zone 1) into two smaller parts FOs and Amex) which would help tremendously with the Gate Lice. Also, it allows basically two groups where you have a mix of C+/Y, allowing for a faster board. Alas, Delta had a chance and didn’t get it done.