What's the Best Plane Boarding Plan? | MythBusters

We've all been tortured with the hassle of inefficient plane boarding. The MythBusters demystify the process and show us what methods would be most effective. | For more MythBusters, visit dsc.discovery.c...
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[@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

[@benjaminheinje66]

they could just do business, groups, then window/middle/aisle. family would want to get a group ticket and maybe make buying them simpler.

[@rudyzk]

but they could put an exception for families

[@uperdown0]

No, they use the slower methods to bottleneck passengers - making the experience as uncomfortable as possible - so they'll be encouraged to purchase more add-ons for their tickets. Back in the old days seat sizes were bigger, and there were less passengers, so your answer would be correct, it would create a comfortable environment for families while only sacrificing a few minutes. Nowadays airlines try to run as efficiently as possible, so unless it makes them money (and losing collectively days of time in the air usually doesn't), then they won't do it.

[@avbleu4008]

Exactly what I was thinking!

[@MrMarinus18]

Indeed and customer satisfaction is important. After all if they liked it then it's likely they will fly with you again. In Europe Back to Front is not standard it's everyone boarding at once with the premiums first. There assigned seats.

[@StrawB0ss]

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.

[@JoeLewis14]

I travel all the time for work. Couldn't agree more. You either wait in a seat on the plane, or wait in a seat at the gate.

[@Underdogbassist]

Works well as long as you’re comfortable giving up your overhead luggage spot.

[@JonatasAdoM]

Yea, you either are the first or you wait to be the last. It's not like the plane is going without you or like it would take off any faster.

[@JoeLewis14]

@@Underdogbassist Travel with a backpack that fits under the seat in front of you, and it is never an issue.

[@kele8559]

@@JonatasAdoM the plane will not wait for you dude...

[@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?

[@NWA744]

Ive seen gate agents tell passengers to get back in line because they had the wrong boarding group. Its why the gate agents often take the ticket out of your hands and scan it themselves so they can check your boarding group.

[@CalvinHikes]

But usually people who crowd the gate are also in a hurry to find their seats. Which is why the completely random method is faster.

[@micahphilson]

As active duty military, I never take most military benefits/discounts... but loading first (after small children and disabled people) is so nice. Being able to just get on a plane and sit there on my phone while everyone else stands impatiently in line and complains and feels rushed putting their bags in the overheads is nice enough I'd understand why people would be jerks and skip their section. I mean, I follow rules and would never do it myself and would hate those people if I didn't do this now, but I do get it. Though as another comment mentions, you get this same effect sitting in the terminal until everyone's in, which I may do when I leave the military!

[@TheCentaury]

yep not only that, there is also people who don't listen when their seat number has been called and you see them holding their tickets in their hands, you see the number on their ticket and you think "how my god we are not yet boarded"

[@lanychabot-laroche135]

That was my thought too. The volonteers there wanted to be there and be efficient. Random people are far more chaotic.

[@mishtaromaniello8295]

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.

[@icarue993]

How much line is there to board? Since it's first come first served

[@Thesupremeone34]

@@icarue993 its actually rather short like dude up there said, its maybe 10 minutes to board a southwest flight

[@Riley_Mundt]

@@icarue993 It's a lot longer than what these two are saying. I flew Southwest many times growing up and it is effectively boarding front to back. Everyone always picks the seat closest to the entrance and slows down the entire line behind them. Boarding typically took 20 minutes plus.

[@firebirdude2]

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?

[@stevescoffee8325]

firebirdude2 because of how cut down this video was, it’s unlikely that was their first time, and also it wouldn’t cause that large of a difference in time anyways.

[@misterguy2929]

perhaps but its the control. its the most common system in place and the test showed the same results as we see in real life scenario. So its a confirmation of the control

[@evancurtis729]

Mabie they gave the people new seats or even better, used a different group of people each time.

[@icarue993]

True. A true experiemnt would have made many more experiemnts with different people and different orders.

