Odd boarding process in DEN for 777 - simultaneous BG1 (Door 1L) & BG2 (Door 2L)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Odd boarding process in DEN for 777 - simultaneous BG1 (Door 1L) & BG2 (Door 2L)
Last Thursday, flight 257 DEN->SFO on a 777 -- They did all the pre-boarding, then proceeded to open both doors and board both groups 1 and 2 simultaneously -- two gate agents, group 1 through the left-hand door (into the front of the plane), group 2 into the right-hand door (heading to the door between Polaris and Premium Plus). Really annoying because group 1 flyers in economy (like me) wound up taking the more roundabout route, then merging with the group 2 boarders at their door. Since I had a bulkhead seat with no storage, it was frustrating that most of the overhead space near me was gone by the time I got there (and I was 3rd in the group 1 line). If I'd been at the end of group 1 and wound up boarding after most or all of group 2, I'd have been pretty annoyed.
Has anybody else run into this wrinkle? (I'd never seen it before, and I can't seem to find anything via search)
Has anybody else run into this wrinkle? (I'd never seen it before, and I can't seem to find anything via search)
#3
Join Date: Apr 2014
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I've had this happen at ORD before and I did send a note/complaint to the 1K email address. (This was before 1Ks could preboard.) I was in the same boat. I want on early because I'm usually at a bulkhead/exit row and don't want to have to put my bags behind me.
#4
I've had this argument many times at DEN on widebody flights.
It's a station thing, and they insist that this is "the way it's supposed to be done" and that "There's just not enough time to board otherwise", ignoring the fact that somehow we manage to get the same planes with the same loads boarded on time at other stations, without doing this.
It's a complete cluster around the door 2 area as people try to merge together, and as you mentioned, ends up putting Economy BG1 fliers at a disadvantage for early boarding. Please write it in.
It's a station thing, and they insist that this is "the way it's supposed to be done" and that "There's just not enough time to board otherwise", ignoring the fact that somehow we manage to get the same planes with the same loads boarded on time at other stations, without doing this.
It's a complete cluster around the door 2 area as people try to merge together, and as you mentioned, ends up putting Economy BG1 fliers at a disadvantage for early boarding. Please write it in.
#7
Join Date: May 2016
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It makes a lot of sense to use both doors. This really does speed up the process and doesn't force all of the Y passengers to pass through the business cabin in order to get to their seats. But doing it strictly by boarding number might be defeating the purpose a little. If they simply kept the forward door for business-class only, and boarded through the other door based on boarding group for the rest of the passengers, this would resolve the issue.
#8
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Also at LAX, but they did not board both group 1 and 2 concurrently. Instead, they asked folks with seats in farther aisle (crossovers) to go through door 1, and folks with nearer aisle to go through door 2. Much cleaner that way without the merging nightmare.
#10
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There are similar boarding processes: (not exactly the same) as described by the OP in airports around the world.
HKG is one. Some of the larger China airports do the same. LHR has this multiple-lane concepts. Melbourne too. All the examples mentioned have either 2-door gates or two lanes process at the podium. Sometimes, they do it at SFO as well when they try to get planes out faster.
What OP described is a bit different. Each gate door leads to separate jetway vs those lead to a common area before spliting two separate jetways.
HKG is one. Some of the larger China airports do the same. LHR has this multiple-lane concepts. Melbourne too. All the examples mentioned have either 2-door gates or two lanes process at the podium. Sometimes, they do it at SFO as well when they try to get planes out faster.
What OP described is a bit different. Each gate door leads to separate jetway vs those lead to a common area before spliting two separate jetways.
#11
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There are similar boarding processes: (not exactly the same) as described by the OP in airports around the world.
HKG is one. Some of the larger China airports do the same. LHR has this multiple-lane concepts. Melbourne too. All the examples mentioned have either 2-door gates or two lanes process at the podium. Sometimes, they do it at SFO as well when they try to get planes out faster.
What OP described is a bit different. Each gate door leads to separate jetway vs those lead to a common area before spliting two separate jetways.
HKG is one. Some of the larger China airports do the same. LHR has this multiple-lane concepts. Melbourne too. All the examples mentioned have either 2-door gates or two lanes process at the podium. Sometimes, they do it at SFO as well when they try to get planes out faster.
What OP described is a bit different. Each gate door leads to separate jetway vs those lead to a common area before spliting two separate jetways.
David
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
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i would much rather board only the C cabin thru the front door and everyone else thru door 2 that way there would be no reason not to do a PDB and keep the foot traffic thru the C cabin down, i asked a DEN agent yesterday after reading this and they feel that in order to board the 364 passengers in 40 minutes it helps to board simultaneously BG1&2 and then close the front door and focus on 3,4&5 thru door 2, i can see their point but anymore it would seem more of the preboarders(GS/1K)are already up front to begin with so just boarding the door 2 would make sense to me...just my 2 centavos
Last edited by cosflyer; Mar 27, 2019 at 5:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2015
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... i asked a DEN agent yesterday after reading this and they feel that in order to board the 364 passengers in 40 minutes it helps to board simultaneously BG1&2 and then close the front door and focus on 3,4&5 thru door 2, i can see their point but anymore it would seem more of the preboarders(GS/1K)are already up front to begin with so just boarding the door 2 would make sense to me...just my 2 centavos
Those in BG 2 struggled to find somewhere to put their carryon. We boarded in BG order (although I did pre-board).
If I were in BG1 and BG2 were able to access the overhead before me then my carryon would have been no where near me. Why have BGs if there is no advantage in BG1? May as well have a free for all.
DEN failed abysmally in the boarding for the flight in the OP.
#14
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#15
Join Date: Sep 2014
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Yes it would make more sense to board J through L1 and Y through L2, starting with BG1.
The method stated in the OP is an inconvenience to Plat and Gold Y pax, but not to anyone else, right?
I applaud their attempt to use two doors, though. Unfortunately I think the main bottleneck is in the aisles, not at the door(s), so not sure it really speeds things up compared to just boarding everyone through L2.
The method stated in the OP is an inconvenience to Plat and Gold Y pax, but not to anyone else, right?
I applaud their attempt to use two doors, though. Unfortunately I think the main bottleneck is in the aisles, not at the door(s), so not sure it really speeds things up compared to just boarding everyone through L2.