American Airlines tests new boarding procedure

[moonstone]

I hope this works well, and not only AA adds it to all airports, but other airlines adopt it as well.

American Airlines is trying to make sure everyone boards when they're supposed to

American Airlines is testing a system to make sure people board with their assigned boarding group.

www.usatoday.com

~Diane

 

[dougp26364]

I am hopeful about this new process. Flying is enough of a PIA without the line cutters. But more than this, what I’d really like to see is a way to eliminate those who stand around, crowding the boarding area waiting for their group to be called and forcing others to navigate through the mass of bodies…..but that’s asking a lot.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

If this is rolled out widely, I expect a significant increase in the already known healing powers of flying commercial airlines. Just think of the additional people there will be who will require assistance or extra time in boarding, but by the end of the flight they will have regained their mobility and will be able to retrieve their luggage from overhead bins and take it with them off the plane.

 

[Brett]

Is airplane boarding efficient?​

no !

 

[Dori]

I always thought that Southwest’s procedure was so so efficient. No “gate lice” hanging around, waiting to budge in. I was so sorry to hear that they are going to assigned seating.

Dori

 

[davidvel]

I always thought that Southwest’s procedure was so so efficient. No “gate lice” hanging around, waiting to budge in. I was so sorry to hear that they are going to assigned seating.

Dori

Most airlines have assigned seating, and yet have boarding groups, and the bugs. Not sure if SWA will get rid of the boarding positions, but no requirement to do so despite having assigned seats.

Saw the below article about the new system dinging people still trying to board early. I can almost hear the ding . . .

Loading…

kdvr.com

 

[davidvel]

I always thought that Southwest’s procedure was so so efficient. No “gate lice” hanging around, waiting to budge in. I was so sorry to hear that they are going to assigned seating.

Dori

Many of the lice (not all, relax people), already boarded in their paid-by-SWA wheelchair.

 

[Luanne]

Most airlines have assigned seating, and yet have boarding groups, and the bugs. Not sure if SWA will get rid of the boarding positions, but no requirement to do so despite having assigned seats.

Saw the below article about the new system dinging people still trying to board early. I can almost hear the ding . . .

Loading…

kdvr.com

So far from what I've seen even though SW will have assigned seats they will continue to have the A,B, C boarding groups.

 

[Luanne]

Many of the lice (not all, relax people), already boarded in their paid-by-SWA wheelchair.

I don't know when/where you fly SW but I have never noticed more than a couple of pre-boarders on flights we've taken.

 

[davidvel]

I don't know when/where you fly SW but I have never noticed more than a couple of pre-boarders on flights we've taken.

We generally fly SWA short haul flights on the west coast: SD, Vegas, Bay Area, Reno. Lots of wheelchairs that are full before boarding, and not used on arrival. There are also a myriad of articles (and threads here) about it.

 

[Luanne]

We generally fly SWA short haul flights on the west coast: SD, Vegas, Bay Area, Reno. Lots of wheelchairs that are full before boarding, and not used on arrival. There are also a myriad of articles (and threads here) about it.

I know. I've seen all of the posts here complaining about it. While I'm sure there are some people who take advantage of this, there are many that truly need it. And those who truly need it don't always look like they do.

 

[slip]

I know. I've seen all of the posts here complaining about it. While I'm sure there are some people who take advantage of this, there are many that truly need it. And those who truly need it don't always look like they do.

I definitely agree with this, especially after everything my wife has been through. Looking at her at times, yiu would think there were no issues but just getting through the airport never easy.

 

[Luanne]

I definitely agree with this, especially after everything my wife has been through. Looking at her at times, yiu would think there were no issues but just getting through the airport never easy.

People can be so judgemental. Our daughter broke her arm in NYC a couple of years ago. She was wearing a sling (she didn't have a cast yet, needed to see a doctor at home for that). She was still quite shaky and wanted wheelchair assist. We had no issues with Jet Blue at JFK, but in Albuquerque when we landed the young man who I guess was in charge of the wheelchairs looked at her and said "Why do you need a wheelchair? It's just your arm." Luckily the women who actually pushed her wheelchair was wonderful.

