![]() Next, agents and other staff members have a new app available to them with a group chat feature. It speeds up the process if passengers can go ahead and anticipate that there will be no room on a flight for their bags and stage them prior to boarding instead of circling around to do it later. This is especially helpful in terms of speeding up the gate-check process. Southwest is working to eliminate some of the waits by installing self-serve kiosks that allow travelers to do things like generate tags for gate-checked carry-ons, add infants to a reservation, reprint boarding passes, and even purchase last-minute boarding upgrades. These were initially yellow, but they started showing dirt and spills very quickly, so they are being replaced with blue!Īnother factor that can slow down your process is having to wait in line to talk to a gate agent. This will eliminate the confusion of where these passengers need to wait and could get them lined up and ready to board faster. Credit: SusanĪdditionally, Southwest is experimenting with color-coded carpeted areas that provide a visual cue for where to like up for various preboarding zones. The addition of the monitors seems like a common-sense approach to organizing the chaos. It is not always easy to hear what is happening in a busy airport, and it is easy to get distracted or to miss or even mishear an announcement. These monitors were available on my most recent flight, and I (KatieP) have to say that I thought they were a fantastic idea. This means that they will not have to rely completely on auditory cues from announcements over the noise of the airport. These monitors will provide visuals so that passengers can see which group is boarding. Here, the hypothesis is that this practice will get people moving along quickly and prevent some of the bottlenecking that occurs.Īnother is to add video monitors to the boarding zones. According to research, fast-beat music gets people moving. One such innovation is playing upbeat music on the jet bridge. Part of the busy airport is serving as “the innovation zone.” This zone includes 4 of the 18 Southwest gates. Many of these methods are being utilized at gates at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. However, you might encounter them if your next flight takes you out of Atlanta or if you have a connecting flight there. ✈️❤️✈️ /sPV20zSxyy- Atlanta Airport JanuCredit: my flight have any of these new procedures? Maybe! Remember, currently all processes mentioned here are still experimental and are not enforced across the entire company yet. They then board group by group in numeric order and select any available seat on a first-come, first-served basis. ![]() When it comes time to board, passengers are expected to line up in order at numbered posts. ![]() Travelers either pay for or receive an assigned boarding group upon check-in, either A, B, or C, along with position numbers 1-60. Once onboard, travelers simply choose any available seat and stow carry-on items in the nearest available overhead bin or under the seat in front of them if they fit. In other words, seats are not pre-assigned. If you have ever traveled with Southwest Airlines, you know that they also already have a unique open-seating boarding policy. For example, they allow passengers to bring along 2 carry-on items and provide complimentary checked luggage. Southwest Airlines has a very loyal fan following (despite recent issues), and part of that is due to the customer-friendly policies that set it apart from other airlines. Southwest Airlines Boarding Policy Credit: Southwest Southwest Airlines is experimenting with several new boarding policies that may just get you to the magic faster! Check out these policies and let us know if you hope they stick around for good. ![]()
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