Jan 8, 2014, 11:14 am
Last edit by: awaflyboy
This is the current US boarding process:
1. Special assists
2. First Class & Uniformed Military
3. Emerald & Saphire (Chairman, Exec. Platinum, Platinum, US Gold)
4. Ruby (US Silver & AA Gold)
5. Preferred Access
4. Zone 1
5. Zone 2 (including US Visa Signature and MasterCard World Premier credit card holders)
6. Zones 3, 4, 5 and depending on the aircraft, Zone 6.
1. Special assists
2. First Class & Uniformed Military
3. Emerald & Saphire (Chairman, Exec. Platinum, Platinum, US Gold)
4. Ruby (US Silver & AA Gold)
5. Preferred Access
4. Zone 1
5. Zone 2 (including US Visa Signature and MasterCard World Premier credit card holders)
6. Zones 3, 4, 5 and depending on the aircraft, Zone 6.
New Boarding Process, beginning 1/7/2014
Jan 15, 2014, 8:41 pm
#61
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
Which amounts to "If I'm in FC I want to be able to stow my bag in the FC OHB" and "If I'm elite I want to get on while there's room for by bag in the OHBs". I suspect that half of those sitting in FC would just as soon board last if the OHBs in FC stayed empty except for other FC passengers bags. The other half want to settle in and get their PDB.
Jim
Jim
Jan 16, 2014, 6:01 am
#62
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: BWI/DCA/BOS/
Programs: MR & SPG Plat, BA Silver, AA Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 175
I'm curious to hear more about this, and I guess I'm reluctant to give up that there isn't a better solution. I know there are a lot of x factors like human behavior, but ultimately boarding is still a process. A process has one flow and can always be optimized. I've read articles about boarding back to front, outside in, etc. But it varies from airline to airline.
Jan 16, 2014, 10:44 am
#63
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
HP actually hired a UofA professor to come up with their boarding procedure and he came up with the reverse pyramid - outer seats to inner seats and back to front (excluding FC). But what the professor said in his report was equally stunning - that WN's old "cattle call" approach was actually faster since people, left to their own devices, generally spread out relatively uniformly and got settled in pretty quickly. So having a boarding card with your place in line and picking your own seat once on the plane was the best solution.
Of course, all the exceptions to the "reverse pyramid" process - credit card holders, elites, families, military, etc - mean that HP/US didn't use that process in the way that supposedly made it more efficient.
Jim
Of course, all the exceptions to the "reverse pyramid" process - credit card holders, elites, families, military, etc - mean that HP/US didn't use that process in the way that supposedly made it more efficient.
Jim
Jan 16, 2014, 11:14 am
#64
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PHX these days
Programs: US Chairman, M&M FTL
Posts: 222
In gates with a lot of space, that works. In crammed gates, this end up a mess - you need to cross the zones 3-5 lines to get to the smaller numbered zones (or there is not enough space for everyone and zone 5 passengers (that seem to always be first to line up) take up all the space anyway. It is a good idea in general but...
Jan 16, 2014, 2:56 pm
#65
Join Date: May 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PLT, Marriott LTP
Posts: 493
Another vote for the UA method. My experience has been they have signage and lanes for each zone. Seems a lot easier to get a mass of people thru 5 or 6 lanes than 2. Room is always an issue but if UA can make it work (and they're not making much else work lately is seems) AA can too.
Jan 16, 2014, 4:23 pm
#66
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
At IAH today they boarded CLT and PHL at the exact time at adjacent gates. I was CLT.
For the PHL flight they called special assistance first, then altogether first class, us air chairman, as executive platinum, and uniformed military.
Concurrently at CLT, they called special assistance first. Then first class. Then chairman and American executive platinum. I boarded with the chairman and the lady in front of me was accepted to board even though her boarding pass read platinum. She did not have an exit row seat.
Why would management let two gates within earshot of each other who can hear one another's boarding calls do two separate processes?
For the PHL flight they called special assistance first, then altogether first class, us air chairman, as executive platinum, and uniformed military.
Concurrently at CLT, they called special assistance first. Then first class. Then chairman and American executive platinum. I boarded with the chairman and the lady in front of me was accepted to board even though her boarding pass read platinum. She did not have an exit row seat.
Why would management let two gates within earshot of each other who can hear one another's boarding calls do two separate processes?
Last edited by aztimm; Jan 16, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Jan 16, 2014, 9:03 pm
#67
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA-EXP, MR-PP
Posts: 3,440
Two equipments were vastly different in size E90 and A320. That would explain why slight difference.
