For some people, doing things differently from the "way we have always done it" is automatically wrong. The answer for those people is, "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten." If US Airways is trying to change their boarding procedure, it's a pretty good indication that something in the current system ain't workin'.
Solution to people in the back filling up the forward bins:
At AA, we usually stationed one f/a at the boundary between F/C and main cabin (this person also hangs coats for F/C passengers. We closed the doors on the first two sets of overhead bins, and if someone from further back tried to use them, we told them that those bins were reserved for the people in the first two rows--particularly the first row in coach which does not have space "under the seat in front." Since FAA regs do not permit those passengers to put things on the floor at their feet, they have to have overhead bin space for their belongings.
I thought that I had the AA zone boarding figured out to be (and the order of boarding)
F/C
Zone 1 - First row in coach, window exit rows, certain AAdvantage members (Platinum and Exec Platinum who are seated in coach, I think).
Zone 2 - back of a/c, last 6 or 7 rows.
Zone 3 - Next 6 or 7 up,
Zone 4 - middle of main cabin
Zone 5 - front of main cabin behind first row.
However, Zone 1 may not be correct. I was on a flight this week. I had aisle seat on window exit row. I was in Zone 4. Of course, that is middle of main cabin, and the flight was not nearly full. It may change based upon the load, but I wouldn't bet on that.
Solution to people in the back filling up the forward bins:
At AA, we usually stationed one f/a at the boundary between F/C and main cabin (this person also hangs coats for F/C passengers. We closed the doors on the first two sets of overhead bins, and if someone from further back tried to use them, we told them that those bins were reserved for the people in the first two rows--particularly the first row in coach which does not have space "under the seat in front." Since FAA regs do not permit those passengers to put things on the floor at their feet, they have to have overhead bin space for their belongings.
I thought that I had the AA zone boarding figured out to be (and the order of boarding)
F/C
Zone 1 - First row in coach, window exit rows, certain AAdvantage members (Platinum and Exec Platinum who are seated in coach, I think).
Zone 2 - back of a/c, last 6 or 7 rows.
Zone 3 - Next 6 or 7 up,
Zone 4 - middle of main cabin
Zone 5 - front of main cabin behind first row.
However, Zone 1 may not be correct. I was on a flight this week. I had aisle seat on window exit row. I was in Zone 4. Of course, that is middle of main cabin, and the flight was not nearly full. It may change based upon the load, but I wouldn't bet on that.
