United is trying something (not really) new to get passengers on the plane more quickly. It recently announced a logistics ploy it calls Wilma – shorthand for window-middle-aisle – that…
United is trying something (not really) new to get passengers on the plane more quickly.
It recently announced a logistics ploy it calls Wilma – shorthand for window-middle-aisle – that it claims will cut boarding times by four to five minutes, an eternity in the industry’s on-time takeoff sweepstakes. The idea is to fill the window seats in economy class first, then the middle seats, then the aisle seats, thereby eliminating the free-for-all chaos that clogs the cabin when passengers are sent in by row numbers.
It’s been tried before (by Shuttle at United, as well as others), and failed. Two reasons, the first of which is exemplified by this United statement:
United, a unit of the UAL Corporation, bristles at Mr. Boyd’s opinion. Wilma works, United claims. “Come on, haven’t you ever boarded a plane, and sat down in an aisle seat, only to have someone come up to you and say, ‘Excuse me, could I get past you?’ ” asked Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for United. “This just makes sense. It’s quicker and it’s more efficient.”
Except that people aren’t quick and efficient. Or, rather, group quickness and efficiency are not what individuals are after. The quickness of the boarding process is not what most people have in mind. Getting their stuff on and getting esconced in their seats is.
If everyone (a) had no luggage, and (b) was travelling alone, this would work. But where I’ve seen United trying Wilma, it’s failed, because they always:
a. Offer to let First Class, Business Class, Premier, 100K Mile, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Onyx, Plum, Ecru, Zinc, and Electrum passengers board first. While the two seat classification groups don’t affect this, the others get scattered all over the plane, leading to congestion.
b. Offer to let families board together. Well, they have to do that. Can’t let little Billy get kidnapped by wild dingos by going first or going last. So we still end up with Mom, Dad, Suzy, Billy, and Billy’s Baby Seat and Other Pieces of Carry-On slowly forging their way down the aisle, then stopping and blocking the aisle for five minutes while they get bodies, babies, and bags arranged.
(I can say that with confidence, because I’ve been in that situation, and been highly sensitive to how much I was blocking things.)
c. Let folks in with too much luggage. For all that they have the little “this is how much space you have” boxes out in the boarding area, and supposedly have rules and regs posted, folks still arrive with massive duffles and carry-ons and the like that they, inevitably, try to fit in over their heads (requests to the contrary notwithstanding) or then try, unsuccessfully, to stuff under their seats.
(And, yes, sometimes I abuse this a bit as well, though I think I’m better than about 90% of other fliers.)
As the article notes, if you’re going to have assigned seating, you need to do it back-to-front. Or you need to eliminate assigned seating (like Southwest) and let folks board and sit as they may (which still leads to congestion, but will still tend to cause all the folks to get into seats as quickly as they can — and rewards people for being there on time).
And you also need to restrict carry-ons. I mean seriously restrict them. One bag or case — including purses and briefcases — and everyone has to show it fits into the little shoebox before they board. And the ticket takers have to enforce it. Period. End of story and exceptions require an act of God. Anything more than that get checked on the Jetway and you can wait an extra ten minutes for it.
Sure, folks will complain (I’d complain) — but they’ll do it. And they’ll have plenty of overhead bin space and will be able to stretch out and relax.
(via J-Walk)
