Airline boarding process intentionally chaotic to make customers pay for easier boarding
New York CNN – The airline boarding process has become increasingly chaotic, and it turns out, it’s by design. Airlines have made it messy to encourage passengers to pay for a smoother boarding process. The result is frustration and confusion among travelers.
Passengers often crowd the gate queue, causing a bottleneck. Even though they initially planned to wait calmly until their zone was called, many can’t resist joining the scrum. Additionally, there is confusion about which zone passengers are assigned, leading to improper line formation. Some passengers even resort to cutting the line to secure overhead bin space for their carry-on bags.
Once the correct zone is called, passengers make their way onto the plane, only to find even more backups. The line on the jet bridge is often backed up, causing additional delays. And when passengers finally step onto the plane, they experience further congestion and difficulty finding overhead bin space. This chaos and complexity during boarding are deliberate tactics employed by airlines.
According to travel industry expert Henry Harteveldt, airlines created this complexity intentionally. The goal is to incentivize passengers to pay for priority boarding, which guarantees a less troublesome experience. Carrier marketing teams focus on maximizing revenue from boarding, while operations teams strive for efficiency, creating internal tension.
There are multiple reasons behind the disorderly boarding process. Firstly, airlines have realized they can increase profits by charging additional fees for priority boarding. This has led to crowded airports and crowded boarding areas. Furthermore, the introduction of bag fees and loyalty programs has added to the chaos. Passengers now carry on more bags to avoid extra charges, making the boarding process slower.
Airlines have tried various boarding strategies without success. Attempts to board passengers with window seats first or to board from the back to the front have not improved efficiency and have caused congestion in the aisles. Researchers have even developed more effective methods, such as the Steffen Method, which reduces boarding time by nearly half. However, airlines have yet to implement these approaches due to concerns about interference with their current strategies.
To make the boarding process easier for everyone, airlines could consider making checked bags free, reducing the number of boarding zones, and implementing open seating. Southwest Airlines serves as a model for efficient boarding by allowing passengers to claim the first available seat. However, airlines are unlikely to adopt this model as it would result in a loss of revenue from seat assignments.
In conclusion, it seems unlikely that airline boarding will become smoother unless passengers are willing to pay extra. The deliberate chaos created by airlines will persist as long as customers continue to seek a more hassle-free experience.