Articles tagged “boarding”

United Airlines May Change Its Boarding Procedures

Brian Sumers, Skift

Most experts say airlines should board aircraft randomly if they seek maximum efficiency. But that's a problem since most carriers want to reward their best customers with early boarding. Under the circumstances, airlines do the best they can.

Delta Pre-Loads Carry-On Bags as Airlines Speed Boarding Process

David Koenig , Associated Press

Refining the science of boarding an airplane can save airlines big bucks and make things more efficient for passengers too. The airlines, though, created the overhead-bin-space problem themselves.

The Math Behind Airlines’ Chaotic Boarding Practices

Roya Wolverson, Quartz

Airline executives have to make a tough choice between speed and organization, all the while knowing passengers will complain with either option.

JetBlue Eliminates Online Check-In For Some Passengers

Dennis Schaal, Skift

Kudos to JetBlue on several fronts: First, moving past the burden of online check-in would be a really nice leap forward. Second, JetBlue doesn't intend to make automatic check-in a perk for the elite, but plans on extending the service to passengers throughout the plane.

Passengers With Carry-On Bags Should Get Window Seats to Speed Boarding

Nick Collins, Daily Telegraph

The creation of bag fees has revived the science of boarding, and there will is more experimentation to come because tardy boarding costs airlines lots of money.

Airlines Could Save Millions by Boarding Flyers Based on Their Carry-on Luggage

Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times

Delays caused by carry-on baggage have increased in proportion to checked bag fees and airlines' growing profits suggest the trend will only continue.

Why Airplane Seating Is Too Complicated for Science to Understand

David Koenig, Associated Press

The boarding process has gotten more complicated -- and more expensive -- as the industry has grown, so it's no wonder that even an astrophysicist deems it worthy of study.

Miami airport to test self-boarding and considers kiosks in customs, too

Dennis Schaal, Skift

Some skeptics believe that passenger self-boarding will be slow to get adoption across U.S. airports because of security concerns. Self-service kiosks in customs face similar hurdles, and have much greater potential to really benefit airline passengers.

Will American Airlines new boarding process lead to free-for-all at the gate?

The airlines created boarding chaos, with passengers trying to stuff bags in overhead bins to avoid checked-bag fees, and now they are trying to figure a way out of the mess (while keeping the fees, of course).

American Airlines will allow early boarding for light packers

David Koenig, Associated Press

A ploy to increase on-time takeoffs or get more bags checked? American’s seemingly innocent new initiative forces flyers to make one more decision between cost, time, and convenience.

Heathrow trials biometric self-boarding with South African Airways

This is Heathrow, everything looks great in the beginning. Remember the disastrous Iris scanners at customs? When Heathrow actually starts using it in full, and everyone's happy, then we will believe it.

Southwest Airlines early boarding now sold at the gate

Dennis Schaal, Skift

Bags Fly Free on Southwest, but everything else, including your place in the boarding line, is now up for sale.