Airline Boarding Strategies

It’s unfortunate airlines have earned the wrath of so many travelers, especially those in the economy seats. Some of the criticism is well deserved, and some not.

After all, fuel prices are up, and airlines haven’t been making money for the most part, and we need a healthy airline business. The airlines rarely get credit for what they do right, and a luxury travel agency like ours is often investing our time to sort our numerous problems, and make sure our customers are properly served getting the right flights and seats.

Some of the consumer anger is with the process of boarding. Certainly with regard to lines for security checks, I often spend more time in line at Starbucks getting a coffee than I do getting through security to board a flight. Why are people so impatient with security control at airports, and so patient awaiting their caffeine fix?

Be that as it may, we often can’t figure out how the heck airlines board those airplanes.

Waiting to board, I’m sometimes trying to figure out what monkeys concocted the strategy. And I’ll never forget one flight I was in line at the gate to board, and the economy boarding was suspended because they had to keep the aisle clear on the plane so flight attendants could serve drinks to business class travelers! (And they actually announced that over the loudspeaker in the terminal!) Oh, well.