[@MissMoontree]

At the same time, they could be tired and slower at the end of the day. And they do seem to put their ticket back into the box.

[@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.

[@bridgetthewench]

It also winds up being similar to but not exactly WILMA, because group A mostly takes window seats, B usually takes aisle seats, and C is left with middle seats.

[@sophieleibinger9794]

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

[@marallenrondez2606]

I think airlines do make exceptions for families

[@Enzar17]

But in that case it shouldn't matter because they're all sitting down at once. Would have been nice to get a control, though.

[@extrahourinthepit]

The thing is, if you allow people to exchange their tickets beforehand, this would not be an issue

[@benbrice9343]

They would just see them again in ten minutes or so. Your assigned seat is still your seat. Most of time they have signs to explain these kinds of thing's or at least tell you over the intercom.

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

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

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

@@alexanderzerka8477 i imagine it would be quite hard to seat everyone when nobody is actually sitting down

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

@@alexanderzerka8477 It's my thread, why should I be the one to go away?

[@adamrobinson6951]

@@alexanderzerka8477 Third party here, you actually criticised his initial complaint with an irrelevant point. His problem is valid, and your critique is not.

[@adamrobinson6951]

@@alexanderzerka8477 What he characterises as people standing in the aisle for no practical reason is definitively not what you describe. He specifically stated "for no practical reason", which immediately rules out your interpretation of those "attempting to cooperate". You seemingly decided to disagree without actually considering what he wrote. You were then hostile when he corrected you, and accused him of being irrelevant to a conversation he started. I'm glad you aren't under the illusion that you were writing anything subjective or technical, since what you wrote was the definitive opposite - argumentative and uninformed.

[@adamrobinson6951]

@@alexanderzerka8477 You didn't argue against assumptions. You made assumptions that directly contradicted the post you responded to. It isn't uncommon for people to stand in the aisle without consideration for those trying to get to their seats. Calling those people out didn't warrant your hostility. You seem to have intentionally decided to reinterpret the initial post because you couldn't justify the behaviour it criticised and wanted to disagree. That's completely unnecessary, especially when the original poster corrected you and you continued to be hostile.

[@MR1Bunkerd]

0:32 green sweater thats me

[@jasonlikesrice]

do an AMA

[@zachburke8906]

You are a sweater?

[@Jay-kb8sg]

Actual

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

Clout chasing

[@machy8515]

@@zachburke8906 he is, he looks nice.

[@quillmaurer6563]

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.

[@Harrowed2TheMind]

Moreover, if the boarding was window-midlle-aisle, then luggage in the overhead compartments will be placed in just the right order for an efficient removal as well by following the same order in reverse, with the aisle luggage being the most accessible and the windows in the bottom.

[@quillmaurer6563]

@@Harrowed2TheMind True potentially, but usually bags are loaded side-by-side rather than on top of each other, so all of it is accessible simultaneously, nothing buried.

[@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

[@MrMarinus18]

A lot of European airline companies use the completely random method.

[@Riley_Mundt]

Growing up, my family flew exclusively on Southwest, which while having boarding groups, does not assign seats. Effectively all Southwest flights boarded from front to back with boarding groups only there to determine your place in line. Unless you made sure to get your boarding group assignment as soon as you were allowed to, you were going to board last, and be stuck with nothing but some disconnected middle seats as your only options. It is why whenever I fly I pick an airline that has assigned seats.

[@micahphilson]

That sounds abysmal for families who can't mobilize quickly! "Here's a seat for you, and one for you, and I guess you two will have to sit on our laps because children under 10 should absolutely not be apart from their parents for a 3 hour flight."

[@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.

[@MrMarinus18]

It always is about revenue. Boarding efficiency is important for money. Since every minute on the ground is lost time so they want to have them board and take off again as fast as possible.

[@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.

[@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.

