I was on a flight from DTW to MEM recently where they were trying out a new boarding procedure as an experiment...

Order was:

1) Passengers who need assistance
2) First class / exit rows
3) Elites
4) Passengers without large (aka rollerbags)
5) Everyone else.

For most FT'ers, this won't be an issue ... except it seems steps 4 and 5 would delay *not* expedite departures.

Two questions:

1) Has anyone else experienced this?

2) Any bets on how long it'll last?

Bob H

I heard them boarding a flight (I think to Orlando) on Friday at DTW. They went a step further, separating out:

1. NO bags (they emphasized even backpacks)
2. Small bags
3. Large roller bags

It is an interesting approach...

It is interesting that they are experimenting since DL still uses the zoned boarding.

We'll wait to see when some airline experiments with boarding order depending on quantity of bags.

This experiment will clear most of the boarding area so those with multiple bags can be more clearly seen and evaluated.

Hhhmmm. I see a potential problem with this new experimental approach.

To pack all the carryon bags the most efficient way possible, smaller bags should go under the seat and the larger roller bags overhead. If people without roller bags board first, you will find that many will put their smaller bags overhead leaving the space under the seat empty. When the roller bag people board later, there will be less space overhead for bags and more bags to be gate checked.

Of course, this also makes it more important to have elite status.

I had the same experience Friday on DTW-IND. Small bags were specifically bags which would fit under the seat in front of you. The gate agent was pretty rude about it and seemed as frustrated as everyone waiting to board and was arguing what would and would not fit under the seat.

All in all, I don't think it impacted boarding significantly, but nobody had to check a bag, so maybe it worked. I had a carry on, so I didn't get to see if they were enforcing passengers with bags which will fit under the seat actually be put under the seat during the early boarding, but I was able to stow my roller bag and briefcase in the OH, so I was happy.

Isn't 80% of the plane elite these days

Sounds good as long as I am not prevented from putting my laptop bag in overhead.

I check my roller bag...I could carry it on board, it's a medium size bag, but I don't want the hassle of fighting over space up top for 2 bags and I want to preserve my foot well (I am a tall dude).

So, I inconvenience myself and check my bag (meaning I have to wait at luggage claim) in order to take-up a smaller overhead area (laptop bag rather than a roller bag), in order to preserve my foot well.

If I have to use my foot well in every case, I will certainly begin bringing my roller bag on board...there is no advantage to checking it.

I should not have my foot well taken away so that someone else has room for their BIG bag. It makes no sense to say that we both paid 500 bucks for a ticket, but that they have an inherent right to use more space in overhead for the same price and I should suffer for it.

I personally think that the new bag policies are absurd.

For years NWA tried to streamline boarding in order to turn the planes more quickly and keep things on schedule. Now the baggage charge has all of the tourists carrying on EVERYTHING in an effort to avoid paying, the boarding is slowed, the process is a mess, and every flight has a parade of people and bags going back and forth between and back and front of the cabin. This of course destroys the efficiency that they worked so hard to gain, and slows nearly every flight.

Planes push back late instead of closing early.

Passengers in the back fill up the FC bins with bags of oranges and frozen turkeys while the FAs either ignore it or just don't see it as they are busy hauling bags from the back of the plane. Late boarding FC pax don't have any bin room and have to gate check because the FC bins are full of Y carry-ons. FAs manhandle already stowed bags in an effort to cram "one more" into the FC bins. FAs struggle with shopping bags and 12 packs of pop when they should be serving drinks to FC!!!

I'm joking, but not really!

So I think this sounds like it might be an improvement - letting FC, elites and people with sane amounts of luggage get stowed first.

I do agree with Macoz that he should be able to use the bin space for his laptop. Or whatever he likes. People who bring small luggage should not be penalized so that others can use the space to avoid paying $15....

Interesting. This doesn't bode well for my usual travel mode, which is a standard rollerbag and then a very large briefcase with wheels that JUST fits under a seat. (I unfortunately often travel with a full-size projector and laptops.)

Just recently had an experience where the GA made me check my rollerbag on the basis that regardless of whether my briefcase fit under the seat or not, since it had wheels it also counted as a rollerbag and not a personal item.

The problem is the $15 (& up) bag fee.

While the legacy airlines flounder in & out of bankruptcy & nickel & diming people to death, WN just keeps growing by treating people decently & cherry-picking its domestic routes.

On a flight from DTW to GRR last Friday the GA stated that anyone gate checking their bag at that time would get boarding preference. Which they did and allowed them to board in front of Elites. As I always check my bags I found this unacceptable and inquired about this "new policy" to the GA. She didn't give an answer just a dirty look.

This should be reported to NW ASAP: http://www.nwa.com/talk/ttu.html

It's only going to get worse as the holiday travel ramps up.

And welcome to FT, lance711. One post 3.5 years after you registered has to be some sort of record!

We do have latitude in modifying the boarding process when necessary to either speed up or recover an on-time, but a dirty look is not included in that latitude.

4 and 5 actually makes sense to me. Putting bags in the overheads is what takes the most time and creates lines that stretch out onto the jetway.

I prefer to get on the plane, get settled in, and then enjoy the "free entertainment" of watching people try to stuff oversized bags into the overhead bin. They almost never fit. It's quite the show.