Many of them have reorganized their boarding process to include specific groups of people seating first, from back to front, or window to aisle, other at random, but United Airlines has embraced a new way to board their planes. Although this process is not new, the way that it is conducted is new. Dual boarding ramps are being used at their Denver hub for TED flights.
The dual-end or Y-shaped bridge connects to both doors of a narrow-body plane, arching over the wing to the back door, to allow for simultaneous loading or unloading. They automatically connect to aircraft using sensors that detect the plane's position, thus doing away with the need for workers to connect them by hand. This new process will help speed up the process. I first saw these dual boarding bridges in use in Australia. Both Qantas and Virgin Blue use a dual boarding process. It seemed as if the plane had boarded much quicker and smoother. There was fewer instances were I would find myself standing in the middle of the aisle waiting for someone to get settled so I could pass.
(photo from Jack Dempsey AP)
Another thing that is great about these new dual boarding bridges, it will allow United to do faster turn arounds, eliminating the need to buy new planes when they expand their flight schedules.
"Our customers - especially those in the rear of the plane - are already telling us they love the convenience of the new bridges," said Alex Marren, United's vice president of operational services, United Express and Ted. "Also, because we can board customers faster, we are able to eventually add more flights without adding new aircraft."
However some industry consultants are not so sure that this new dual boarding system is worth all the money that United is investing into the program.
Industry consultant Michael Boyd questioned the need for such an expensive system, saying airlines have at least 40 minutes to turn around their planes in a hub-and- spoke system anyway.
"It's a nice idea to get people on and off quicker," and it will help if flights are late, said Boyd, president of the Boyd Group in Evergreen. "But if you don't really need to do it, why are you putting all that money into it? This isn't going to suddenly make them more competitive than somebody else."
United has not said how much they have invested in the program but say it is a "multimillion dollar" investment. Quicker turn around times, happier passengers, and a system that is automated to reduce damage to planes, it certainly sounds like a wise investment to me.
What's your opinion? Have you used it before? Do you like them? Worth the cost?
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