Jan 16, 2014, 9:10 pm
#68
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: OKC
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Marriott Rewards Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, TK M&S Elite
Posts: 290
Mad rush on a delayed flight 474 from PHX-MSP Tuesday... Called first class and all elites ( aa and us) together...mad rush... I get to seat 1D and the oh bin is FULL. I say out loud this is BULL----- there were about 6 elites (I'm guessing aa) in y staring at their feet- no bags in the coach ohb. Flight attendants swarmed over me " let me take your coat,we' ll get your bags fitted etc." the gate agents can't be lax in this process. Chaos will ensue!
Jan 17, 2014, 8:18 am
#69
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
It does seem like there isn't much consistency. On PHX to MKE they did it exactly how this thread explains. On MKE to PHX they went with F, then EXP and CP, then the rest of the elites.
Jan 17, 2014, 10:11 am
#70
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: PWM/MHT/BOS
Programs: UA (lame duck)1K, US Plat,HHonors Diamond, PC Plat, SPG Plat, MR Platinum
Posts: 605
I have some experience in operational excellence and studying process flows. I came up with this idea of using a visual boarding process in which the boarding area has clearly marked lanes and maybe shaded carpet areas so we prevent buildups during boarding.
1) Visual cues help create easy to follow instructions
2) Possibly board by color? Not by zone number? This reduces the "degrading" feeling of being zone 5 vs "priority" which also translates into "privileged" hierarchy.
3) Creation of a new floormat in which your areas are clearly defined by a "box" area.
4) L shaped queue can reduce the flow of people traffic into the central walking areas (ie that center corridor where gates are on either side leaving the middle unobstructed for traffic)
5) Prevention of the boarding queue into the gate agent's line
feedback welcome! Wishful thinking..hoping someone from US/AA will take some our feedback.
1) Visual cues help create easy to follow instructions
2) Possibly board by color? Not by zone number? This reduces the "degrading" feeling of being zone 5 vs "priority" which also translates into "privileged" hierarchy.
3) Creation of a new floormat in which your areas are clearly defined by a "box" area.
4) L shaped queue can reduce the flow of people traffic into the central walking areas (ie that center corridor where gates are on either side leaving the middle unobstructed for traffic)
5) Prevention of the boarding queue into the gate agent's line
feedback welcome! Wishful thinking..hoping someone from US/AA will take some our feedback.
They can't even get the PA to work in F and are often just yelling to the masses.
Jan 17, 2014, 11:16 am
#71
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NYS
Programs: Days of Our Lives, General Hospital
Posts: 1,495
Jan 17, 2014, 12:20 pm
#72
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: WFBF
Posts: 963
I'm just thinking about all the RJ-farm terminals I've been in, and how there's no way this could work without turning them into literal as well as figurative cattle pens.
Jan 18, 2014, 11:25 am
#73
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,039
If they made all the planes so you'd board in the middle of the plane (or have a door in front and door in back), I think that'd help make boarding be more efficient. The problem with the current method on all airlines is the bottleneck that is made. By having 2 ways to board or to have everyone split off in the middle, which would effectively make 2 ways to board, it would probably speed things up. I doubt this will ever happen, but I think it'd make boarding more efficient.
Jan 18, 2014, 11:30 am
#74
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
If they made all the planes so you'd board in the middle of the plane (or have a door in front and door in back), I think that'd help make boarding be more efficient. The problem with the current method on all airlines is the bottleneck that is made. By having 2 ways to board or to have everyone split off in the middle, which would effectively make 2 ways to board, it would probably speed things up. I doubt this will ever happen, but I think it'd make boarding more efficient.
Jim
Jan 18, 2014, 12:43 pm
#75
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: BWI/DCA/BOS/
Programs: MR & SPG Plat, BA Silver, AA Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 175
New Boarding Process, beginning 1/7/2014
On the topic of multiple jetbridges, LH in Munich used two jetbridges to board the A330. One for first and business class, one for everyone else. I wouldn't mind a two jet bridge approach but certainly space would be an issue in the US. You would also need possibly two gate agents attaching a jet bridge. This would be nice domestically for wide body flight boarding.
CLT is dumb in the regard that at the ends of Terminal B and C they too many gates that nearly overlap each other. Boarding is a nightmare.
CLT is dumb in the regard that at the ends of Terminal B and C they too many gates that nearly overlap each other. Boarding is a nightmare.