Streamline Boarding

[NoMoreKoolAid]

What in the heck is going on with this boarding process? Why don't we call it everyone in Zone 3 hop on? Worked 2 flights today and the agents were in the gate lounge begging people over the PA to check there bag voluntary. They would waive the fee and that sent the people who had to pay the fee at the counter into a rage. Then I read this in crew mail:


Subject: Streamline Boarding Process

In an effort to further assist OTP
several changes have been implemented during the boarding
process which will better allow D-5 door closure
to be accomplished (5 min. prior to scheduled dept.)

Pre-Boarding:
* Prior to boarding,the Agent will brief the
lead F/A regarding any special issues the
flight will require- boarding time and special assist pax,
as well as Provide the Enhanced Preliminary Report.(EPR)
* Receive a helpful reminder as to the delivery
of the (EFR) Enhanced Final Report.

Carry On Baggage:
* CS Agents will begin checking bags at a pre-
determined time set by the gate reader, at which
point all bags will be checked regardless of OHB space.
* Once the bags are tagged by the Agent
the pax is then instructed to leave the bag on the
boarding bridge outside of the a/c door.
**It is important to NOT allow these bags onboard,
as they have already been checked.
* If the OHB's fill up prior to cut off point,
please have the Capt. notify the Agent immediately.
* Continue to be Proactive and Alert as to OHB space
availability.

The Streamline Boarding Process will only be implemented
on Domestic Flt's of 120 pax or less.

 

[hp_fa]

So grab window seats in the back of the plane if you don't want to be separated from your roll-on.

 

[cltrat]

nice more bags to carry down wonderful! this co is run by idiots not that I didnt already know that

 

[USFlyer]

Or just do what many of us passengers do and take the checked bag tag off your bag after you walk a little bit down the jetway or right after you turn a corner if the gate agent happens to be watching (which is rare). Works every time.

 

[ussnark]

Or just do what many of us passengers do and take the checked bag tag off your bag after you walk a little bit down the jetway or right after you turn a corner if the gate agent happens to be watching (which is rare). Works every time.

Yeah, tempe is pretty naive. and stupid. Why would anyone think they have any idea what they are doing?

 

[USstew23]

OH LORD!!! The people in charge around here are TRULY something from another planet!! Seriously, start checking bags at a time designated by the "gate reader"??? It's a machine!! Not even a machine worth what was paid for it!!

 

[hp_fa]

OH LORD!!! The people in charge around here are TRULY something from another planet!! Seriously, start checking bags at a time designated by the "gate reader"??? It's a machine!! Not even a machine worth what was paid for it!!

We need Piney Bob in here to remind us of the high cost of cheap.

Think of how much your senior gate agents will like a machine over-riding their experienced judgment.

But, it gets better...

Wait for some gate audit to take place and the auditor will see the senior gate agent use his/her judgment instead of the machine and now the gate agent will be written up.

 

[Travelpro72]

Doesn't WN have a similar process with bag checking on full flights? I thought they counted some way then after a certain number it started handing out tags. I don't think this process will work all the time but I do sort of understand the reasoning behind it. I worked LAX a few days ago and the B, C and F f/a's were out in the aisle in full force turning and shifting bags during boarding only to find outselves checking about 15 bags on the jetway. It delayed the flight which could or SHOULD have been avoided. Maybe this policy is managements twisted answer to the overage of bags since people like to avoid paying and tote the kitchen sink on. Who knows around here anymore. They make the simple very hard.

 

[BoeingBoy]

There's something about this program floating around on theHub (and presumably Wings)...in the inflight section I think.

When I read it I remember thinking it's the sort of thing someone in a cubicle who knows nothing about the real world boarding of airplanes would come up with - once X people board (100 I think) everyone else has to check their bags.

What if the 1st X number of people have very few bags? Everyone after that checks their bags anyway.

It applies regardless of the airplane - E190 or A330 doesn't matter, everyone after that X magic number is supposed to check their bags.

Jim

 

[BoeingBoy]

Here it is:

Gate readers have been enhanced to help agents determine the estimated number of bags that will need to be checked for a particular flight, helping to reduce excess baggage carried onboard, and allowing for a more efficient boarding process which will ultimately increase on-time performance.
ô€￾´ Once the gate agent “opensâ€￾ the flight, a countdown will start on the gate reader.
ô€￾´ When the countdown reaches zero, the agent will gate check all remaining carry-on bags.

Jim

 

[beachboy]

Good God in heaven, this place is a DISASTER of unbridled proportion. :blink: :blink: It's hysterical you just have to sit and laugh. The total absurd notion makes me just laugh like a hyena.

 

[Bagged Again]

Oh. So this is why I'm getting a dozen bags down the chute at D-7 now.

Ramp to Company: All this does is cost-shift the problem below the wing.
Lets inop all the overheads and make everyone gate check their bags. It can be just like an RJ and we'll save all that weight, just like we did when the company inop'd the ace trays on the 757.

 

[dexter]

Hmmmm....Streamline Boarding? What a joke to start in the beginning of summer travel. It is like "one big free for all"!!!!
One agent at a gate in PHL...also a joke...as the scanners do NOT work and their is no order in boarding.

Who thinks up these new schemes? Passengers are frustrated, agents are exhausted. Scanners don't work and the carry-on is out of control. We were told that with Streamline boarding process any aircraft over 120 requires two gate agents? Yeah right, we are lucky if we have ONE. They cannot even get the scanners to work. They constantly go down and you have to board manually.

The best part for last. Usairways offers preferred seating at a cost. Their boarding passes have NO ZONE and they get herded onto the aircraft last. WHERE IS THE LOGIC? AHHHH never any LOGIC ...
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS MESS?

 

[Dog Wonder]

What in the heck is going on with this boarding process?

* Continue to be Proactive and Alert.

The use of 'proactive' means any failure in the process is the result of insufficient proactivity.

'Proactive', the buzzword for 'I am an idiot who wants to sound like my boss (who wants to sound like his boss).'

 

[Travelpro72]

Ok after thinking about this overnight I'm really scratching my head. The company has said that since the bag fees kicked in there are less bags checked meaning less to load and less to lose. Now however, they will purposely send down bags even if there is available overhead bin space? I have never seen a management team less connected with their business. Now again I'm scratching my head but couldn't we just have a f/a or two do a walk through ( I know, fight the crowd in the aisle) to say, "Ok we have room for 4, 10 or whatever rollerboards". Then let the A or captain know as soon as possible? I know agents have a hard job in the terminal so don't take this the wrong way but if we were all just a bit more vigilent and worked TOGETHER we wouldn't have the baggage problem onboard. How often do we honestly see f/a's anymore in the aisle twisting and turning bags and making sure bin doors close? Those f/a's that do that are out there but very few.