7 ms·

The conclusions are pretty obvious, I guess they just needed to simulate it? The fastest boarding I've ever experienced was something Cathay Pacific did a few

The conclusions are pretty obvious, I guess they just needed to simulate it? The fastest boarding I've ever experienced was something Cathay Pacific did a few years ago. In the boarding area they had three lines with a bunch of section signs and an a couple employees hassling/sorting people between the lines. The rear of the plane sections were at the front of the line. I'm guessing they were just counting how many people were in each section? Either way, when they opened the doors, they just picked one of the lines and the employees walked down the line scanning everyone's boarding pass and then the whole line proceeded to board the 777 (dual isle). Then they repeated the process with the next line after a short pause. Which works out to back to front boarding of 1/6th of the passengers in a section at a time. When it was my turn the entire line pretty much just walked onto the plane bumped around a bit in the section and sat down. Quite a shock given the hour long boarding AA can sometimes pull off with their messed up boarding order based on miles and cabin front to back...

reaperducer 7y ago
The fastest boarding I experienced was years ago somewhere in Asia (Singapore, maybe), where three lines boarded through three doors: Two on the terminal side, and one on the far side. I was in the far-side group, and we had to hike up a lot of stairs and then through a jetway, presumably over the aircraft (hard to know with no windows), and then down a bunch of stairs and then enter the aircraft, where we could see people boarding from the other side. Very fast, except for the long hike. But this was before people put everything and the kitchen sink into over-sized carry-ons, so it wasn't arduous.
- komali2 7y ago
  > put everything and the kitchen sink into over-sized carry-ons Which they only do because free checked is going away. You get what you optimize for, after all. IMO people pack way too much shit traveling anyway, but I'm sure here most are familiar with the onebag concept. I've no way to convince someone other than actually going on a trip with them and happily walking next to them while they drag their wheeled luggage around.
  - ghaff 7y ago
    I tend to be of the opinion that roll-aboard "carry" ons are a big part of the problem with overhead space. Yes, some people can't really carry loads. But most would be better off with soft-side travel backpacks and other soft carry-ons that tend to be more space efficient and flexible. (Especially given that there's less need for luggage that can keep suits wrinkle free than in times past.)
  - JoshTriplett 7y ago
    > Which they only do because free checked is going away. I pack everything in one piece of carry-on luggage, and I'd do that even if checked luggage were free (which it often is). It means I don't have to take extra time or wait in a line to check a bag at the source airport, I don't have to take time at baggage claim at the destination airport (just walk straight from the gate to ground transportation), and I don't have any risk of losing my luggage (or having it badly repacked after a search, or having something go missing).
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - matthewmacleod 7y ago
      However, it's also a massive pain in the arse having to fiddle around with removing various electronics and liquids while going through the security gate. I've actually started to opt for checking my bag whenever possible, even when I could get away with taking it into the cabin, and taking the minimum possible through security to avoid the too-frequent holdups. My experience is that this has added a maximum of about 10 minutes to my trip, waiting for luggage to be unloaded.
      - JoshTriplett 7y ago
        While I don't think it should be a thing (nobody should have to deal with such hassles), Global Entry / TSA-Pre removes most issues at the security checkpoint. At many airports, checking a bag can add 20-30 minutes of waiting in line at the departure airport, leaving aside baggage claim time.
