LT

I have been flying Delta quite a bit for a while now, and I am finally getting around to venting about their (relatively) new "zone" seating system. IMO, it's lousy! I understand boarding special needs passengers & Medallion, Super Platinum, and whatever other special names they give for their frequent flyers first, but, after that, it just doesn't seem to make much sense. If anything, they should go to a more Southwest-style system, where the earlier you check in, the sooner you'll be allowed to board, thus giving people an added incentive to get to the airport early. I'd also be a little more inclined to have a favorable opinion of the zone system if it put people w/children in one section, or something like that.

Also, I am getting dismayed at the airlines giving exit row seats to their "Super-Duper Quarduple Platinum" flyers, instead of on a first-come, first-served basis. I am a big guy (not fat, just big frame!), and sitting in the exit row seats is the only way I can eat and/or drink on a flight, because if I sit in another coach seat, I inevitably end up w/someone's reclined seat 2 inches from my face. IMO, if they want to continue w/this policy, then they need to make all of the coach seats non-reclinable! And yes, I understand the airlines' need to reward frequent flyers, but this is starting to get a little ridiculous!

One last thing on my rant today(!): am taking NW in a week . . . do they also have "zone" seating, or is it the good old-fashioned way by row?

simpsonc510

I don't know about NW, but United has the zones too. The problem I see with ANY kind of boarding procedure is that people want to stand right in the front of the ticketing machine before their zone or row gets called instead of sitting and waiting their turn. And then the path gets blocked for those whose rows/zones have been called and they can't get through!! ARGH!

(I feel better now that I've vented)

rkkwan

Seriously, who cares how the aircraft is boarded, as long as it's fast and efficient.

The only people who care so much about boarding early are those who have a big roller-on and need to get the overhead space early. My suggestion to those people - check your bags.

As for seats being too small, you can always fly AA's (except their 757 and A300). Or pay full-fare coach on United to get Economy+. Or fly first/business. Why are big people deserve more room when I'm also a paying customer too? I like the extra legroom as well!

steve

US Air just moved to this system. They tested for months and the Zone method of loading proved to be a quicker way to load the planes I was told.

As for exit row seating, why cram a preferred customer in a middle seat with no room when they can keep them more comfortable in a exit row. Economics talk here, they need to keep the 100k per year fliers happy rather than the occasional flier.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

I seem to read a number of posts where someone suggests putting all the families with children in one part of the aircraft. You might think this sounds like a good idea, but:

Suppose you get assigned to the very first row next to that section?

If you have problems with a few kids nearby, how loud are you gonna complain about many kids nearby? I see no reason to create a "kiddy ghetto" aboard flights, but I do think families should board last, so the kids are not cooped up in seats any longer than necessary.

gail

I have no idea why it matters when you board an aircraft if your seat is assigned - in fact, I wait until after initial rush - who needs to be on a plane longer than necessaary.

My husband, however, insists it makes a difference. He wants to make sure he has a "good place" to put his carry on in overhead bin.

Cassandra

LT, doesn't it make a fair amount of sense to board the rear of the plane first and then work up to the front -- like filling a stocking? However, that DOES always seems to lead to abuses -- like people sitting in the back putting their luggage in the front overheads AND taking all the pillows and blankets.

I've often wondered about the efficiency, possibly, of having window-seat people boarded first, then middle, then aisle. Just idle speculation -- it's always a cumbersome thing to funnel a crowd inclined to chaotic and Brownian motion into the highly ordered sardine can that's a plane nowadays.

LT

Interesting replies!

Simpson: Glad you were able to vent, as well!

rkkwan: I agree -- boarding should be fast and efficient. But, from what I've seen, the zone system isn't any more efficient than the old-fashioned row system; as a matter of fact, I think it gives people more opportunity to stow their big honking rollaboards wherever they want . . . And yes, I understand first-class is an option, etc., but all I am saying is that if they are going to now parcel out coach seats based on FF status, and continue to decrease the spacing between seats, then just simply make all the other coach seats non-reclinable -- that's all I'm asking!

rb: What would I do if I were seated in the row in front of the "kiddie ghetto?" I'd make sure I got a seat assignment in advance that was far enough away from that section of the plane . . . That's the point! I also remember that on some of the older MD80s, some of the airlines had an additional bulkhead near the rear of the plane . . . Wouldn't that be a perfect section for families w/kids?!?

Cassandra: Interesting and creative idea! Whether or not it would make a difference is another story . . . And as far as people putting their stuff where they are not sitting, I've found no difference w/the zone system. IMO, it's just as bad, if not worse!

Cassandra

I actually don't think the window-seats-first idea would work any better than anything else, because people traveling together would get indignant if they couldn't board together, and all the other abuses wouldn't be changed.

