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“back-to-front”—the chosen boarding process of most U.S. carriers Nobody boards back to front. First class boards first. Then frequent flyers, who typically
by crusso 12y ago
“back-to-front”—the chosen boarding process of most U.S. carriers
Nobody boards back to front. First class boards first. Then frequent flyers, who typically get the seats toward the front of the aircraft. Then there's some semi-random zone thing whereby big hold-ups occur waiting for people in the front and middle of the plane to put their bags in the overheads.
If airplanes got rid of the overhead bins and really did load the planes back to front, boarding would go a lot faster.
- HelloMcFly 12y agoAlaska board back-front after first-class and other "preferred customers" have boarded. Amounts to about the same thing.
- curun1r 12y agoLast time I flew Alaska (shortly after the Superbowl), they had a boarding group for people wearing Russell Wilson jerseys that boarded just after their military service personnel group. By the time they got to us regular folks, there was barely anyone left to get on the plane.
- balls187 12y agoActually, families with young children & people who need extra time board first. Then first class boards.
- xarball 12y agoPeople who need "a little more time" to board.
- krisgee 12y ago>If airplanes got rid of the overhead bins This. And actually enforce the baggage limits they say they do. I usually only take a small carry on that fits under the next seat but I've seen people with enough provisions to supply the entire eastern front as carry on and it's ridiculous that they're even allowed.
- deathanatos 12y ago> “back-to-front”—the chosen boarding process of most U.S. carriers > Nobody boards back to front. Just to add weight to this, I've flown on at least United, American, Delta, and Southwest, and in my experience, none of them board back-to-front. These are the very airlines mentioned in the article! > (From the article) United uses an “outside-in” boarding process by which people with window seats board ahead of those on the aisle. I doubt this as well. The only thing I've found that does speed up boarding is that some (rare) airports support jetways with two doors: one for the front of the plane, and one for the back. (Albany is the only airport I know of.) Getting on/off the back is significantly quicker in my experience. (Practically no waiting, between the gate and the seat. There's still the line at the gate, of course.)
- brc 12y agoVirgin Australia domestic planes sometimes board without jetways (even in airports with jetways). I believe this is to save on landing fees. When they do this, they open front and back doors with stairs. These planes board significantly faster than using a jetway and single door, even accounting for people having to go down stairs and across the tarmac.
- timmyelliot 12y agoThat link in (in the article itself) indicates that most do (but I've never been on a rear-to-front flight myself either): with rear to front being, Air Canada Alaska American British Airways Continental Frontier JetBlue Spirit Virgin Atlantic