- plussed_reader 7y ago
  Reminds me of loading onto a Ryanair flight in Edinburgh; the labyrinth walk to the door that put you onto the tarmac a short walk from the stairs. Loaded back to front, and since there are no assigned seats on Ryanair it's just like getting on the (air)bus.
  - tsimionescu 7y ago
    Whenever I've flown Ryanair, the seats were assigned and printed on the boarding pass (but you had to pay if you wanted to chose your seat). When was this time that they weren't?
    - plussed_reader 7y ago
      2008
  - benhurmarcel 7y ago
    Not only there are assigned seats on Ryanair (since years at least), but you have to pay to select one and they purposely place groups/families separately to make them choose to pay extra.
- 2rsf 7y ago
  Most (low cost) airlines I flew used one, or two at most, of the door. It would work even better if you could use doors on both sides of the plane. The problem is that usually, in most airports, this requires more than a single jet bridge per plane or walking on the tarmac
FireBeyond 7y ago
> Quite a shock given the hour long boarding AA can sometimes pull off with their messed up boarding order based on miles and cabin front to back... Not to mention the people who just say "F it" and board whenever they like it. For as often as I've seen them "rejected", I've equally seen them just waved on.
- sokoloff 7y ago
  Part of the issue is the weird way airlines label the groups. If you're not familiar with Delta's process and have "boarding group 1" printed on your boarding pass, why wouldn't you go up first? (I think boarding group 1 boards seventh, after people needing extra time, active duty military, first/Diamond, business, Comfort+, Sky Priority. It's possible that some of those are combined; I'm not entirely sure.)
ehnto 7y ago
I booked 4 flights with Cathay not sure what to expect, but it was a pretty good experience all round. Boarding was a non issue, fast and on time. Everything else was perfectly functional, if economical. The staff were excellent. I didn't appreciate the mid flight catalogue advertising for beauty products though. Talk about a captive audience. That only happened on the leg between Japan and HK, I hope it's not common...
- jacquesm 7y ago
  AirBaltic did this until very recently in the most annoying fashion. I wrote them a nastygram about it and I suspect many other people did so too because the last two flights I was on were pleasantly quiet. Whichever junior marketeer came up with that campaign should be forced to listen to their own work product for a day or two in succession. I'm sure that would get them to change careers.
  - lostlogin 7y ago
    > Whichever junior marketeer came up with that campaign should be forced to listen to their own work product for a day or two I’d be willing to wager quite a lot that the marketing genius who wanted that was not junior.
  - Marsymars 7y ago
    I've had advertisements on Air Canada flights on their seat-back TVs/plane PA system. I follow up by complaining to the advertisers and explaining what a bad impression it is.
- ulfw 7y ago
  Better than US airlines trying to sell credit cards mid-flight.
  - komali2 7y ago
    I feel so, so bad for air hosts and hostesses that are suddenly finding themselves in the role of salesperson. What a shitty, completely unrelated added job responsibility, that's completely counter to their actual job's objective. Hard to get passengers to like you and make their flight enjoyable (and thus listen to you when it's time to listen to you) if you've just finished trying to sell them a credit card. I miss air industry regulation.
rolltiide 7y ago
That's pretty good, its a shame all the optimal solution theories are only considering single aisle planes. This article and CPG Grey's dont even factor in dual aisle, or multiple boarding doors.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

