Astrophysicist finds fastest method of plane boarding
Don't show a video of the plane - show a video of the boarding gate - and the three hours it would take to organise odd-number window seats, followed by odd-number middle seats etc etc.
The fastest practical method is free seating - walk on, and sit once your progress is blocked - which is why easyJet et. al. use that method.
The fastest practical method is free seating - walk on, and sit once your progress is blocked - which is why easyJet et. al. use that method.
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Boarding methods....
Last year in Fankfurt (long haul), business class boarding is called, so everyone gets up at once and attempts to board. Part way through the resulting scrum a voice calls 'look out business class coming through' to which my wife replies 'we are all business class here'. Reply, I'm sorry I don't speak English.
Of course he boarded before us, but was not seen in the business class section. I think there is no decent way of boarding especially if not all speak the same language.
Of course he boarded before us, but was not seen in the business class section. I think there is no decent way of boarding especially if not all speak the same language.
Why on this lovely Earth does Aviation create such problems for itself?
Brits queue, and love to queue. They can queue wherever they are in the world.
It is only the morons who work in Aviation who turn plane entry in to a brain-dead activity.
If Aviation could stir itself from its civil service mentality, it would find out how to do it.
Not that anyone in Aviation listens to other sectors. Never have and never will.
Brits queue, and love to queue. They can queue wherever they are in the world.
It is only the morons who work in Aviation who turn plane entry in to a brain-dead activity.
If Aviation could stir itself from its civil service mentality, it would find out how to do it.
Not that anyone in Aviation listens to other sectors. Never have and never will.
The time saved by speeding up the time SLF are taking to sit down in the plane would be more than offset by the time either the ground crew wastes on explaining the system to the SLF or arguing with them about where they are allowed to board.
Rwy in Sight
Rwy in Sight
It is only the morons who work in Aviation who turn plane entry in to a brain-dead activity.
Takes one to know one! 
(irony not lost)It's the people from outside aviation who inspired this dumb stuff to begin with. Bean counting salesman from every other industry became involved in aviation business management and decided that unrealistically tight scheduling made economic sense. Maybe in their perfect world!
Ships, trains and buses have their problems too, but nobody gives a rat's behind!.
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Reminds of a rather unusual flight a few weeks ago. Flying Manchester - Abu Dhabi, and was seated in the Aisle seat and about mid way through boarding.
Lady next to me (who spoke no English, despite holding a British Passport), suddenly stood up and walked into my legs and pushed against them and pointed to her friends further forward. I had no where to go as people were in the aisle still boarding, eventually let her out and she barged her way forward against the flow, then came and sat back down after blocking the boarding process and chatting. About 3 or 4 minutes later did exactly the same thing, and then eventually for a third time. At this point I decided that this was going to be an unlucky flight. Thankfully however a vacant seat appeared near her friends and she moved over there. What planet was she on? I've no idea, but I'm too polite to start arguing with her, just complain anonymous on a forum later in true British style.
Lady next to me (who spoke no English, despite holding a British Passport), suddenly stood up and walked into my legs and pushed against them and pointed to her friends further forward. I had no where to go as people were in the aisle still boarding, eventually let her out and she barged her way forward against the flow, then came and sat back down after blocking the boarding process and chatting. About 3 or 4 minutes later did exactly the same thing, and then eventually for a third time. At this point I decided that this was going to be an unlucky flight. Thankfully however a vacant seat appeared near her friends and she moved over there. What planet was she on? I've no idea, but I'm too polite to start arguing with her, just complain anonymous on a forum later in true British style.
Well having found that perhaps he can now find a proper job....astrophysicists make it up as they go along, relying on the fact we can't actually get out there and show them they are wrong.........
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Astro would have no bubbles in it - were it not for astrophysicists
The fastest way of loading an aircraft can only be achieved if without exception every passenger is an astrophysicist. - Some non-astrophysicists turn the aircraft so that its tail sits on the ground and the nose points up towards the stars.
Last edited by notlangley; 1st Sep 2011 at 01:23. Reason: deletion of giga-funnel
Aktcherly, that could work.
Seats and overhead lockers all slide out as a unit.
Lateral swing-nose ac opposite arrivals lounge, pull pallets out.
Raise/lower the ac to departures. Or raise/lower arrivals/departures.
Get us into the dep lounge in the comfy chairs all arranged as per the flight, with lockers above. Loads of time to get 'em all sitting. Offer a trolley service akin to in flight.
We're all in our seats with baggage stowed.
Lounges can now be smaller.
What's not to like?
Seats and overhead lockers all slide out as a unit.
Lateral swing-nose ac opposite arrivals lounge, pull pallets out.
Raise/lower the ac to departures. Or raise/lower arrivals/departures.
Get us into the dep lounge in the comfy chairs all arranged as per the flight, with lockers above. Loads of time to get 'em all sitting. Offer a trolley service akin to in flight.