[@ТомасАндерсон-в1е]

the plane isn't idle while passengers are boarding. There's fuel to pump, checks to make, and clearances to get. A longer boarding time helps people who are late to boarding to still make it.

[@JonatasAdoM]

This has to be one of my favorites episodes; that I never got to watch in full. Would love it to have been longer.

[@theduh2728]

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

[@jumpingr0pechannel]

That’s a woman?

[@zamane1234]

She looked like this -> 😳 *crazy*

[@johndavidtackett]

It’s about money & branding, not efficiency, they’re able to upsell and charge more for specific seating groups and offer “priority” to specific groups such as military. Also, the6 need t8me between flights to refuel, safety checks, cleanup, etc… so they wouldn’t save money by turning around the plane quicker as it’s limited by those things already.

[@matthewpierce5525]

I was confused at first because the airline I usually use does the front-to-back method.

[@alexandragisellechavez3564]

t hat Airlines uses group Boarding system.front - back

[@MrMarinus18]

That's really strange since that is the worst way to do it. Because people need to stop in the lane to put away their baggage. If they do so at the front it means they are blocking the way for the rest of the passengers. If you do the back first then the ones in the front can stow it away at the same time.

[@darkdragon7210]

@@MrMarinus18 And sit down right after.

[@IWTBF]

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

[@A.J.1656]

No matter the method of boarding, I think we can all agree on the death penalty for the people who's seats is in the back but they get on, throw their bags in the first available bin causing the rest of he passengers to have to move up and down the aisle looking for a spot and creating two way traffic in a one lane road.

[@2AForever-wi8yj]

Of Course Southwest uses the most efficient boarding system.

[@AlonsoRules]

they also have 2 checked bags - double winning

[@bridgetthewench]

Except it's middle seats that board last on Southwest. It's still effecient, but it's annoying being a middle seat. I've had aisle seat people not want to get up and expect me to just squeeze past them. I don't think so, there's not even leg room to sit comfortably, I'm not about to just climb over a stranger's lap!

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

@@bridgetthewench just say you're gonna sit in their lap. Best way to get them to move

[@CaptainJet99]

Here in Melbourne Australia we bord at the same time but if your seat row is 16-30 you get on at the back entrance to the plane and if it’s 1-15 you get on in the front entrance

[@lewininja250r]

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.

[@SarahPalinQuit]

Then don't get a window seat.

[@Klaratchi]

ever heard of overbooked flights? People want to be on the plane to make sure they actually get on the plane.

[@Doivid_]

Carry on luggage space....

[@sophieleibinger9794]

me too!

[@raidwipe]

What do you mean don't get a window seat? Are airlines where you come from first come first serve for seats? That's weird. Also overbooked flights hahaha that's so shit, I can't believe the land of the free puts up with that shit and blames consumers for it.

[@micahphilson]

If you're already going in by individual seat, I remember there's an algorithm for the purely optimized loading time. It would really suck for families and the people calling each number, but hey, it would be ridiculously efficient! Mathematically at least.

[@noone1929]

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.

[@erauprcwa]

That's why airlines will ask that if you are a veteran, elderly, needing assistance, family... You can board first to allow for more time.

[@Punk3rGirl]

No one Then maybe they could just make a rule where the kid tags along with the parent’s ticket. So when the parent’s ticket is called, the kid goes with them. Though I feel it’s only necessary for very young children. A 10 year old is perfectly capable of finding their seat and waiting a few minutes for their parent to join them tbh.

[@evancurtis729]

ERAUPRCWA, not to be disrespectful or anything, but I can't seem to understand why a veteran that does not also fall under the other categories you mentioned would need more time to be seated.

[@idaqryi8872]

Evan Curtis because it’s respect, it’s only for when they are returning home on leave or just finished their tour however which is why they are allowed first

[@alexandragisellechavez3564]

families have priority Boarding!! ..they always go first

[@jennabobenna3631]

Not sure if the tickets/seats were switched after the first board but I would say that the passengers had a practice run the first time and all other attempts would be faster

[@DanielRieger]

how many times have you boarded a plane? is it faster every time?

