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Enhanced Boarding

By: Susie Boersma sboersma

Aug 23 2007

Over the past year and a half, I've been fortunate enough to be involved in a project that is focused on improving our Customers' experience with our boarding process.  This is another great example of how Southwest Airlines truly listens and cares about our Customers.  Enough to make changes for you.  So what am I blabbering on about, it's the hottest craze to hit our gate area in the San Antonio airport.  We are testing a new boarding method that tries to improve our Customers' experience in our gate area.  I think it's great, and, no, I'm not biased.  Here's how it works: you check in and get your boarding pass, just like you would today, but now, in addition to the letter A, B, or C,  it also has a numeric position on it.  That numeric position is your spot in line!  We're, essentially, holding a place for you in line so you don't have to camp out in line before it's time to board the aircraft (Old Way: A...New Way:  A6).  You're now free to move about the airport...grab a coffee, a bite to eat, maybe even use the restroom with out having to leave those bags unattended. You don't have to be watching for thar first person to race to the front of the line and then hurry behind them, only to wait 30 minutes utill the plane even lands.  With all the flying I do, I lUV it, and I hope you will too.  Now remember, we're just testing it in the San Antonio airport.  We want to make sure you, the Customers, like it and that it doesn't hurt our "turn times."  So if your travel plans take you to the river walk, come say "hi."  We'll be testing there for a few more weeks.   

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Comments

@John Cantrell - Turn Time is the time between when the plane stops at the gate and wheels are chocked until the plane starts pushing back. You "turn" a plane by getting people off and getting new people on - it's been Southwest's adage since day one that planes do not generate revenue whilst sitting on the ground.

@Matthew - I too remember the plastic boarding passes fondly. Remember the ones in California that were die cut into the shape of the state? I also remember my shock when I received a paper boarding pass for the first time - yuck! And I don't understand what you mean by those silly automated boarding card retrievers - are you talking about the renegade websites that offer to get a boarding pass on your behalf?

@Tom - You're like me. It will be a terrible idea if you have BP A60 and get to the airport 90 minutes early, but it will be a WONDERFUL idea if you have BP A6 and get to the gate just as the last deplaning passengers are getting off.

But you know what's cool about Southwest? They are trying a new system in one airport to make sure it works before rolling it out system wide. Much better than somebody at corporate deciding this is the way it will be and forcing it on everybody from gate agents to passengers. Kudos to SWA for realizing that the solution might not be the best one.

I for one think it's a terrible idea, the race to make sure you're near a computer with internet to check-in now 24 hours before your flight is bad enough, now it won't be enough to get an A Boarding pass, but the actual order of the passes counts too.

Don't like it. This will make it even less fair to those who use those silly automated boarding card retrievers.

Go back to the old plastic cards at the podium, and then whatever number you get is whatever order you board in. This solves the problem of boarding area crowding/ unattended bags, and makes it more fair for everybody.

What's a "turn" time?