We're all in our seats with baggage stowed.
Lounges can now be smaller.
What's not to like?
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Boarding by zones turns into a shambles because they rarely if ever actually board the blocks.
First they'll call for the elderly and kids (good idea, let's make sure the people who are hardest to board, and thus most likely to block the aisle, go first).
At the same time its a frequent flier free for all, so there's random people all over the plane quite quickly.
Next they'll call a block of rows. But LONG before that block has completed, they'll call the next block. Any moderately frequent flyers knows this, so if you're going to be in the second block, might as well join the line almost as soon as it forms, since they'll be boarding your block before they get to you. And even if by some miracle you get there 'too soon', I've never seen anyone turned away.
Meanwhile, all the people who are in the not-yet-called blocks are either joining the line anyway, either because (a) they aren't listening/thinking or (b) don't feel like waiting, or they are milling around right at the gate, almost-but-not-quite in the line, so that when their block is called they can join the rugby scrum at the desk.
Any notional efficiency due to boarding by blocks is a fantasy.
if you wanted to make a planned boarding work, you'd need a whole bunch of those fabric barrier thingies they have at security, set at every gate, to keep the line in control, plus a bunch of stroppy gate agents prepared to throw people out of the line for being in the wrong place.
Personally, I don't see why anyone is in a hurry to sit in a cramped seat for an extra 15-20 minutes when there's a (relatively) comfortable seat beside the gate, possible in proximity to coffee or even beer, and there's no chance of missing the plane (and if somehow you're the last one sat there they will be calling you by name because your bags are loaded anyway)
First they'll call for the elderly and kids (good idea, let's make sure the people who are hardest to board, and thus most likely to block the aisle, go first).
At the same time its a frequent flier free for all, so there's random people all over the plane quite quickly.
Next they'll call a block of rows. But LONG before that block has completed, they'll call the next block. Any moderately frequent flyers knows this, so if you're going to be in the second block, might as well join the line almost as soon as it forms, since they'll be boarding your block before they get to you. And even if by some miracle you get there 'too soon', I've never seen anyone turned away.
Meanwhile, all the people who are in the not-yet-called blocks are either joining the line anyway, either because (a) they aren't listening/thinking or (b) don't feel like waiting, or they are milling around right at the gate, almost-but-not-quite in the line, so that when their block is called they can join the rugby scrum at the desk.
Any notional efficiency due to boarding by blocks is a fantasy.
if you wanted to make a planned boarding work, you'd need a whole bunch of those fabric barrier thingies they have at security, set at every gate, to keep the line in control, plus a bunch of stroppy gate agents prepared to throw people out of the line for being in the wrong place.
Personally, I don't see why anyone is in a hurry to sit in a cramped seat for an extra 15-20 minutes when there's a (relatively) comfortable seat beside the gate, possible in proximity to coffee or even beer, and there's no chance of missing the plane (and if somehow you're the last one sat there they will be calling you by name because your bags are loaded anyway)
There is a better way...
My experience of Jet2 travel is that it is the worst boarding experience ging. The reasons are : -
Too many people bring too much hand luggage - because it costs £40 for an item of hold luggage
People are therefore worried about being separated from said hand luggage on the flight so try to board quickly so they can sit directly beneath their hand luggage
Jet2 have an infeasibly narrow boarding slot, so too many people trying to board a single aisle plane in too short a time. As a family of five, we need to bring food, entertainment, change of clothes (for mucky children) etc on board whereas on a full service airline we only need clothes and maybe an I-pod.
So if Jet2 and others want better boarding, provide a better service.....
Too many people bring too much hand luggage - because it costs £40 for an item of hold luggage
People are therefore worried about being separated from said hand luggage on the flight so try to board quickly so they can sit directly beneath their hand luggage
Jet2 have an infeasibly narrow boarding slot, so too many people trying to board a single aisle plane in too short a time. As a family of five, we need to bring food, entertainment, change of clothes (for mucky children) etc on board whereas on a full service airline we only need clothes and maybe an I-pod.
So if Jet2 and others want better boarding, provide a better service.....
Mad (Flt) Scientist,
There are good reasons to board a flight early. More room to store your bags, free drinks on some airlines, opportunity for a small talk with the crew...
We do agree however that rididly enforcing the boarding sequence can be time-consuming and counter proactive.
Rwy in Sight
There are good reasons to board a flight early. More room to store your bags, free drinks on some airlines, opportunity for a small talk with the crew...
We do agree however that rididly enforcing the boarding sequence can be time-consuming and counter proactive.
Rwy in Sight
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Amongst some of my journeys, I often end up going between Europe/US and South East Asia a few times a month, and when travelling with just hand baggage in economy have good reason to shove myway to the front of the queue. Otherwise, when you board you suddenly find no overhead baggage space, and your bag being tagged and taken away, probably never to be seen again...