I don't really see that "zone" seating is much different from the "now, rows 15-22 may board" system. Am I'm frankly sick of the class system that's now being fragmented into about 5 levels of privilege. All it does for me is turn me more decidedly away from airlines on which I have fewer or no miles -- and you'd think that as much as an airline wants to build loyalty, it's no longer enough -- they need to attract new passengers! It's also one of the reasons that the non-majors are getting more attractive every day -- I won't be ghetto-ized in the least desirable seats just because I'm an infrequent, discount-level passenger on that airline.

sandy_b

We flew Lufthansa last year and they boarded all the window seats first (by zones), then middle, then aisles. It did not appear to me to go any better or worse . . . it was just confusing to couples who thought they would/could board together.

Sandy (in Denton)

ed

The zone would work if people paid attention to it.

There seems to be some BA'd BG'd with a huge carry on(?) with seats in the front of the economy area who stands in the aisle blocking the whole loading process as those with seats in the rear try to get past.

Keith

I thought the zones work better than boarding by rows. Now people that are in the late zones tend to wait longer before hovering at the gate.

When you are in row 15 and they are boarding 21 and higher, you don;'t really know when your group will be called. When you are in group 4 and they are boarding group 1, you know that it will be a while.


Keith

TC

Please excuse my lack of knowledge -- what is zone seating? I haven't encountered it yet. How is it different than boarding row-by-row or groups of rows?

My rant with boarding the rear rows first are the people who stash their luggage in the bins above rows in the front of the plane as they pass by. If I'm seated in the front, where am I supposed to put my carry-on? Should the passengers in row 5 walk to the back and place their carry-on in the row 30 bins, once the row 30 passengers have filled up the row 5 bins? And how does this work when everyone tries to deplane? Will the row 30 passengers stay seated so the row 5 passengers can run back and retrieve their luggage before disembarking? IMHO this is a breach of unwritten airline etiquette. Isn't the whole idea of carry-on that its supposedly something you need nearby during the flight? If you don't need it, then check it. Why stash it over my head? (rhetorical question).

BeachBoi

TC....Airline "etiquette" is a thing of the past.Nobody cares, unfortunately.Its basically a free for all, or maore accurately, a me-for-all.It's all about lost baggage,delayed baggage.Thats why people are reluctant to check luggage.It's all about our helter skelter world.Every traveller is the busiest traveller on the planet.Consideration for fellow travellers? NOT!Or should I ssay, those travellers are in the minority.

Keith

In zone seating, sections of the plane are designated 1, 2, 3... Instead off calling row numbers, they call the area number.

Regarding the trade off of space for carry on between the front in the back, I felt the trade off was obvious and that means that when I choose a seat I weight my desire for a place for my carry on versus my desire to be in the front of the plane. If I want to be guaranteed of space for my carry on, I can choose a seat in the back.

In my experience, the people in the back usually don't start putting bags in the overheads at the front until those in the back are full. Someone sitting in row 30 would rather have their luggage in their own overhead where they can watch and access it.

Keith

TC

Keith, In my experience people haul so much stuff on board just because they don't want to check it -- o.k. so the airlines loose a few things - but so does the Post Office and you don't hand carry your mail. That aside, they stuff it in the front bins because they don't want to carry it to the back (its heavy or they have two or even three pieces) They want the stash it and then retrieve it on the way out - like a coatcheck. I've actually been on flights where passengers and/or flight attendents have pulled luggage out of the overheads and toss it on the floor forcing those from the back to retrieve it. I've heard passengers told, "if it won't fit in YOUR overhead, under YOUR seat, or on YOUR lap - check it!" It think that's fair.

Regarding zone seating: are the different zones spread out around the plane - not numerically sequential rows. For example, does Zone 1 include Rows 32, 16, 11, 5 etc. or Rows 35, 34, 33, 32 etc. It sounds quite confusing to me.

Keith

No, zone 1 is in the back, with zone 2 in front of it and do forth.

It is exactly the same as boarding by rows, except you know where your row is in the mix. When they are boarding zone 1, you know that zone 4 will be a while. When they board by rows, when they are boarding 21 and higher, you don't know if row 15 will be in the next group or later.

Keith

Cassandra

Actually, Zone 1 is premier, first class, etc. and then Zone 2, I believe, begins at the back of the plane. The higher the number of the zone, the further forward the rows/seating. Always seems to me the middle zones have fewer rows than the others, for who knows what reason.

KT

TC is right, zone boarding is staggered. It's not the same as the old back-to-front with a different name. At least on Delta, zones 1-3 are for business, 1st class, and elite. Then zone 4 will be a chunk of the rear; zone 5 is a chunk a bit further up, but not immediately in front of zone 4; and they keep skipping around.

I can't explain it well, so I found this illustration (no, it's not from the National Enquirer; it's from the Cincinnati Enquirer): http://www.enquirer.com/editions/200...neboard24.html

Theoretically, this minimizes congestion. I guess I've been lucky, because boarding on the few zone-boarded flights I've taken has indeed gone smoothly.

xyz123

And you know something, at LHR, there is none of this boarding by rows. When the flights is called, you get on.

And you know something, it takes no longer nor is there any more congestion than with the old fashioned back to front.