United to halve boarding time

[tulswa]

SWA has had one in ALB for a couple of years and two more in AUS and DAL. The DAL is gone. I am not sure about the one in AUS. They were prototypes, I believe. The one in ALB works great for deplaning. It gets the people off pronto. It does not provide as much of an improvement to the boarding process, but assigned seats may help.

 

[UnitedChicago]

Yes, it is a disaster on most a/c when catering shows up in the middle of a boarding process. However, Ted flights are catered for multiple segments so catering only shows up occasionally-not for every leg.

Ted flies extra weight on some flights that is doesn't even need? Every pound counts - they should only fly what the intend to serve.

 

[ualdriver]

Ted flies extra weight on some flights that is doesn't even need? Every pound counts - they should only fly what the intend to serve.

You have to "weigh" (he-he) the costs between catering the aircraft for multiple legs and only having to pay the catering people for ONE delivery for several segments vs. the cost of carrying some extra weight around. As soon as the Gate Gourmet people (or whoever they are nowadays) pulls a truck up to the side of your airplane, they charge you a nice, big, fat fee whether they fill the airplane with food or drop off a water bottle.

 

[laura62]

Ted flies extra weight on some flights that is doesn't even need? Every pound counts - they should only fly what the intend to serve.

Perhaps you weren't aware that airlines also "ferry" or "tanker" fuel from places where the fuel is cheaper. Meaning they will "fill 'er up" even though the flight plan doesn't call for a full tank, so as to take advantage of the lower prices. It must be worth the extra weight to do so or they wouldn't do it. Same thing for the galleys.