NEW BOARDING Process

[jenny@nw]

Northwest Plans Change to its Boarding Process

Effective May 24, Northwest will begin transitioning its domestic boarding process from boarding by row to random boarding. After much testing, the company has determined that allowing coach customers to board regardless of row reduces boarding time by an average of five to 10 minutes, eliminates potential disruptions with customers boarding out of sequence and increases the CSA’s ability to perform other duties such as monitoring carry-on luggage and processing the standby list.

Random boarding will be offered to passengers in the following order:

- Those that require special assistance
- First Class, Elite, and Exit Row passengers
- All remaining passengers

Flights departing within Asia will begin random boarding on June 7, 2006. Northwest-operated flights departing Europe will continue to board via row, in accordance with KLM’s procedures.

 

[local 12 proud]

Random boarding will be offered to passengers in the following order:

- Those that require special assistance
- First Class, Elite, and Exit Row passengers
- All remaining passengers

They left out a few:

Random boarding will be offered to passengers in the following order:

- Those that require special assistance
- First Class, Elite, and Exit Row passengers
- All remaining passengers
- non-revs
- pets
-SCABS

 

[PlayTheOdds]

They left out a few:
Random boarding will be offered to passengers in the following order:
- Those that require special assistance
- First Class, Elite, and Exit Row passengers
- All remaining passengers
- non-revs
- pets
-SCABS

Thats sweet local. I just flew in today as a matter of fact. I was the first non-rev to boared, but then again I was the only one.

 

[robbedagain]

how well will this procedure work, does anyone know?

 

[jenny@nw]

Thats sweet local. I just flew in today as a matter of fact. I was the first non-rev to boared, but then again I was the only one.

Sure you weren't the first "people who need special assistance" to board? h34r:

how well will this procedure work, does anyone know?

it's like a zoo. :wacko:

 

[EricLv2Fish]

After much testing, the company has determined that allowing coach customers to board regardless of row reduces boarding time by an average of five to 10 minutes, eliminates potential disruptions with customers boarding out of sequence and increases the CSA’s ability to perform other duties such as monitoring carry-on luggage and processing the standby list.

The logic used is so missed place it's halarious

Let's see, choatic boarding is so much better than organized boarding because...it saves time . I guess we shouldn't organize fire or evacuation drills either.

 

[Kev3188]

how well will this procedure work, does anyone know?

Yes. Not well. Delays straight down the board when this is done/tested in my station.

 

[Red Tail Bear]

Yes. Not well. Delays straight down the board when this is done/tested in my station.

Ditto.

 

[PlayTheOdds]

This does sound disastrous. Wouldn't it be better to board by column rather than row or just saying have at it?

 

[Kev3188]

This does sound disastrous. Wouldn't it be better to board by column rather than row or just saying have at it?

Column?

If by that you mean boarding first by Window seat(s), then Middle, then Aisle, yes it would be btter....

 

[Don Smith]

This does sound disastrous. Wouldn't it be better to board by column rather than row or just saying have at it?

SCABs board last so it won't matter to you.

 

[finman]

The logic used is so missed place it's halarious

Let's see, choatic boarding is so much better than organized boarding because...it saves time . I guess we shouldn't organize fire or evacuation drills either.

Here's a link that explains the mathematical reasons why a more random boarding process is quicker than the back to front system currently used. I think there is a link in this article to the actual study, which I'm sure is heavy on mathematical scenerio analysis.

I really don't think it's fair to poo-poo this idea before taking a look at the studies that have been done that support it. I know everyone on this board is overly cynical about everything coming out of airline management, and you all think you could run the airline much better if only given the chance. In this case, why not take a look at the studies that have been done and the practices of other airlines (WN) where random boarding seems to provide some benefit over the quasi-organized boarding done today. I'm not saying I necessarily think it's going to be something that works great and is widely implemented, but I'm sure it can add value in some markets and some aircraft configurations.

http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_05_06.html

 

[Kev3188]

http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_05_06.html

Interesting link. Thanks for posting it.

I find this last paragraph very interesting:


"The conclusion? Summarizing runs of their computer model for various aircraft configuration, Bachmat et al observe that if the airlines were able to adopt a fairly rigid system, then outside-in boarding is much better than back-to-front, but that, overall, given passenger resistance to being strongly regimented, and recognizing the airlines' desire to continue their different passenger-pleasing preference policies, the most efficient method seems to be - are you listening United? - a policy that combines the various customer-satisfaction policies with a hefty dose of outside-in boarding and just a touch of back-to-front; otherwise as much randomness as possible. "


What I find fascinating is that in the "real-world" example(s) I've seen first hand, people may be adverse to rigidity, but they basically devolve into mindless sheep in it's abscence.

 

[robbedagain]

IS NWA going to consider a two way jet bridge similar to what UA is doing in DEN with some planes? I think the 757 is what UA is doing to TED in DEN and may be IAD

 

[jimntx]

Then, there is the issue of the people assigned seats in the back. I don't know about NW, but at AA they all try to leave their carry-ons in the o/h bins in the front of the cabin. Which then means that the people seated in the front of the cabin have to take their bags to the back.

That will make deplaning at the destination SO much easier.