I'm always struck by how long it takes to board an airliner. I quite liked the Wilma method (window seats first finishing with the aisle, which used to be used by Lufthansa. I think that they may have dropped it. Obviously you would have to allow a group of passengers travelling together to board at the same time.
Given the cost of an aircraft on the ground I've often wondered if anything has costed the effectiveness of installing two jetties for narrow bodied aircraft. Obviously there would be a capital cost but I reckon that you might be able to reduce a turnaround for an A320 by ten minutes. There have been many exercises looking at the cost of a minutes delay which could be applied. Obviously many factors to consider - can you achieve an extra sector per day, are crew paid by block or duty hours, can you reduce the number of gates required at the terminal, etc.
Obviously Locos EasyJet & Ryanair do use both exits (fine if its dry).
I was on a Delta flight this April. I thought I would get on early as I was sitting in the rear but no - priority was given to frequent flyers who all had "wheelies". The bins quickly filled up. Chaos. A lot of bags had to be checked in at the gate (but I think that avoided the $25 fee for checking a bag). It lead to a late push back despite starting boarding on time. An example of how not to do it.
Given the cost of an aircraft on the ground I've often wondered if anything has costed the effectiveness of installing two jetties for narrow bodied aircraft. Obviously there would be a capital cost but I reckon that you might be able to reduce a turnaround for an A320 by ten minutes. There have been many exercises looking at the cost of a minutes delay which could be applied. Obviously many factors to consider - can you achieve an extra sector per day, are crew paid by block or duty hours, can you reduce the number of gates required at the terminal, etc.
Obviously Locos EasyJet & Ryanair do use both exits (fine if its dry).
I was on a Delta flight this April. I thought I would get on early as I was sitting in the rear but no - priority was given to frequent flyers who all had "wheelies". The bins quickly filled up. Chaos. A lot of bags had to be checked in at the gate (but I think that avoided the $25 fee for checking a bag). It lead to a late push back despite starting boarding on time. An example of how not to do it.
As it stands, and without the slide-in module idea, I'm firmly in the last on last off brigade. I've waited stupid hours to check-in, even more to get baggage, so why rush? Tis only a few minutes.
But I'm not going tell to anybody why boarding last works surprisingly well.
No I'm not.
At all.
Try it for yourselves a few times.
Last off means that I don't have to rush to join the scrum for pole position at the carousel, If it's just a few cases trundling their lonely paths it increases the chances of my remembering what mine looks like.
But I'm not going tell to anybody why boarding last works surprisingly well.
No I'm not.
At all.
Try it for yourselves a few times.
Last off means that I don't have to rush to join the scrum for pole position at the carousel, If it's just a few cases trundling their lonely paths it increases the chances of my remembering what mine looks like.
We, as esteemed members of the PPRuNe, just may overestimate the capacity of the capacity of the average SLF to understand if they have a window, aisle or center seat.
Next time you fly just check when they arrive at row 20 how fast they figure which letter correspond to which seat.
Rwy in Sight
Next time you fly just check when they arrive at row 20 how fast they figure which letter correspond to which seat.
Rwy in Sight
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We had a niffty system for fast loading the wounded in Saudi during the Persian Gulf War. We used the cargo terminal and they all arrived on a conveyor belt on pallets. Maybe this is the solution. Sort out the pax in the order required and strap them all down on pallets on a conveyor belt at the gate. When ready to board just throw the switch - easy 
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Sort out the pax in the order required and strap them all down on pallets on a conveyor belt at the gate. When ready to board just throw the switch - easy 
With boarding pass rubber stamped on forehead
Paxing All Over The World
Thread Starter
Peter47
I agree but never going to happen.
The 747 has been in service since 1970 and in 99% (guess) of airports, they are boarded one pax at a time.
Where they have two jetties, one is reserved for F+C and then 250+/- of PE/Y are boarded one-by-one. I have seen photos of the overwing boarding jetties now set for the A380 but not in practice.
The airline will only build the jetties if the carrier will take the cost. Therefore, it's not going to happen. For the carrier, it is cheaper to get us there a bit earlier and use a system they know, than to pay for extra jetties and increase prices.
I've often wondered if anything has costed the effectiveness of installing two jetties for narrow bodied aircraft. Obviously there would be a capital cost but I reckon that you might be able to reduce a turnaround for an A320 by ten minutes.
The 747 has been in service since 1970 and in 99% (guess) of airports, they are boarded one pax at a time.
Where they have two jetties, one is reserved for F+C and then 250+/- of PE/Y are boarded one-by-one. I have seen photos of the overwing boarding jetties now set for the A380 but not in practice.
The airline will only build the jetties if the carrier will take the cost. Therefore, it's not going to happen. For the carrier, it is cheaper to get us there a bit earlier and use a system they know, than to pay for extra jetties and increase prices.