Interesting article about boarding planes
 

this seems impractical. I mean, its hard enough to get folks to only board when they are supposed to, but getting them to board in a very specific order (every other row, 3 rows at a time)? It will never work.

but it is interesting.

Some airlines already do this, like Delta, with their zone system. Your boarding pass has a zone number, and board by that sequence.

However, I don't think in real life it's that much better, or else you'll see every airline already doing it.

I think it makes more sense to have the people sitting next to windows board first. If I'm sitting next to the isle, I never fasten my seatbelt until the seats next to me are taken--or until the door of the aircraft is closed.

In Europe, I have seen boarding using the front and back of the aircraft. If the airlines are in such a hurry to board, maybe they should configure the airports for this, here in the States.

AA starts boarding at 30 minutes for their narrow body planes and 45 minutes for wide body planes.

They pre-board "special" needs persons, wheelchairs, etc.

Then it's F, J(if applicable), EXP and Plats, and then groups, 1(includes Golds), 2, 3 4, 5, etc.

The grouping is from back to front, so group 1 is way in the back and 5 is up front.

A full load narrow body boarding is usually done within 20 minutes or even less.

Wide body is done within 30 minutes.

The system works pretty good.

The only time there are any problems is when the <i>group</i> passengers all stand around the gate blocking others from boarding when it's their turn.

People - you have a reserved seat and the plane isn't leaving without you!!! :-D Wait in your seats until it's your turn. Don't block the gate!

The fastest boarding I've seen in Ryanair. People line up an hour before flight time, and they run down the stairs to the apron and run to the plane to grab the best seats from both stairs.

In the US, you can't really expect using stairs to make it faster. Many of the passengers will have problem making it up to the plane on their own power.

<i>The only time there are any problems is when the group passengers all stand around the gate blocking others from boarding when it's their turn.</i>

Or, as they call them on flyertalk...&quot;gate lice.&quot;

I hate how United does it, where the back of the plane boards after all the other rows are in place. It makes things more difficult to get through with your carry-on, coat, etc.

I think boarding from the back first makes more sense, for the reasons WillTravel has mentioned.

However, I hate it when I'm in the last group to board because I've got a seat in the front and all the overhead space is taken.

Then sometime during the flight I see a person coming from the rear of the plane to their bag way in the front.

I've always wanted my bag close to me and I'm not sure why people would want to place their bag in the front of the plane when they sit in the back.

United boards by zone. All of its elites are in zone 1 (actually, some board before zone 1), and most of them are sitting near the front in Economy Plus. Some flights are so elite-heavy that it can feel like they board the front first. For example, I flew Boston-Chicago a week or so ago and when they called zone 1, just about everyone in the gate area descended on the podium. But, I think there would be a big uproar if it took priority boarding away from its FFs.

Like the uproar about reducing the minimum number of miles earned on a segment below 500?

I don't know why people want to preboard when it is a long flight. I guess they like to get wacked by everyone walking down the isle with a backpack? I guess we know what kind of a weekend their on!

As a priority member on several airlines I highly value the ability to board early. I sympathize with those who board late toting an overstuffed carryon, looking for non existent overhead space.

Never searching for a place to put my bag is a nice perquisite.

When I began traveling, back in the Golden Age, boarding the brand new airliner (the 747) was very simple: economy class had to board first, then in pranced the first class passengers. Then the doors closed, and off we went.

The rationale was that economy class passengers paid the lowest fares, and so should board first and wait the longest for take off.

The first class passengers paid the highest fares and so were entitled to the shortest wait time before take off.

O, tempora! o, mores!