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There's been published papers on boarding efficiency, and boarding back to front is not efficient. The most efficient way to board is window seats first, middle seats second, and aisle seats last. It does not matter if it is front to back or back to front.
Still dont see how this is more efficient if someone putting away their carry on luggage sitting at a window seat in the front aisles will still block those from getting to the window seats in the rear aisles.
Boarding window seats first, middle seats second, and aisle seats last, from back to front would make MUCH more sense and be more effecient.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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In USA (short ... <5hrs) I prefer Southwest boarding...
Get on and GO!!!
Bags, coolers, pets fly free...
Changes - Free...
Since I am currently living in Asia and will again be on a plane tomorrow... it is a mad rush. The 'pushy' get on first. Subway mentality. Gotta get jammed in there before they close the door!
Nightmare... Spirit (hobo) air... (they load from the rear) everyone is wearing 6 sets of clothes and all get JAMMED in the rear portion of the plane while the front is empty. Safety they claim ! I am an engineer and I can't see the math behind that... safety? (albeit, statistics favor rear passengers for crash safety).. The HoBo flight attendants have the only parachutes and one hand on the emergency exit. And they let you know they will be the first ones out. (Chicago based crews... very SERVICE oriented!)
Mythbusters recently did a pretty large test of 6 ways of boarding an aircraft. (at least, the episode recently ran in the US, looks like it might have been in the can for a while or aired in other countries at other times). MythBusters Episode 197: Airplane Boarding
Basically, the Southwest style was the fastest (though only by a few seconds in a tight grouping of the best ways), but had the least happy passengers. The other faster ways were variations of window, middle, aisle in some configuration or the other. The Window Middle Aisle also had MUCH higher satisfaction scores. Back to front was dead slowest by a mile and had middling satisfaction scores.
I can't reveal all the details yet, on my exclusive OpenD's FTB (tm) method for loading and unloading a jumbo jet in 5 minutes or less, as my patent is still pending, but my system is wayyy better than what anyone uses now. Passengers are loaded one row at a time... the front row... window seat, then middle, then aisle. FTB - Front to Back
Once the front row is (quickly) filled, the entire row ratchets back a row on a conveyor belt and a new, empty row of seats flips up to take its place. Wash, rinse, repeat, in a rapid cycle.
Carryon luggage? Not allowed. Anything that has wheels on it or cannot fit under the seat in front of you must be checked before reaching the TSA station or you will be arrested.
High Mileage Special Status Travelers, the elderly, children, the disabled, and those requiring assistance will be boarded last, so they aren't annoying everyone else the whole time.
To unload at the destination, just reverse the process. Dump the front row at the exit chute, ratchet forward, repeat.
And a safe hold for uncivil uncooperative passengers (a la the brig) would help keep them from making a scene and potentially inconveniencing the majority of passengers from any delays and unplanned returns to airport for security reasons.
They say airlines board back to front NOT TRUE. I have taken careful note of how the various airlines board passengers and the chaos created by boarding FRONT to BACK. Most recently was on a US Airways flight. I used my gold status to get seated early before group 1 was called and then watched flabbergasted as all forward seats were filled while rear of aircraft remained empty and jetway clogged with waiting passenger. Then the middle of the aircraft began to arrive and then aft passengers. Then incredibly all the window seated passengers began to arrive for the front and everybody had to get out of their seats again, then window passengers for middle and finally window passengers for the rear. Needless to say it took 35 minutes to load just over 100 persons and flight was delayed. I have observed this with several different airlines but does not happen all the time. No idea why but incredibly a computer glitch or something causes this ridiculous scenario time and again.
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(albeit, statistics favor rear passengers for crash safety).. The HoBo flight attendants have the only parachutes and one hand on the emergency exit. And they let you know they will be the first ones out. (Chicago based crews... very SERVICE oriented!
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