London Gatwick is doing a two-month trial on a new boarding technique, in a bid to avoid queues and congestion at gates.
According to the airport, during the two-month trial, large digital screens and staff will be placed at Gate 101 to show passengers the order in which to board. A range of sequences will be trialled to test whether they make the process faster, more relaxing and, potentially, reduce the need for large numbers of passengers to rush forward at any stage.
Possible sequences include seating people from the back row to the front with window seats first, middle seats next, and aisle seats last.
Passengers who have booked priority boarding – or those who require special assistance or are travelling with young families – will still board first during the trial.
Modelling indicates that these techniques may be able to reduce boarding times by up to 10%, compared to conventional methods.
Observations from the trial, as well as feedback from passengers, will be used to decide whether to take this concept forward or not.
We want to explore whether boarding by seat number will avoid queues in the gate room and when boarding the aircraft. Early indications are that this new technique has the potential to reduce the overall boarding time. By communicating to passengers better and boarding passengers by seat number, we also expect to make the whole boarding experience more relaxing and, potentially, prevent large numbers of passenger rushing forward at any stage.
Abhi Chacko, Head of Enabling Technologies and Digital Innovation, Gatwick Airport
About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick is the UK’s second-largest airport. It serves more than 230 destinations in 74 countries for 46 million passengers a year, on short and long-haul point-to-point services.
Do you think the new boarding sequence will work and save time for passengers?
Over the past 10 years I have traveled, boarding passengers with seating in the rear has only occurred once or twice and one of those times passengers who did not have the rear seats were still allowed by the airline personnel to board. The one time it worked well. I was in the second boarding call and saw passengers ahead of me getting settled and the one after me come in and settle. It is more efficient way of boarding.
I even think first and business class passengers who do not have children or are not handicap, should not board until the back of the plane boarded. I saw a flight attendant trying to serve a business class passenger champagne while economy was still boarding. The attendant was bumped by an economy passenger with bags and spills it onto the seat and passenger. Not a good start plus they’re first to disembark so why the rush to board and not be able to relax with trains of people going through.
Well, not a problem in Business Class but in Economy anything it is better than the mad scrum boarding often becomes. I guess everybody is anxious to secure overhead locker space for themselves.
What do you think Sam? Is there an efficient Economy boarding method? You have vast aviation experience.