Why don’t airlines board planes starting with the back rows then move forward?
In: Engineering
Because that doesn’t help.
[Here’s some further reading](https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a30549336/math-boarding-plane/), but shortly speaking: the fastest way to board is more complicated than front/back or back/front. But random isn’t too terrible of a way in the meantime.
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They used to (except for first class). Once checked bag fees became a thing, that boarding method was scratched in favor of “who pays the most, boards earlier”.
Because they want those of us in cattle class to have to walk through business/first class so we feel jealous and aspire to be in those seats some day. /s
It is actually more efficient, although some airlines utilize both doors if the airports are equipped for it, so the passengers are boarded “from front to back” from two directions at once.
Because airlines mileage programs and credit cards are worth more than the airline itself.
Boarding groups to loyalty members and offering better boarding options for those who spend more is literally what keeps the lights on.
They know there is better ways to board. Everyone does. But airlines are a business. It’s about profits not efficiency.
Tl;dr because airlines are just banks with some airplanes. Efficiency doesn’t matter it only takes 15 minutes in Japan. 30/45 is fine for them.
Edit why are you booing me I’m right
Because it’s the human sense of urgency and short sightedness.
The plane won’t leave until everyone is on.
You rush for a seat because your bored of waiting.
Then you’ve been sat too long, so you want to stand and move.
Then you get fed up of the queue at check in.
Ultimately, it makes no sense.
But people are uncomfortable and fidgety
At the airline I work for, we do board back to front. However, we can only do this on certain aircraft types, because otherwise it will pose a danger for aircraft tipping back on their tails. Aircraft are carefully designed to be balanced on the ground; most aircraft types can’t handle having a full back half and an empty front half. The Boeing 737, especially the newer MAX model, is quite stable on the ground so it’s safe to board these aircraft types from back to front. Fokker 70/100 aircraft, however, are at danger of tail-tipping and can only be boarded back to front if there is some weight in the front of the plane first (such as a full forward cargo hold). You can Google “aircraft tail tipping” to see examples and more information about this.
Most people who are saying “it’s because they want the First Class people to board first!” don’t have much/any experience in the aviation industry. We have a mixed fleet of Economy-only, and Business/Economy planes, and they are boarded the exact same way. It’s a safety concern on some aircraft types, which is why it’s not very common. I’m sure revenue plays a part in why some airlines board Priority first, but that’s not the primary reason.
TL;DR: if you board the back of the plane first, it has the potential cause the plane to tip backwards. Some weight needs to be added to the front of the plane first (either cargo or front-passengers), before it’s safe to board the whole flight.
Boarding by groups makes people feel better – and you can sell earlier boarding groups at a premium.
Now-a-days, with overhead bin space at a premium, people are Ok with paying to board early. I get Boarding group 2 automatically for paying the yearly fee for my credit card and always choose to sit in the back – makes for a lot of bin space available as I board 🙂
Unless you’re literally micro managing the boarding order row by row it won’t help at all. It’ll take the same time or more than random now.
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