Comments on: US Airways Ditches Scientific Boarding for the Cattle Call

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:32:42 +0000

The US Airways “zone boarding” is the most ridiculous way to board people. Since I have almost no other choice, I have to fly US Airways almost twice a months. I refuse to pay extra for a seat of my choice or get their credit card or become their “elite” passenger all of which would have put me in boarding zone 2. I am not buying 1st class tickets either which cut me off of boarding zone 1. I prefer not in the back of the airplane which cut me off boarding zone 4. When I called their customer service they told me that basically no matter what I do I would most likely always be in boarding zone 5 since I prefer to sit towards the front of the airplane or in the middle. I do check in online, but it DOES NOT take me out of boarding zone 5 EVER!! The most horrific (but I guess US Airways could care less about this issue since it causes an inconvenience for the passengers, not for the airline) the window seats in the rows towards the airplane of in the middle of it are designated as boarding zone 5. If by any chance you have let’s say seat 13A and your neighbors at 13B and 13C came into an airplane before you and already set, they would have to stand up, get out of their sits in order to let you take your seat. Actually, US Airways enjoys such torture as after going through this horrific seating experience you most likely open your wallet and BUY a seat paying additional money for it. Not that you would get a better seat, but you would get an earlier boarding zone! It’s all about making money!

By: CJM

CJM — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:31:37 +0000

Yup. Used to be Silver on USAir when I lived in Raleigh. We did not board with our Gold and above brethren. I'm Silver with Delta now and it's all at the same time. That just seems more efficient to me anyway. Why should the gate agent have to announce 3 different groups before starting general boarding? This in NO way is an endorsement of Delta. I reached Medallion status by segments instead of miles from a few international flights like I did with USAir. That much contact with any airline doesn't leave the best taste. @ Cheri:

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Sun, 17 May 2009 00:40:33 +0000

The thing is, I have never seen US enforce their boarding zones before. As a Star Gold, I would always be ready to board in the first zone, only to have a crowd of Kettles in Zones 24 through 76 cut in line ahead of me and be let on board by the hapless gate agent. So US might as well abolish the fiction of zones if they aren’t going to enforce them anyway.

By: Ron

Ron — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:48:19 +0000

Allen — I think you’re right about carry-ons being the biggest factor in boarding speed. I remember flying in the UK in late 2006, when they instantiated the super-strict liquid and carry-on bans, and boarding was a breeze — so much that there were even calls to make the restrictions permanent. But overall I prefer the inconvenience of waiting behind people with big carry-ons over the inconvenience of having to check my luggage.

By: CF

CF — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:37:43 +0000

Cheri – I think United actually does separate out lower elites from upper elites in the boarding process as well.

By: Cheri

Cheri — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:22:29 +0000

I fly out of Charlotte, so am largely stuck with USAir… Are they not the only airline that segregates out Silver for lesser treatment? And they appear to be the only airline that offers no separate lane for Elites to board if they miss the pre-board. The leader in extra fees, the leader in poor service.

By: Allen

Allen — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:49:41 +0000

I wasn’t impressed with Delworst’s approach last time I flew @ a month ago. The problem with the free for all is that the airlines for all practical purposes do not enforce their carry on policies. I don’t want to be stuck with backpack under the seat in front of me. I want that space to help keep my legs happy. If you don’t get up and stand in line in anticipation of the boarding announcement you’re probably going to have that happen especially with all those people bringing on a big ass carry on alogn with a “purse” that makes my backpack look like a wallet.

With it the flying experience becomes stand in a big ass line to drop off the checked in luggage because they still can’t figure out how to let me just drop it off since I’ve already checked that bag in and paid for it 20 hours ago. Then I get to do a lil walking and stand in another big ass line in security. This time I get to top it off with taking off half the clothing I have along with dis assemble my back pack so security doesn’t get their undies a bunch cuz I didn’t take out the camera, flip, mp3 players, all the micro SDs, SDs, MemorySticks, adapaters for those along with mice, cables for devices, etc, etc just cuz every time I don’t they get upset… and 1/2 the time I do they tell me I didn’t need to. I just kindly tell them that at MKE, MSP, DEN, SLC, and others security’s had me do it.

Anyway after that circus I usually have a chance to grab a coffee and hunt down a plug in for the laptop and sit down for 1/2 hr to an hour. Then with Delworst it’s time to stand in line in anticipation of the boarding line being formed… so a de facto boarding line. Not exactly the best of experiences. At least not until you try traveling by Greyhound. :)

Greg –> BTW, from my experience I usally try to pre-board. If I get away with it, I don’t feel too bad. LIke I elluded to, it wouldn’t matter so much but with others getting away with the carry-on crap they do, it helps.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:13:33 +0000

Wait, I should add one addendum. NW did not prevent non-elite from boarding with elite. If you walked to the gate, they scanned you boarding pass and still let you on. I know this because I saw the boarding card of the person in front of me, it simply indicated that they were a skymiles member as opposed to listing their elite status.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:09:06 +0000

I was recently on a NW flight (I’m Gold Medallion on DL), and I was absolutly appaled at the boarding process.

1) I spend good money to be allowed to pre-board
2) You had old blue-hairs in row 13 who were holding up a long line of people while they were getting seated.

I strongly believe in F, Elite, and Y from back to front. Otherwise it’s just chaos.

By: Nick B

Nick B — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:07:31 +0000

Shane and CF,

The question of whether or not a passenger has a US Airways branded credit card is easily integrated into their frequent flyer profile. As long as the ACS (check-in system) can query the FQTV database at time of check-in, it can easily determine what zone to assign the passenger. The trick to this being that someone would need to be using their DividendMiles FF number, and not a parter FF number.

I do agree that the reason behind boarding delays are not the process or the manner in which groups are determined when used but the fact these process are bypasses by making exceptions. There’s no point in having a scientifically designed process that optimizes boarding when multiple groups of people (often times encompassing 1/3 or even 1/2 of a flight) can be exemted from the process and allowed to board at any time. Boarding either by rows or reverse pyramid from the back forward will still cause long lines backing up into jetways so long as someone sitting in row 3 can board at any time.