What's the Best Plane Boarding Plan? | MythBusters

[StrawBss]

Here's my favorite boarding method. Wait in a nice chair for everyone to go in and then go in last. Waiting in lines is for chumps.

[Klaratchi]

I feel like they dont actually fill the back first but the front first.... I always wait for people in front of me when I sit closer to the rear and the rear is empty

[uklondon]

It doesn't take 24 minute. B777-300ER on flight JAL 043 to London Heathrow does do back, middle, front but it takes less than 15 minute till the door closes.

[lewininjar]

No matter what seat i'm sitting at i always wait for the final call as i hate lining up/waiting to board the plane. I don't understand why people are so eager to get on the plane. I always wait so there is no queue and i maximise my time not being stuck in the plane and by then everyone is seated and it's less crazy. So if i have a window seat i don't want to have to board first.

[gosolobox]

Ima single dad with a 5yo.. I load first so get out the way..

[imjuzbored]

I think airlines uses the slower methods as it allows families to go in together rather than using the window, middle and aisle method where a family have to go in separately

[nottherealpaulsmith]

where are the old people who stand in the aisle and apparently forget that they're on a plane?

[TamCloncey]

The biggest flaw with this test is they didn't take into account how 80% of real passengers ignore the boarding groups and storm the gate like a herd of cows the instant the door is opened. If the airlines want to keep things speedy then the person at the gate needs to be given the authority to tell someone that their group hasn't been called yet and to wait their turn. I've seen it happen countless times where they call a boarding group, but let anyone with a ticket through the gate. Why waste the ink of printing a boarding group if you never use it?

[firebirdude]

A possible flaw in the test, did you conduct the back-to-front first? So it being the first time all your subjects were seeing the plane and finding their seat, maybe it's inherently slower. Had you done back-to-front last, maybe the results would have been different?

[sophieleibinger]

you cant load people based on middle-window because people are generally travelling together and prefer to stay/queue with their buddies :)

[TheCentaury]

the issue with the WILMA is that it works in a fashioned experiment but in real, you're in a airport with families, bad audio, ... families wants to board at the same time. bad audio leads to people waiting to board while they were called... and so on.

[AForever-wiyj]

Of Course Southwest uses the most efficient boarding system.

[mishtaromaniello]

Southwest Airlines uses the "No Seats" technique; you just have a ticket and can board where you'd like. It typically takes 10 to 15 minutes to do.

[theduh]

The woman at 1:53, on the left bottom corner.... looks like she's been smoking something o.O

[DannyBeeVegas]

Southwest proves the random no assigned seats works well when people follow directions. Passengers are assigned numbers based on order of check-in. Their boarding usually runs faster than other airlines I've flown on.
Preboards, Preferred, then A15-30, 30-60, then family boarding, followed by B1 to 60 and C1 to 60.

[masterchafer]

Airlines no longer board for efficiency. Boarding order is another tool airlines use to generate revenue, either through paying to board early or incentivize cheap passengers to pay more for their seat next time they fly.

[Broockle]

Don't forget to take into account that the carry-on compartments get full and there's never enough space for everyone stuff especially on small planes like easyjet and ryanair.
People will ignore the announcers advice and board out of turn to make sure they can fit they're luggage.

[IWTBF]

I board whenever I want, normally last.
If I can be on that plane for as less time as possible the better.

[quillmaurer]

A related thought I've considered, but haven't seen much discussion of, is efficient unloading. Personally I find slow unloading, taking forever to get off the back of the plane, to be more frustrating than slow loading. That's universally front-to-back, each row getting up, dragging down their luggage, and walking off, usually with the entire aisle clear in front of the person pulling down their bag, each person having to get down their bag one at a time, I have to wait for literally every single passenger in front of me to do so. I'd think aisle-middle-window would be far more efficient. Aisle passengers - all at the same time - get up, get their bags, walk off. Then middle do so, then window. Concerns of finding bin space wouldn't matter, it would just be a matter of convincing people to stay put until it's their turn rather than trying to get off as quickly as they could. A case where individualistic action (getting up and blocking the aisle when it's not your turn) benefits the individual, while cooperative action (everyone waiting their turn) benefits everyone. Doubt that could be pulled off in the US, unless flight attendants yell at people to sit yo ass down until it's your turn.

[noone]

But if a family was traveling they wouldn't want to be split up when boarding. You don't let your ten year old get on with out you just because he has a window sit. Yes the concept is better, but I'm just thinking practical life.