I'm happy to agree on this positive aspect of the merger.

SFO has a similar issue and it's a dedicated gate. Those wide bodies create a huge line and there's no way to get to the carpet/breezeway. At least in NRT they have J roped off at most gates

The GAs seem to almost enjoy the Breezeway boarding. When I board late, the GAs never hesitate to stop the coach passenger to take my BP.

I've also noticed more of the GAs are doing a better job of screening the zones.

Now if they will stop people bringing on oversized bags, that will be progress.

Actually, NWA operated flights did boarded by zones (rows) from what I've observed last week MR's. Zone 1 would be First Class row 1-4 and also boarding at the same time is row 5 so 1-5. Then zone 2 elites. And then something about row 17-30 (back of the bus), after that 6-16 (front). ^

My breezeway experience has been bulletproof, as opposed to the NWA pre-board where one day it was families with kids, the next day "more time/special assistance" and the next day "no elite pre-board because we're full."

I find the consistent and reliable Delta boarding process a HUGE improvement.

I still hate Breezeway.

Sorry, but when 71 passengers are "elite" it's USELESS. And watching grown men fight to get near the front of the breezeway line is a little strange IMHO.

And if the GA does not IMMEDIATELY take your boarding pass that does NOT give you permission to show him/her that you know how to act like a two year old. (I literally saw one man STOMPING HIS FOOT while screaming.... think age 2 on steroids)

So you think only men act this way? :D

Also it is a HUGE pain when the GA forgets to rope off the Breezeway lane for 1st class boarding, because then you have the 1st folks who have already lined up and then the Breezeway folks who expect to board first??? This usually never happens, but it did on a flight the other day and it was ridiculous.

I agree with a previous poster about Breezeway boarders acting like entitled so and so's at times.:td:

Breezeway Confusion Lives On
 

No wonder the Breezeway continues to cause issues....

Last night, changing planes in Memphis, Gate C9, my mind is wandering when I realized the sign near the door identifies the left side as the Breezeway and the right side as general boarding, but the Breezeway carpet is on the right side. I watched the first few people who walked up to board as they pondered which side to enter.

Looking around the terminal, half of the gates showed the same mixed message.

Is this something I just never noticed before? Is this just Memphis, or is that the case at other airports, too? No wonder people are confused about the Breezeway!

Strange, the last few months I've noticed an increased enforcement of the Breezeway, both in DL and NW locations. I'm sure there probably will still be a few kinks to work out in some places.

I think I've seen what you're describing at some outposts like SYR or STL and surprisingly in the old NW A Terminal at DCA.

KLM sometimes does something similar, but they're more likely to just put the blue and white metal sign with the cut-into-the-lane arrow off to the side in the gate area and not even try to follow the system for scanning boarding passes. Once the aircraft actually starts to board (as opposed to the AMS boarding announcement, which really means that one can move into the holding pen at the gate), it's a free-for-all with all rows and all classes rushing at once except for a few who are determined to sit and wait until the last possible minute. (This description applies to flights within Europe. I haven't flown KLM metal long-haul in quite a while, so unfortunately no more Dutch canal houses for me.)

I've actually seen the Breezeway working perfectly lately. During Zones 1, 2, and 3, the Breezeway is closed (as it should be) and then only after all the "Breezeway passengers" have had a chance to board during their zones, then the Breezeway is opened and general boarding progresses during the non-breezeway aisle.

Official SOP (from what I've been told by several DL employees) is that the Breezeway is open at all times and that if the word Breezeway is on your BP, then you should board over the carpet (much as Continental does it).

Should be:

Zone 1 over the Breezeway (gen boarding lane closed)
Zone 2 over the Breezeway (gen boarding lane closed; at this point, all Breezeway pax can board)
Zone 3 over the Gen Boarding Lane (Breezeway open for those in Zones 1/2)
Zone 4 over the Gen Boarding Lane (Breezeway open for those in Zones 1/2)

All passengers in Zones 1-2 are considered Breezeway (as Zone 1 is F, Zone 2 is elites and their companions). For those non-elites in Zone 1 sitting in Row 10 (bulkhead), the Breezeway designator still appears on their BPs.

Actually, I've not noticed this in Memphis (I originate from there weekly), but all of my flights have been in B. I've not noticed the carpet being wrong, but usually they've been pretty good about roping off the general side and instructing the pre-board groups to the left of the sign.

Well, either way, it's fine for me. As long as there is 1 LINE during Zones 1 and 2. That's what matters.