[@jennabobenna3631]

@@DanielRieger if we all already knew WHERE our seat was and WHO we were sitting next to? Yea, I'd call that a drill & the purpose thereof is to get more efficient, so I'd say 'yes.'

[@ratcatcher4804]

Best seats are 3/4 midcabin on wing engine planes you're far enough away from the lav and galley safer in a crash and have a spot for carry-on. MD-80 you want the 4th or 5th last row or mid cabin if you want a good window seat. The ones that get on last usually have to fight for a carry-on on overhead space and have to check the bag. It's amazing how quickly they fill up. But then you have to wait longer to get off the plane. Then again you don't get any compliments in the back of the plane anymore these days.

[@meganwestrick156]

They don’t mention accounting for parties of two or more traveling together. The WMA technique would mean parties seated next to each other cannot board together. Accounting for exceptions for families with children or those who need assistance would probably increase the boarding time.

[@oprahwinfrey878]

I work for a U.S. legacy airline. I can’t say which of course but I’ll state that we board passengers, to our aircrafts, sooner than later and deliberately. This is done to keep our customers preoccupied, rather than sitting around waiting impatiently. It also lessens the chance for delay from unforseen implications. Those with disabilities, for example, or issues with our patrons carry-on luggage. Rushing also leads to missed detail and we all don’t want that.

[@paulmag91]

Starting sooner rather than later makes sense, of course. But here we are talking about taking longer time from the start time. If you want to minimize the chance of delay you could start at the same time and then use a more effective method.

[@kylerekedal1439]

Unassigned is my favorite, Southwest makes it work incredibly well

[@Spacemonkeymojo]

This show was so good. RIP Grant.

[@Kaibigan39]

What about the airlines who board front to back (Delta)? Would love to see how that factors in.

[@kanter1598]

Airlines in 2150: Hey, maybe we should consider new boarding technique that could potentially be more effective? No one has ever done that before us

[@-Comet.]

It always bothered me that front to back, which is effectively what most airlines use due to doing 1st class, business, economy +, economy, wasn't tested.

[@Subject295]

Adam is THE MAN! Not only does he get excited about the Science, he dresses for the part also.

[@CalvinHikes]

And not a single Airline change their technique. There must be a reason but I like to think they just don't care.

[@samxyx]

WHO WOULD VOLUNTEER TO BOARD A PLANE?!!?!?!?!? Lmao

[@HariSeldon913]

fans of the show. Plus it's possible there was some incentive like a tour of the sets or similar.

[@HariSeldon913]

fans of the show. Plus it's possible there was some incentive like a tour of the sets or similar.

[@alisonw7407]

They could also be background actors hired from an agency

[@ianmoseley9910]

Probably a free lunch

[@cezarr7603]

For cocaine

[@uk1996london]

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.

[@michaldome8414]

It's relative to many factors. If this method takes 15mn then the right one would have taken 8mn.

[@MrMarinus18]

This one was a conservative estimate with just one entrance. Most airports have facilities for only 1 boarding door at a time. Larger airports can have 2 so they can use both the front and back door at the same time.

[@simonwest9450]

I can see this working on narrow bodied aircraft (one central gangway but doubt it very much so on wide-bodied aircraft with a middle section of seats. The back to front system also works even worse if economy passengers have to walk through first/premium econ to get to economy (given first/premium passengers board first).

[@IWTBF]

Simon West if i was flying business or first class, I’d want to board last and exit first. As least time on that plane as possible.

[@SaurusSineater]

1:52 The girl in bottom left corner is like "i have a sudden, unstopable urge to use last second bathroom"

[@charlescalthrop2535]

The Steffen Perfect method is ... well, perfect. Shame they didn’t try it.

[@darkdragon7210]

What does it entail?

[@colefreer]

The Southwest method works!

