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A Graphic Explanation of Why Boarding Airplane Passengers from Back to Front is Not the Fastest Method
…and a suggestion for faster ways to do it
By Rain Noe - February 6
Because I played The Oregon Trail as a child, I greatly appreciate air travel. For a few hundred bucks I can traverse America in hours, not months, with no fear of breaking my leg, starving to death or contracting dysentery. So I consider the hassles of air travel minor, although they are glaring.
The largest problem, as I see it, is a lack of 1:1 storage. The plane is going to leave at the same time whether I board first or last; all I care about is that there's space in the overhead compartment for my rolling carry-on. But just one inconsiderate person with a puffy jacket or a cowboy hat can erase available storage space for his seatmates.
The second-largest problem for me, which is probably the largest problem for the airline, are delays caused by inefficient boarding. Bording the plane from back-to-front sounds, on paper, like it would be the most efficient way. But it isn't. Why not? And what method would be the fastest? YouTube channel CGP Grey attempts to answer both questions here:
By the bye, fans of The Oregon Trail: There's an online version you can play here. Load it up next time you've got a layover at Dallas/Fort Worth.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
6 Comments
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I think it'd be faster if you could have 2 or 3 doors to enter the plane, rather than one ridiculous entryway for 200 people.
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Yes! I have boarded flights like that in Korea. Much faster.
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This sounds like something our culture as decided is a huge annoyance, when it's not. I usually wait to the end, walk on at the tail of the crowd, and get seated. I get to sit outside while the first class and privileged people are already in their seats, and I get there at the same time as everyone else. It takes a couple of minutes. Compared to the time wasted standing in lines for the waste-of-space TSA it's nothing.
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Simon, I use the same method, and while I'll agree that it is great for us as individuals, the problem still exits for everyone, including the airline. Look up studies of "how much it costs per minute to have a plane parked at a gate while de-planing and boarding" and you'll see why this is an issue that needs a solution beyond "oh just wait for everyone to get on then the line is short!"
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In 1986 I flew a domestic flight in Japan in a 747. It was completely full and doors closed in less than ten minutes. Another poster mentioned that US carriers haven't a clue, but I think it's the US culture of pushiness and me-first (or "me-only") that is really at the root of the problem. And I don't see that changing anytime soon. If anything, I think it is getting worse.
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Completely missing the point here, the order does not matter. People fly with too much crap to carry one. I have flown internationally over 1.5M miles and seen what does and what does not work, none of the USA carriers have a clue. There two airlines in china i have flown many on regional flights (2 hours and under) there planes load and unload with amazing speed-the solution is simple. There is no overhead storage all have been removed, big signs all over boarding explaining this, backpack or smaller only thing allowed in the cabin. And yes it works
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