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 18, 2014, 7:13 pm
#76
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
Jim
Jan 18, 2014, 7:23 pm
#77
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA-EXP, MR-PP
Posts: 3,440
CLT is in process of building International terminal (once parking garages are finished and rent-a-car facilities move there). So this should make it much better as most wide-bodies are international anyways.
Jan 18, 2014, 8:51 pm
#78
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat, SPG Plat, AMEX Plat, Hertz PC, Travels too Much Platinum
Posts: 3,290
As I recall the master plan also called for an extension to at least the B concourse and perhaps C as well, which could improve the crowded configuration at the end of the concourses. Don't know whether it's been funded or not, though. The end of the D concourse is an example of of a design that works much better.
Jan 18, 2014, 9:16 pm
#79
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
C-con at CLT would be hard to extend enough to be meaningful because of proximity to runway 5-23 and the need for taxi room behind planes parked on C. B-con has more room but not terribly much to the length so it would probably have a bend to the west as an extension. There's plenty of room between A & B-con to accommodate that.
Jim
PS - this link is to the master plan with the airport diagram, including proposed changes, on page 4. It shows the B-con extension to the west off the current end of B and the international concourse on the northwest side of the terminal.
Jim
PS - this link is to the master plan with the airport diagram, including proposed changes, on page 4. It shows the B-con extension to the west off the current end of B and the international concourse on the northwest side of the terminal.
Last edited by BoeingBoy; Jan 18, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Jan 18, 2014, 10:30 pm
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
Jan 18, 2014, 11:14 pm
#81
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: WFBF
Posts: 963
I don't think I've ever been in an airport where the end of a concourse didn't feel crowded because of a cluster of gates. CLT doesn't feel any better or worse to me, on average, than being way down the end of a pier at DCA, or the end of T1 at LAX, or... well, the end of lots of terminals.
Jan 19, 2014, 6:54 pm
#82
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: BWI/DCA/BOS/
Programs: MR & SPG Plat, BA Silver, AA Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 175
I don't think I've ever been in an airport where the end of a concourse didn't feel crowded because of a cluster of gates. CLT doesn't feel any better or worse to me, on average, than being way down the end of a pier at DCA, or the end of T1 at LAX, or... well, the end of lots of terminals.
Jan 19, 2014, 7:31 pm
#83
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: ALB
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Diamond, Nexus
Posts: 432
I've often seen 4-6 adjacent gates with departures in a 10-20 minute range at the ends of concourses, specifically at CLT and PHX. It makes for quite a zoo.
Jan 25, 2014, 8:00 pm
#84
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 26
My wife and I don't fly a lot, and we accumulate 99% of our miles from using our American Airlines (Aadvantage) Credit Cards. Hopefully that doesn't make other's who earn their miles "the real way" look down on us.
When we board isn't a huge concern and we usually have enough miles that we fly first class anyhow either coming or going.
After reading this thread I went and looked (I realize it might of changed), and Citi is still showing that one of our card benefits allows us "Group 1 Boarding".
My question is this. Where exactly does Group 1 Boarding fall in this new procedure?
Thanks for the help.
When we board isn't a huge concern and we usually have enough miles that we fly first class anyhow either coming or going.
After reading this thread I went and looked (I realize it might of changed), and Citi is still showing that one of our card benefits allows us "Group 1 Boarding".
My question is this. Where exactly does Group 1 Boarding fall in this new procedure?
Thanks for the help.
Jan 25, 2014, 8:25 pm
#85
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,492
I think it was when I was flying PHL-MAD that the next gate, just a few feet away, was boarding at the exact same time to CDG. And these are the widebody planes. Add in that some people don't speak English very well, and it creates a mass of confusion.
Jan 25, 2014, 9:29 pm
#86
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG, HHonors Diamond, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,581
My wife and I don't fly a lot, and we accumulate 99% of our miles from using our American Airlines (Aadvantage) Credit Cards. Hopefully that doesn't make other's who earn their miles "the real way" look down on us.
When we board isn't a huge concern and we usually have enough miles that we fly first class anyhow either coming or going.
After reading this thread I went and looked (I realize it might of changed), and Citi is still showing that one of our card benefits allows us "Group 1 Boarding".
My question is this. Where exactly does Group 1 Boarding fall in this new procedure?
Thanks for the help.
When we board isn't a huge concern and we usually have enough miles that we fly first class anyhow either coming or going.
After reading this thread I went and looked (I realize it might of changed), and Citi is still showing that one of our card benefits allows us "Group 1 Boarding".
My question is this. Where exactly does Group 1 Boarding fall in this new procedure?
Thanks for the help.
The long answer: American has a FAQ for credit card benefits here.
Feb 21, 2014, 2:34 pm
#87
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: D/FW Texas
Programs: AAdvantage LT Gold and current EXP, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 27
New Emphasis?
Just boarded IAH to DFW and the GA did something I haven't seen in a long time: she enforced the boarding order. FC and ExecPlat were called and I came forward with a big group. As I frequently do, I looked around at easily visible BPs and the first one I saw said Plat. That guy joined the line just ahead of me. I was quite surprised when the guy two people ahead of me was told "I haven't called Plat yet just FC and EP". The guy in front of me was told the same thing. They both moved aside. I told the GA "wow, well done. That is rare."
MODERATOR - please move to consolidated post-merger boarding order thread. Thx
MODERATOR - please move to consolidated post-merger boarding order thread. Thx
Last edited by seanj_tx; Feb 21, 2014 at 5:34 pm Reason: Thread needs moved
Feb 22, 2014, 5:10 pm
#88
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG, HHonors Diamond, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,581
C-con at CLT would be hard to extend enough to be meaningful because of proximity to runway 5-23 and the need for taxi room behind planes parked on C. B-con has more room but not terribly much to the length so it would probably have a bend to the west as an extension. There's plenty of room between A & B-con to accommodate that.
It seems to me they could expand the holding area at the end of C-con without actually adding gates -- all they really need there is more seats. Something like this:
To return to the original posting topic, I didn't find that the new boarding order was being followed very carefully at CLT. It seemed like most agents had reverted to the pmUS style, or some variant on it.
Feb 22, 2014, 5:17 pm
#89
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 462
I haven't seen the new order happening even once. It has been traditional F, Preferred Access, etc.
Feb 22, 2014, 5:33 pm
#90
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Charlotte
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite, AA Platinum Pro, Hertz Presidents
Posts: 1,214
I noticed they are back to FC first, then CP and EXP, then other preferreds.