[@Shteev91]

All falls apart once you consider the needs of families to board at the same time.

[@valiroime]

Back to front? Every airline I’ve flown seats front to back.

[@gizmoguyar]

Yeah, same here. Although I was boarding a delayed flight once, and the flight attendant got on the PA in the terminal and said "because we're running late today, we're going to try and save some time by boarding back to front..." That made me cringe.

[@charlescalthrop2535]

Wouldn’t front to back be the absolute slowest? Since everyone is waiting on the person in front of them.

[@darkdragon7210]

They actually used to board Back to front.

[@emmers2698]

Just sticking with the slower method is probably best considering if everyone is boarded too fast then they would have to wait for the ground crews to finish up loading the plane and refueling it. Either way you will still be waiting anyways.

[@bwakel310]

Emmers Ebon Hawk The four years I worked at the airport, the ground crew was done 95% of the time before boarding, with a lot of time to spare.

[@paulmag91]

That's like saying making traffic flow more efficient is pointless, because if you arrive earlier at work you would just have to wait for work to begin anyway. No, then you would of course start your drive slightly later and have more time at home. So if we could make boarding on average 10 minutes faster we could start boarding on average 10 minutes later and people would need to spend on average 10 minutes less on the airport.

[@theendofit]

The most important thing is how pepole perceived the wait. This proves that most of the time pepole complaining about long waits are likely exaggerating it in thier heads.

[@jayreed9370]

The premise is off, at least in the US. I have ridden all the major carriers and have never in my life loaded back to front. It's always front to back.

[@lisab8108]

I love the video but you guys forgot that most airlines board their frequent flier after first class, that accounts for a lot of passengers.

[@Macromental]

Rear windows, then rear aisles, mid windows, then mid aisles, then front windows.. etc.

[@BryonLape]

I don't fly very much, but I haven't seen the back to front technique in over 20 years. Typically it is based on zones that are all over the aircraft.

[@MissMoontree]

Lucky you. I haven't been on a plane 20 years ago, only more recent. And the back to front happened a lot.

[@stealthytrapper2328]

i always try to haste and get in front of the line cuz i always take the window seat and dont wanna wait for people standing up to let me get to my seat

[@DaHaiZhu]

The 'best' plan is to use ALL the frigg'n doors with passengers assigned use the correct door for their seat. Funneling 350+ passengers through one door is like herding cats.

[@brad5575]

yea, Wilma!

[@EpicThe112]

Nice video clip and Adam and Jaime should have experimented the Windows, Middle Aisle on a twin aisle aircraft like the B787-9 . For random boarding it turns out that is being used by American Airlines since 2011 and it's before that that would be the pre American Airlines merger US Airways with reverse pyramid boarding but window middle aisle boarding is currently used by United Airlines in their San Francisco hub

[@abbbbbbb4482]

What is interesting is the fastest method is the one where you simply allow people to compete and not have experts try to guide things. If I recall correctly that was true with supper market line myth. Go Invisible Hand!

[@grutarg2938]

This clip doesn't show their full methods, but I'm wondering about families or other groups of travelers who would like to stay together while boarding?

[@Mngalahad]

couldnt the people find their seats faster the second time and also do everything faster now that they know to move to let someone else go, leave their big luggage in the back and also, be done with it?

[@Rajesh_Singh301]

Randomness has its advantages.

[@KingNefiiria]

The unfortunate thing is that parties and families will be adamant about piling in with whomever gets on the plane first. "Oh my children HAVE to come with me(understandable)." "Oh I can't leave my spouse and family(not children) alone(less understandable)." Working at a place that forces me to group people and still keep then satisfied with the seats they get, I've run into dozens of situations where impatient, angry, and/or pushy people who refuse to compromise, will argue with you over methodology, or simply won't even talk to you and demand a manager before words can even be exchanged. They aren't the majority, but they're sporadic enough that you will catch them about 10% of the time, which is about 90% too often in my opinion 😅

[@paulmag91]

They should still just use random boarding order then.

