Changes to Boarding

[Justin L]

Originally Posted by Radi K

If you have flown Southwest, you will note that they board via sequence number. You line up next to poles at the gate that have the numbers. It would be great if the same concept was applied except for seat rows like Dave suggested.

Todd, free seating (unassigned) gets people listening and eager to board

United do something similar now for boarding. While still assigned seating, they have poles with the zone number signposted above it with those black elastic lane things making rows. You line up in your zone row and they call each zone and board from that queue.

Alaska Airlines clearly display the rows they are boarding on the LCD screen at the boarding gate and adhere to it and works well.

Mexican LCC Vivaaerobus do a hybrid of the Southwest and United system. It is free seating like Southwest, but they board in zones like United. You line up in your zone row (not in any particular numbered order like Southwest within the zone) and board from there. Works well and everyone (customers and staff alike) politely follows the procedure.

What I like about the Southwest, United, and Vivaaerobus examples above is that is organizes the gate area - which is especially useful not only for people waiting at the gate but keeps things clear for those people who run up to the gate to see that it's boarding but haven't heard or weren't listening for the boarding announcements.