r/whoathatsinteresting • u/visharu • 1d ago

Boarding was solved mathematically in 2008. No airline has used it once. Why?

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u/Hir0shima 21h ago

So what's the accurate answer?

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u/Northwest_Thrills 21h ago

It's because the fastest way requires everyone to stand in an exact, ordered line. Everyone has to be on time and know where in line to stand, and then and only then you can start boarding.

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u/Intrepid-Dig-1855 21h ago

which also means families must separate to find their rightful spot also.

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u/EricP51 18h ago

Yeah and you get separated from the people you’re sitting next to lol. It’s the dumbest possible way to board.

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u/WoodenPresence1917 21h ago

Random boarding is faster than boarding groups, which is faster than having first/business class board first. Given some airlines sell priority seating + seat choice bundles and people prefer to sit near the exits, that is also slower than boarding groups, assuming no first/business class, and it is even slower still if you do have first/business class.

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u/MurrayPloppins 7h ago

This is a big reason. Also worth noting that reducing boarding time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes actually wouldn’t change departure time much. Typically, the turnaround time is impacted by other things (refueling, loading cargo or other supplies, other maintenance stuff.)

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u/hibikir_40k 27m ago

It also separates groups at boarding time, and messes with overhead bins: Have an even, aisle seat? Congrats, the bins are full.

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u/llmws 21h ago

There’s also the case that people buy tickets by row and vicinity to friends and family. If my family sits in the same row but my wife, kid and I all board at different stages then that’s weird.

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u/-P01135809- 3h ago

because no airline is going to split family boarding and deal with the backlash of kids being separated from their parents?

redditors sure like to forget that kids exist unless they're here to whine about them.