Airplane Boarding and De-boarding

[shon7]

Why do Airlines have a policy where passengers have to wait in the gate area even if the Aircraft is already parked at the gate?

In my experience, the boarding process (that is calling out by rows) works well for the first few minutes but then its pretty random.

Apart from a security standpoint -- are there any other reasons why passengers are made to wait?

[mutt]

Could it be that the aircraft isnt actually ready to receive passengers??

Around here, crew check-in 1.5 hours prior to a flight, they brief and then get to the aircraft about an hour prior to departure. From that point on they have to load catering, conduct security checks and conduct equipment checks. When all of that is finished, they will accept passengers.

From a passengers point of view, i have sat in the back of a delayed B747 where the cabin temperature was over 60°C, passengers were threatening to smash the windows to get cool air! From that point on, I started to like the idea of boarding at the last minute!


Mutt.

[speedbird_heavy]

Passengers are boarded by the seat row to speed up the boarding process. Its done to stop the delays where everyone has to stand in the isles to put their hand baggage in the overhead bins. Now if it starts from the rear then there is less chance of boarding being held up by a passenger in a forward row holding people up whilst they get them selfs sorted. Unfortunaly some passengers don't think this applies to them and try and get through the gate. Gate staff usually tell them to move to one side and listen to the announcments but there is only sop much they can do.

Back to the holding area, Passengers are usually called to the gate lounge 10-15 mins before the aircraft is ready for boarding. This is to make sure that most of the passengers are there and not farting around in other areas of the airport. But of course some passengers turn deaf and dont hear the calls to the gate or turn blind and cannot read the boarding times on their boarding pass or info screens.

[Hand Solo]

Perhaps there's nobody on the aircraft. We don't arrive until 35 mins before departure. Also boarding early would tie up more gate staff as they'd have to be there far earlier than the current 15-20 minutes to departure.

[PAXboy]

S-H has it right. As Pax (most of us) are useless. Those that have not travelled before/very often arrive very late or very early. Those travel often, think that they can ignore all the rules. These two points have an infinite length of damp string between them!!

Boarding by row? If only we would.

The bit that irritates me [jumping on the bandwagon] is that most wide body (twin aisle) a/c are boarded through a single door. Sometimes a 744/340 is boarded through two but the second door is for Biz/Upper/1st and so not many folks go through.

The time delays introduced by boarding in this way are enourmous. I have often seen a 744 boarded, efecctively, one person at a time until 350 have done so. I'll bet that, when the 380 comes and they board through two doors (one per deck) it will still be as slow. They should use two doors per deck.

I suspect that companies want to save money on gate staff and air-bridge operating staff. But then, I am a very nasty person! :E

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"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[witchdoctor]

You are kept at the gate for your own safety, and so that the boarding process can be completed in a controlled manner to ensure an on-time departure where possible.

Pax are herd animals, and like most herd animals have to be treated as though they are all stupid. Left to their own devices, they will most likely try to board the wrong aircraft (it ain't necessarily the one outside the gate), wander all over the tarmac, try to climb steps not attached to aircraft, climb external stairs on airbridges, walk in front of/under/over ramp equipment etc, etc... Where one goes, the others will follow.;) :} It can be hard work keeping them out of mischief at the best of times, let alone if they were allowed out at a time of their own choosing.

There is also the weight and balance aspect of boarding pax to consider, as some aircraft types like the A321, can be prone to tipping if too many pax trample up the rear steps first. Most pax are extremely unlikey to be aware of that.