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Old May 1, 2021, 10:13 pm
  #31  
 
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Updates on Boarding Process

Did anyone fly today with full flights starting back up? Are they still boarding back-to-front or are they back to the standard “zoned” boarding system?
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Old May 1, 2021, 10:14 pm
  #32  
 
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I flew (domestic) today and boarding was still back to front after the usual preboards & F/DM.
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Old May 1, 2021, 10:18 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by LoganFlyer
I flew (domestic) today and boarding was still back to front after the usual preboards & F/DM.
That’s frankly pretty ridiculous. I think the other airlines have all returned to regular boarding procedures by now? And the end of seat blocking should signal DL no longer feels social distancing is necessary?
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Old May 1, 2021, 10:45 pm
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by LoganFlyer
I flew (domestic) today and boarding was still back to front after the usual preboards & F/DM.
What a joke! Let me guess the FAs are still announcing that we must wait until the next passenger is 6 ft away before deplaning as well? This is only going to cause more gate lice from impatient PMs/GMs/FOs and C+ pax when the GAs start giving their “limited overhead bin space” and needing to gate check bag speeches.
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Old May 1, 2021, 10:47 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by MCO Flyer
What a joke! Let me guess the FAs are still announcing that we must wait until the next passenger is 6 ft away before deplaning as well? This is only going to cause more gate lice from impatient PMs/GMs/FOs and C+ pax when the GAs start giving their “limited overhead bin space” and needing to gate check bag speeches.
Lol, not that the 6ft rule was observed once during deplaning…
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Old May 2, 2021, 2:28 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by dw
That’s frankly pretty ridiculous. I think the other airlines have all returned to regular boarding procedures by now? And the end of seat blocking should signal DL no longer feels social distancing is necessary?
There's still some benefit to social distancing I would think but that's off-topic.

In any case, there in now research that back-to-front boarding was never a good idea to boot.
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Old May 2, 2021, 3:26 am
  #37  
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Originally Posted by 8mh
There's still some benefit to social distancing I would think but that's off-topic.

In any case, there in now research that back-to-front boarding was never a good idea to boot.
Yep, here's the recent research that suggests it's bad idea if you want to reduce Covid spread -- https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-...infection.html
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Old May 2, 2021, 5:35 am
  #38  
 
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The other issue is “priority boarding” is also an advertised benefit on getting the Amex, and for PM/GM/FOs etc. And unless sitting in F, all those groups are boarding last currently.

To be fair, I didn’t ever think being second-to-last was really “priority” before (for those who were FOs + Amex). But technically, they could at least construe it that way because that group had priority over somebody. But if your are the very last, like it is now, it’s definitely not any form of priority.

Last edited by kavok; May 2, 2021 at 8:22 am
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Old May 2, 2021, 8:11 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by 8mh
There's still some benefit to social distancing I would think but that's off-topic.

In any case, there in now research that back-to-front boarding was never a good idea to boot.
Back to front isn't the fastest way to board and in fact randomizing should be faster (so that there's less chance of people boarding at the same time who are sitting in adjacent seats/rows. When each passenger gets to his/her own row/seat, some time/space is needed to place luggage and enter the row (get out of the aisle).

Faster boarding (and deplaning) can be marginally better for prevention of the spread of COVID-19.
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Old May 2, 2021, 8:21 am
  #40  
 
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I flew yesterday as well. Packed flight 💯 to LAX. Boarded back to front and forgot to say that first class and diamonds can board first. Second flight first class got to board ahead of everyone including preboards. Really no more social distancing at the airport or in the boarding / deplaning process. Overhead bins filled up fast.
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Old May 2, 2021, 10:29 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by 8mh
There's still some benefit to social distancing I would think but that's off-topic.
Yes, I’m actually in the camp that would agree with that- I was rather being a bit tongue in cheek- just pointing out the mixed messages Delta is giving, whereas on the one hand they’re ending seat blocking yet still feel the need to have modified boarding procedures. I also read elsewhere that they will be removing social distancing reminders in the SkyClubs and in the jet bridges.
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Old May 2, 2021, 1:57 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by kavok
The other issue is “priority boarding” is also an advertised benefit on getting the Amex, and for PM/GM/FOs etc. And unless sitting in F, all those groups are boarding last currently.

To be fair, I didn’t ever think being second-to-last was really “priority” before (for those who were FOs + Amex). But technically, they could at least construe it that way because that group had priority over somebody. But if your are the very last, like it is now, it’s definitely not any form of priority.
FOs and AMEX cardholders never boarded “second to last.” They still boarded before the majority of the aircraft before the MAIN 2 & 3 groups for non-status Main Cabin pax and before all Basic Economy pax. Unless the flight has 100 DMs/PMs on it, MAIN 1 boarding was almost guaranteed to get overhead bin space.
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Old May 2, 2021, 4:17 pm
  #43  
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Really absurd that DL is still using back to front when they're packing planes full now. So the rest of elites and C+ pax get to board at the end (since they're in rows closer to the front) when there is no overhead bin space left since it was all taken by BE pax?
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Old May 2, 2021, 4:53 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by rylan
Really absurd that DL is still using back to front when they're packing planes full now. So the rest of elites and C+ pax get to board at the end (since they're in rows closer to the front) when there is no overhead bin space left since it was all taken by BE pax?
One of the flights I was on while seat blocking was still active, the GA didn’t even call FC/DMs to board first and it was strict back-to-front. Someone asked a similar question over on the DL Sub-Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/delta/comme...ront_boarding/ on why back-to-front is still active and many said they just board when the first group is called. What a way to encourage gate-lice by continuing this stupid practice by incentivizing every elite to just board in the first group.
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Old May 2, 2021, 5:55 pm
  #45  
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Unfortunately due to this I'll likely be part of the gate lice, even when seated in F since I want to secure overhead bin space.
I have not seen FAs 'protecting' the F or C+ bin space for those seated there, and in fact on several occasions have heard them making announcements for pax to put their bag in the first available bin.. and that was with middle seats blocked.

It was nice being able to wait until boarding is over and then go on the plane and still have available overheads... but now with flights packed it sounds like a free for all scramble with boarding and bins.
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