I am sure that is true.

Here is my solution: Instead of a Zone number, all FC and Medallions could have "Zone: Breezeway" printed on the boarding pass. When it is time to start the boarding process, the GA could announce the following:

"Please board only when your zone number is called. For our First Class and Medallion customers, whose zone is listed as "Breezeway," you may use the Breezeway lane and enjoy priority boarding at any time. Any Breezeway passengers who wish to board now are free to do so." Then after the initial "Breeze" has passed, the GA then proceeds to board by numbered zone.

An announcement like this would also make it crystal clear to the masses that there is a category of passengers who have the privilege of priority boarding...they would hear it announced and would not have to have read the fine print on the Breezeway sign to know what was going on.

This would be a big change from the current system, in that there would be no preboard for F, as all Medallions would be in the same zone. However, they could have 'Breezeway 1,' 'Breezway 2,' 'Breezway 3,' 'Zone 4,' 'Zone 5,' etc.

They could rope off or close the Breezeway until zones 1, 2 and 3 have been called. Then open the Breezeway when calling zones 4 and above.

This would eliminate Medallions cutting in front of their fellow Medallions, and would allow them to bypass "the masses" when arriving at the gate after zone 4 has been called.

Or perhaps just drop the whole "Breezeway" name and all the fine print of who can use it and change the sign to read:

Zone 1 - 3 : (Left Arrow)
Zone 4+ : (Right Arrow)

This is exactly how it should be done, and although many CO agents don't follow this process, quite a few do, and if they don't physically rope off the general lane, they decline to take customers from it during the preboard.

I think everyone is making this enhancement to be more of a pain than it is - done correctly, it truly improves the customer experience for those that matter more to the bottom line - Medallions, full Y and paid F. If you're personally against cutting in front of other customers, you're within your right to decline the Breezeway and wait in line, but don't suggest it should be taken away from everyone.

It's really simple -

1) rope off the GA lane
2) during boarding announcement remind ALL customers that the Breezeway is ONLY for customers seated in FC as well as Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medalions as well as Skyteam Elite and Elite Plus. All other customers MUST use the general lane and will not be boarded from the Breezeway. Breezeway eligible customers may board through their lane at any time during the boarding process and other passengers will give way to Breezeway customers during boarding.
3) call FC boarding through the Breezeway
4) call Zone 2/3 (mention Medallion, Skyteam by name) boarding through Breezeway
5) call Zone 4 (and so on) through the general lane, with a reminder during each subsequent announcement that Breezeway eligible customers should use their designated lane

It's a simple process and I can't for the life of me understand why agents are not following it accurately to a 'T' - and the lane is being handled worse over at NW where they've had over a year to get it right.

This is exactly the process that I witnessed at ATL on Monday for my ATL-RDU flight. And it worked.

Just to clarify since I said something about confrontation...it isn't that I don't mind using the breezeway to board ahead of the general line, it's just that I want the process to work ideally. Maybe this is because I look young, but sometimes (and thankfully it really is pretty rare) I won't be acknowledged the same way as a typical Medallion/FF. And I'd rather not have to stand at the breezeway and clear my throat or reach over other passengers.

Will I still do it? If I need to, yes. Maybe Delta staff and passengers just need time to get used to it because it seems like it runs pretty smoothly with CO.

My experience to DUB from JFK last Sunday was, "we are boarding by zone", then they initially forgot to have an agent stationed at the Breezeway. Far less than impressive.

The Breezeway worked very well for us last Saturday in ATL. Our incoming TATL was nearly 2 hours late, so we arrived at our connecting flight about 15 minutes before scheduled departure, when boarding was probably already 2/3 complete.

Instead of getting at the end of the regular line where there were perhaps 30-40 people still waiting to board, we used the Breezeway. The GA immediately stopped boarding the regular line, and reached across for our BPs, and allowed us to board.

The overhead bins were already quite full, but a helpful FA rearranged a few things and assisted to get our carry-ons loaded. Had we been last to board and closer to departure, she may not have been so accomodating. We also had time for a pre-departure drink.

I think the Breezeway is a nice perk and should be retained. No doubt there are times when it may not work as planned, but a little training should solve those glitches.

Susan

OK, you can add my voice to those that say something needs to be done about Breezeway.

Boarded at DCA this morning with Zone 1 (FC) - there were several of us on the Breezeway side... and a number of passengers in the general boarding side. THe gate agent lectured those of us on the Breezeway side (as we boarded) that the lane is ONLY available after ZOne 4 is called, and we should NOT use it at any other time. Of course, ATL, BWI, and SAT all use the Breezeway for all FC & Medallion passengers. I mentioned this to the gate agent, and got the response that every other station was wrong.

DCA is a good sized station for DL.

The policy really needs to be consistent, or the Breezeway needs to be eliminated. At the very least, if a GA decides to deviate, they need to announce it up-front, before calling ZOne 1 boarding.

On 1-28 ATL-FLL. Boarding began with the GA stating. "Now boarding Zones 1,2, and 3. Please use the Blue Breezeway Carpet." Seemed like not all of the three zones would be Breezeway appropriate. Did I get a GA that did not want to direct traffic properly?

Zone 1, 2 and 3 is first class and Medallions.

While we're on the subject of "Breezeway" boarding-- I'd like to know if anyone has used it, or anyone has seen anyone else use it.

I've been flying every week, on mostly full flights (to/from LGA and JFK), and whenever I'm not upgraded, I wait till the last minute to board. (I hate waiting in the plane without a nice tropical drink in my hand.) I've never once seen the Breezeway used ever. Usually, there's one GA receiving boarding passes on one side (away from the Breezeway carpet)-- it may be hard to notice if anyone's on the Breezeway line. More importantly, it seems awfully rude to show up on the Breezeway carpet while there's a long line of tired (unprivileged) passengers waiting to board.

I've used it several times. The GAs over on the D Concourse seem to do a good job in my experiences of announcing that if you are eligible to use Breezeway (and then states who), then they should board only via Breezeway.

I've used it before several times though on other flights at other airports. One time in ATL I had to wait a few passengers, but in general the GAs will stop general boarding immediately and take me. There was one time that a passenger in the General line started to complain that I was cutting the line, but I just tuned him out and boarded (and took the glorious left turn on a 757).

Boarding Chaos