reaperducer 7y ago

The fastest boarding I experienced was years ago somewhere in Asia (Singapore, maybe), where three lines boarded through three doors: Two on the terminal side, and one on the far side. I was in the far-side group, and we had to hike up a lot of stairs and then through a jetway, presumably over the aircraft (hard to know with no windows), and then down a bunch of stairs and then enter the aircraft, where we could see people boarding from the other side. Very fast, except for the long hike. But this was before people put everything and the kitchen sink into over-sized carry-ons, so it wasn't arduous.

komali2 7y ago
> put everything and the kitchen sink into over-sized carry-ons Which they only do because free checked is going away. You get what you optimize for, after all. IMO people pack way too much shit traveling anyway, but I'm sure here most are familiar with the onebag concept. I've no way to convince someone other than actually going on a trip with them and happily walking next to them while they drag their wheeled luggage around.
- ghaff 7y ago
  I tend to be of the opinion that roll-aboard "carry" ons are a big part of the problem with overhead space. Yes, some people can't really carry loads. But most would be better off with soft-side travel backpacks and other soft carry-ons that tend to be more space efficient and flexible. (Especially given that there's less need for luggage that can keep suits wrinkle free than in times past.)
- JoshTriplett 7y ago
  > Which they only do because free checked is going away. I pack everything in one piece of carry-on luggage, and I'd do that even if checked luggage were free (which it often is). It means I don't have to take extra time or wait in a line to check a bag at the source airport, I don't have to take time at baggage claim at the destination airport (just walk straight from the gate to ground transportation), and I don't have any risk of losing my luggage (or having it badly repacked after a search, or having something go missing).
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - matthewmacleod 7y ago
    However, it's also a massive pain in the arse having to fiddle around with removing various electronics and liquids while going through the security gate. I've actually started to opt for checking my bag whenever possible, even when I could get away with taking it into the cabin, and taking the minimum possible through security to avoid the too-frequent holdups. My experience is that this has added a maximum of about 10 minutes to my trip, waiting for luggage to be unloaded.
    - JoshTriplett 7y ago
      While I don't think it should be a thing (nobody should have to deal with such hassles), Global Entry / TSA-Pre removes most issues at the security checkpoint. At many airports, checking a bag can add 20-30 minutes of waiting in line at the departure airport, leaving aside baggage claim time.
plussed_reader 7y ago
Reminds me of loading onto a Ryanair flight in Edinburgh; the labyrinth walk to the door that put you onto the tarmac a short walk from the stairs. Loaded back to front, and since there are no assigned seats on Ryanair it's just like getting on the (air)bus.
- tsimionescu 7y ago
  Whenever I've flown Ryanair, the seats were assigned and printed on the boarding pass (but you had to pay if you wanted to chose your seat). When was this time that they weren't?
  - plussed_reader 7y ago
    2008
- benhurmarcel 7y ago
  Not only there are assigned seats on Ryanair (since years at least), but you have to pay to select one and they purposely place groups/families separately to make them choose to pay extra.
2rsf 7y ago
Most (low cost) airlines I flew used one, or two at most, of the door. It would work even better if you could use doors on both sides of the plane. The problem is that usually, in most airports, this requires more than a single jet bridge per plane or walking on the tarmac

FireBeyond 7y ago

> Quite a shock given the hour long boarding AA can sometimes pull off with their messed up boarding order based on miles and cabin front to back... Not to mention the people who just say "F it" and board whenever they like it. For as often as I've seen them "rejected", I've equally seen them just waved on.

sokoloff 7y ago
Part of the issue is the weird way airlines label the groups. If you're not familiar with Delta's process and have "boarding group 1" printed on your boarding pass, why wouldn't you go up first? (I think boarding group 1 boards seventh, after people needing extra time, active duty military, first/Diamond, business, Comfort+, Sky Priority. It's possible that some of those are combined; I'm not entirely sure.)

ehnto 7y ago

I booked 4 flights with Cathay not sure what to expect, but it was a pretty good experience all round. Boarding was a non issue, fast and on time. Everything else was perfectly functional, if economical. The staff were excellent. I didn't appreciate the mid flight catalogue advertising for beauty products though. Talk about a captive audience. That only happened on the leg between Japan and HK, I hope it's not common...

jacquesm 7y ago
AirBaltic did this until very recently in the most annoying fashion. I wrote them a nastygram about it and I suspect many other people did so too because the last two flights I was on were pleasantly quiet. Whichever junior marketeer came up with that campaign should be forced to listen to their own work product for a day or two in succession. I'm sure that would get them to change careers.
- lostlogin 7y ago
  > Whichever junior marketeer came up with that campaign should be forced to listen to their own work product for a day or two I’d be willing to wager quite a lot that the marketing genius who wanted that was not junior.
- Marsymars 7y ago
  I've had advertisements on Air Canada flights on their seat-back TVs/plane PA system. I follow up by complaining to the advertisers and explaining what a bad impression it is.
ulfw 7y ago
Better than US airlines trying to sell credit cards mid-flight.
- komali2 7y ago
  I feel so, so bad for air hosts and hostesses that are suddenly finding themselves in the role of salesperson. What a shitty, completely unrelated added job responsibility, that's completely counter to their actual job's objective. Hard to get passengers to like you and make their flight enjoyable (and thus listen to you when it's time to listen to you) if you've just finished trying to sell them a credit card. I miss air industry regulation.

rolltiide 7y ago

That's pretty good, its a shame all the optimal solution theories are only considering single aisle planes. This article and CPG Grey's dont even factor in dual aisle, or multiple boarding doors.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]