 

[slip]

People can be so judgemental. Our daughter broke her arm in NYC a couple of years ago. She was wearing a sling (she didn't have a cast yet, needed to see a doctor at home for that). She was still quite shaky and wanted wheelchair assist. We had no issues with Jet Blue at JFK, but in Albuquerque when we landed the young man who I guess was in charge of the wheelchairs looked at her and said "Why do you need a wheelchair? It's just your arm." Luckily the women who actually pushed her wheelchair was wonderful.

It's too easy to be cynical I suppose and I'm sure some people take advantage but it's not a big deal in the long run.

 

[dioxide45]

People can be so judgemental. Our daughter broke her arm in NYC a couple of years ago. She was wearing a sling (she didn't have a cast yet, needed to see a doctor at home for that). She was still quite shaky and wanted wheelchair assist. We had no issues with Jet Blue at JFK, but in Albuquerque when we landed the young man who I guess was in charge of the wheelchairs looked at her and said "Why do you need a wheelchair? It's just your arm." Luckily the women who actually pushed her wheelchair was wonderful.

People are mostly judgmental of those that need a wheelchair to get on the plan but not one to get off.

 

[davidvel]

People are mostly judgmental of those that need a wheelchair to get on the plan but not one to get off.

And coincidentally are in Group C.

 

[slip]

People are mostly judgmental of those that need a wheelchair to get on the plan but not one to get off.

What I have learned with my wife's situation and I'm sure others are the same, is that there is a big difference in getting through TSA and the airport to get to your gate and on your plane compared to sitting on a flight and then getting up to get off the plane.

 

[dougp26364]

To be honest, I don’t hang around the gate long enough to see how many were miraculously cured on flights.

 

[davidvel]

What I have learned with my wife's situation and I'm sure others are the same, is that there is a big difference in getting through TSA and the airport to get to your gate and on your plane compared to sitting on a flight and then getting up to get off the plane.

Of course. Does you wife take a wheelchair only one way? If so, do you tell the airline she doesn't need it on arrival?

 

[slip]

Of course. Does you wife take a wheelchair only one way? If so, do you tell the airline she doesn't need it on arrival?

From how we have done it, we make the arrangement with the airline when we purchase the tickets and we would tell them if we didn't need it on arrival. When she was really bad, of course, she used it both ways.

 

[slip]

My wife also has times where we board early because she couldn't stand that long in the boarding line to board with our group but she can walk onto the plane by herself. We are usually always group two otherwise.

 

[moonstone]

What I have learned with my wife's situation and I'm sure others are the same, is that there is a big difference in getting through TSA and the airport to get to your gate and on your plane compared to sitting on a flight and then getting up to get off the plane.

Same with me. While awaiting for my knee replacement I have resorted to requesting a WC in the airport. DH insisted on it a year ago last January when we got to our gate with just minutes to spare for our Belize flight because of the distance I had to walk, and length of time standing, at Toronto's Pearson Airport, going through security, then US Customs then walking to the gate. I was almost in tears with the pain and was walking very slowly. The gate agent added WC assistance at the Belize end and it was a godsend as the lineup for customs would have meant me standing for well over an hour. I also get a WC on the jetway or immediately inside the terminal when departing the plane. The last few flights we have taken when landing at Pearson it is about a half mile walk from the plane down to the Immigration Hall, then further to baggage, then several hundred yards out to the passenger pick-up area. I can stand for a couple minutes, or walk a hundred yards or so, then it feels like somebody has a hot knife and is trying to pry off my kneecap! I also get off the plane last because after I've been sitting a while my knee is very stiff and feels like it is going to bend inside out. It takes me a while to get it moving and I don't want to hold anybody up.

~Diane

 

[davidvel]

Looks like we are just repeating (almost verbatim) the almost 200 posts in the Southwest thread:

Southwest moving to assigned seats

Like other companies Southwest is doing this to make more money. TS

tugbbs.com

 

[Ken555]

I was on an American Airlines flight a couple of days ago. Boarding was slow and somewhat chaotic, largely due to the scanner not working for electronic boarding passes. Once I checked in, I waited for at least ten minutes just past the check-in area, as people took their time stowing their luggage and getting seated. We departed about ten minutes late but made up the time during the flight and even arrived a few minutes early.

It’s worth mentioning that the boarding process was also delayed. So, it's not always the passengers who cause slowdowns, as was evident on this flight.

Call me crazy, but I think boarding might be faster if a crew member assisted every passenger with stowing their luggage.

 

[callwill]

Personally, i think boarding should be by seating....windows then centers then aisles!