[@AaronShenghao]

Let's to be honest, minus the boarding time. The time spent to empty the waste tanks, refill water tanks, refuel the plane, empty the checked baggage of previous flight, load the checked baggage for this flight and then do the preflight check takes at least 20 minutes... and boarding the plane can be done while they do all those above...

[@erauprcwa]

Exactly, not to mention the anomaly flights that are international and require security screenings before boarding, which is why an international flight will take an hour or more before it departs.

[@firebirdude2]

Yes, but the theory would be that you could START boarding later.

[@paulmag91]

That's not the point at all. It doesn't matter to the airline. It matters to the passengers. If boarding is 10 minutes faster then every passenger could arrive at the airport 10 minutes later.

[@Heretowatchstuff]

I was excited when I had zone 1 for my boarding. I’m waiting at the gate and the call for business class. Then diamond level. Then platinum level. Then anyone with special needs or military traveling in uniform. Then it was finally zones 1,2,3 can board. I travel light, so now I just wait until I’m last.

[@ziauddinsiddiqui7769]

Parents with small children will have concerns regarding the WILMA seating methods.

[@shadowthehedgehog182]

the reason why is cause its for last minute tests before flight

[@RainAngel111]

Unfortunately all the most popular methods you tested splits up groups that are sitting together. No one with kids can board like that.

[@awnb95]

Just saw on the news that one of the major airlines is going with the fastest one in the test window, middle, isle. Said it will shave 2 Mins off boarding time.

[@Tomtycoon]

Every time I went on a plane, they just let the people go how they want. We usually wait at the gate to board last, not to stand in line.

[@scottmcshannon6821]

i have never loaded back to front, i have always loaded front to back. logically back to front should be the fastest. the window, middle, aisle sounds interesting, but you are breaking up family groups. you didnt even test the one ive always used on every flight ive taken, front to back, once they load first class they just keep on going.

[@KringusKrang]

The airlines, in fact, did not hear that.

[@653j521]

How does this work with all the special classes that board before the rest? Are there enough of those people to slow down the best results?

[@benbrice9343]

I think boarding ( even in the least efficient method ) is still faster than the time it takes for them to do all of their pre-flight checks and get clearance to begin taxiing to the runway so it's a moot point anyway.

[@Ty-yy7zr]

How have airlines not figured this out yet???

[@Lil96millie]

Should've done a test that started with the back all at once to get people in the plain immediately and then do the window to isle technique for the rest of the plain starting from back to front still just so the people can at least be on the plain already cause its hard to load a plane if the people arent even on it yet

[@quillmaurer6563]

I'm guessing that might be the "pyramid" method shown on the soreboard at the end, though this clip didn't include that.

[@NerdyThingsWithBrendon]

Someone call Delta. Just got off a plane and it was a nightmare

[@nategibbons172]

If people would listen to the order and the gate would enforce this, it would go easier. I have always thought the Window Middle Isle makes the most sense. ALSO, if you are boarding in the last 20%, CHECK YOUR BAG!!! PS I typically fly in 1st so... ;)

[@melm6797]

Why are all the volunteers adults? Where are the little kids? The tweens? How would they do using the Wilma method for example? Also, kids take longer to do things. As for families having priority boarding, what about those flights that the majority of the passengers ARE families?

[@JonatasAdoM]

Planes should have 2 doors. One half goes on the first, second half goes on the second.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Or another method would be to have one door at the middle of the plane, so that way half are going one way and half the other, only have to fill half a plane down each aisle, but still only need one jetway. Would be elegant, but a couple major issues. Would mean first/business class wouldn't be as easy to get to, and giving them the best experience possible is always most important regardless of how much it slows things down or makes things harder for everyone else. Second is that most airplanes have the wings and engines in the way - it would work with an airplane with aft-mounted engines and aft-set wings, such as the DC-9/MD-80 series, or the old 727, but those are all but gone now. Had Boeing built the 757 with rear-mount engines, as they were initially planning, it certainly would have made sense in that case.

