Boarding Process at Delta
 

I have Platinum Pro elite status with AA out of their 2nd largest hub, CLT. While I enjoy all of the nonstop flights, most of which, for me, are on mainline aircraft, the boarding process is so chaotic. It is so bad that I don’t even enjoy flying any longer. I always purchase first or business class seats with gives me Group 1 boarding. It never fails that there will be at least one, but usually a group, of elite members who will knock you to the floor to get on the aircraft first. It is obnoxious to say the least, a stampede. I would have to say that the majority don’t even end up sitting in first/business class.

It has been a while since I have flown Delta, mainly due to the pandemic, but I remember the boarding to be much more relaxed and orderly. I was sitting next to a gentleman last Wednesday, in first class on an AA flight, and he mentioned too that Delta boarding seemed so much better. Can anyone confirm that this is still a true statement? I’m almost willing to give up the nonstop flights in order to be less stressed out and feel that I’m flying with people who have some level of decorum.

Delta used to allow Diamonds to board with First Class, which could sometimes create massive hurds of people moving towards the boarding door all at once, but recently changed it so Diamonds board later in the process. So, if you are exclusively buying First Class, the boarding process is somewhat OK when it is time for First to board.

However, keep it mind First Class is not really the first to board:

Pre boarding / extra time is first. Sometimes this is an insane amount of people.

Military with ID is next, which again can be a huge group. Personally this irritates me because at certain stations this can literally be half the plane.

Sometimes I hear First Class called next, other times I hear families with car seats and strollers. Again this can be a real zoo.

At this point First is called if it hasn’t been before:

Next is Comfort+, Sky Priority, Main 1, Main 2, Main 3, Basic, and finally all remaining customers.

Even when I’m in First, and need overhead bin space, I do find myself being a bit more assertive to board, because even in F, the bin space can dry up. I usually try and check as much as possible to avoid this, but sometimes that’s not an option.

DL does, like every airline, still have an issue with people crowding the gate area during boarding. The other night is Seattle boarding in First on a redeye to ATL it was like playing Frogger just to get to the boarding door due to all the people standing around that presumably had Main 1, 2, or 3 boarding passes.

Oh, and lastly, I haven’t seen DL’s Sky Priority lane used during boarding in a long time. Seems to be just the general lane.

The boarding process among the big 3 domestic airliners is more or less the same. You shouldn't give up a non-stop just because one airline boards a little bit less chaotic than the other. That should be a low factor in picking an airline to fly with.

I was on 6 DL flights last week. All 6 called DM to board with FC.

so you’re saying that AA has a calm, civilized, orderly boarding process with polite and considerate elites, compared to Delta? 😀😀😀😀😀

Yesterday, MSY - ATL and ATL - PIT, Diamonds were not called out with First Class and not called out as their own group. It went First Class to Sky Priority. Last week on flight ATL - MSY I attempted to board with FC as a DM and was told that DM no longer board with FC and have to wait until FC is boarded. Who knows any more?

what I’ve been hearing is 360/FC, then Diamond, then as you describe. There’s a pause between 360/FC and diamond, but not a very long one.
I’ve seen the Sky Priority lane sort of used at PHL and ATL. It doesn’t seem to be as structured as it used to be.
Just before COVID, Delta was trying a system in ATL where they had separate queues (separated with dividers, for each category. It has gone away though. I thought it was a good idea.

My DM colleague sits in the lounge and always boards as late as possible. Maybe she’s the smart one. I still think WN boards best.

Boarding priority is published -- https://www.delta.com/us/en/check-in...rding-priority
DMs are now supposed to come after FC/D1 pax. The change was made relatively recently (back in August) -- https://www.yahoo.com/video/delta-ch...133105653.html

I think they generally follow this on most of my flights (as others have noted, I've heard 360s welcomed with FC pax at times even though not specifically listed in published priority).

Personally I think UA has the best boarding process for my preferred boarding style (which is boarding toward the middle or end of boarding instead of the beginning unless I have a carry on that has to be in the overhead).

That's purely due to the fact that UA has done a very good job of segmenting out the Group 1 and Group 2 lines and keeping those lines clear once they've boarded those groups so it's very easy to walk right up to Group 1 when you are ready to leave the lounge and get straight on the plane. They also do a good job of holding the other groups so folks in Group 1 and Group 2 can come through

I find at a lot of places the SkyPriority line gets jammed up once they get through F/Sky which is a problem and that many Gate Agents don't hold the regular line for SkyPriority which means you have to be that person who jumps in front of the next person in the non-SP line instead of having the Gate Agent direct traffic

The problem was that the multiple lines took up too much floor space and seating area, and overcrowding is already a nightmare in some areas like the D Concourse in ATL. (At current concourse width, mainline service out of D is utterly miserable.)

Delta partners treat you better than Delta for boarding. On Korean or VNA they have 2 lines (1 for econ, 1 for business/skypriority) so even with just Skyteam Elite I'm often the first one on the jetbridge. With Delta you have to wait for Comfort+, which isn't too bad because Delta upgrades you to Comfort+ anyways but it's still dissapointing.

at SEA and LAS a few weeks ago, we found the DL boarding process much less chaotic and more efficient than we normally experience at UA. People needing more time (not many) and military, followed by F passengers and then Diamonds through the Sky Priority lane, then Comfort plus through SP, then main cabin 1/2 and then basic through the general line. Basic was the largest group on both flights.

My problem with the boarding process is that there is no way to know what time your group will board. IMO Delta should post on a screen the times for each group and stick to it. If a flight left at 10am, extra time: 9:20. First/360: 9:25. Comfort+ 9:30. Sky: 9:35. Main 1: 9:40. Main 2: 9:45

No chance. It is just way too dynamic for that. There are a LOT of situations where they start five or ten minutes late. And people in Main 2 would see 9:45 and be five minutes late and be pissed because the door is closed. No chance. Even if they did, it wouldn't be right a lot.....just as the initial boarding time isn't.