Brazilian airline Azul deserves great credit for its innovative new boarding process, even though I am skeptical that it will work in theory.
New Azul Boarding Process Is Great…In Theory
In what appears more like a Disneyland ride than a flight boarding process, Azul has introduced a color-coded, projection-style system of boarding.
It solves numerous boarding problems and promotes social distancing.
In theory at least.
@crosscheck_de
Lets Board the Plane. #airline #airport #traveltheworld #fy #avgeek
I think this is a great innovation. Furthermore, I think that this idea has great potential around the world long after the pandemic subsidies.
But people are people. This whole process requires that people engage and pay attention. That’s asking a lot…
What happens when someone misses their turn? (this is actually a great potential for more innovation, if the system could automatically re-assign them a place in line). What happens if a family or friends are traveling together but separated in the cabin? How about the privacy concerns of broadcasting to everyone else where you are seated?
None of these issues are dealbreakers. Quite the contrary, even if the new Azul boarding process merely promotes order and falls short of perfectly achieving it, that constitutes progress.
Could airlines in the U.S. adapt similar boarding styles? Sure, why not? With airline demand picking up again and flights crowded, about the least socially-distanced part of the travel experience is the boarding process. I routinely observe people fail to leave room around them while waiting to board and then again on the aircraft jetbridge.
This new technology could be a way to solve this lingering problem.
CONCLUSION
Kudos to Azul for its innovation. At the very least, this new style of boarding is worth a try. While it will not be foolproof, I suspect that it will improve the boarding experience for most passengers and keep them safer.
(H/T: View From The Wing)
This isn’t really knew. I flew azul in Feb of 2020 and Azul was already using this
The fastest way to board is the following announcement, “ATTENTION LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND GATE LICE, BOARDING NOW. DO NOT TRAMPLE OVER PEOPLE BUT ANYTHING ELSE IS OK”
Since airlines want loyalty, they can preboard DYKWIA and elites.
This priority to the military smacks of a military dictatorship. In China (or was it Russia), the military get to drive in the VIP lane, sort of like the HOV lane, at least that’s the way it’s in movies. How about brain surgeons? And Matthew, who is very important to the internet world (no kidding!).
If I do not have a rollabag (rollerbag) then I like to board like British jetsetters….at the last minute. I have been the last to board several times and one of the last to board many times. One of those times was even at Heathrow where they called out my name on the intercom and then shut the door behind me.