[@robinbabcock4620]

First, ban carryon luggage. Then go window, middle and then aisle.

[@niekwels8686]

The problem with the line technique is that for example a child need to walk on his self to his seat and if the parants may help there cild its getting totatly random afther all depending on how many childs there boarding

[@petarmilic9729]

basicaly some former american employees confirmed this. they use it so they can sell you early bording and such

[@huzzzer6083]

1:52 The lady's face in the bottom left

[@ro_yo_mi]

Board faster, but still you'd need to wait for your luggage to be stowed and the plane fueled.

[@bridgetthewench]

Southwest boards in what ends up being a combination of random and WILMA methods, and you don't wind up waiting too long for everything to be loaded. The tickets are also pretty cheap compared to other airlines.

[@sammencia7945]

If you load last rows first, back to front, you tip the nose off the ground. Physics.

[@tf7274]

I wait till they call my name and then drop a $20...they forget about everyone else on the plane and I get great service and they know my name.

[@WilkenWilkins]

make sure you make your PBP!!!!

[@Sly25]

What if you can board from the front and back?

[@EpicThe112]

That actually works you would see that in East Asia in ICN🇰🇷 HKG🇭🇰 TPE KHH🇹🇼 KIX NRT HND🇯🇵 BKK🇹🇭 SIN🇸🇬 PEK PVG XMN🇨🇳 also MNL 🇵🇭

[@tommyt1971]

Why didn't they name their fictional airline MythbustAIR?

[@Mngalahad]

The reason they do it is because they want to keep the families together. So everyone is saying "but airlines allow families to stick together and board first so they all go in at the same time". but don't you think then there would be plenty of exceptions to the window rule? Im sure plenty of people dont travel allow so it would probably be a mess. plus, if you get the aisle, that means you put your luggage last and you might struggle to find space if greedy fuckers decided to bring big ass backpacks. which means no one would want the aisle. The back to front is better. and if people in the back havent sitted down, they dont disturb the ones in the front.

[@Seanmm8855]

I'm more familiar with the front to back wipe

[@2TimothyChapter2]

That would be good, except families/groups couldn't board together.

[@driverjoe9225]

Maybe that's why they use it. To burn time while they wait for fueling and their turn for the ramp.

[@MrGarthor]

It would be an interesting analysis to see where the actual bottleneck is. I'm pretty sure I've gotten on a plane before and still had to wait a while for no explainable reason before they started taxiing (though now I can't remember the specific situation) Surely, the benefit from the satisfaction score being so much higher though would put things in perspective... =p

[@1997saltydog]

Look at all these people who seem to be experts in the airline industry.

[@IWTBF]

GarThor Son of Odin airlines want to be on the ground for as least time as possible. Whilst they are on the ground it’s costing them ££££

[@patrickgraham7543]

i remember when i traveled from miami to trinidad during summer of 2014, the reason our flight was delayed was because one of the flight attendants was watching the world cup...

[@abdullahhamidaddin8156]

Name of the episode please

[@thaddeusmccaustland8023]

0:34 *Hello Mr. White*

[@genericyoutubehandle]

Finally a useful myth

[@kele8559]

Grey has the answer

[@addie-eileenpaige6460]

Not so much a boarding nightmare, but a weather one. I flew out of a nor'easter and the plane almost didn't make it off the ground. However, our pilot was from the area I was flying to, so he was determined to get home.

[@ymeynot0405]

CGP GREY Solved this on his KZbin Channel.

[@G_Machine_Joe]

SouthWest Airlines is a huge blunder with their 'general admission' seating. It is the most disorganized chaos I've ever encountered flying, and it's like that at every airport they fly in and out of. I'm a big fan of assigned seating. I'll pay extra for a different airline.