# airline seating logic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505 "2013-12-04T20:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/21 "2013-12-05T12:43:07Z")
“Group 1 passengers may board now. You have 75 seconds, at which time the Air Marshall will shoot anyone still standing.” ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/22 "2013-12-05T12:51:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “Group 1 passengers may board now. You have 75 seconds, at which time the Air Marshall will shoot anyone still standing.” “… together with those who put their luggage anywhere else than in the luggage bin directly over their seat.” ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/23 "2013-12-05T17:55:15Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > I think it might be new - if you search for fares it is the “business select” fare. The security lane thing might be by airport. > > [Compare Southwest's Fares - Southwest Airlines](http://www.southwest.com/flight/pop_fareCompare.html?airline=WN) > > I just ran a fare comparison and found a $22 difference (total - not even adjusting for points). I got A01 as my boarding pass number on the way out - it may have been A05 on the way back - and I’m not good at the checking in early thing. YMMV based on flight, but the six or so for that day I just checked seemed to all have a $22 dollar difference (prices were somewhat close together - so it might be some percentage or something). > > ETA: Security lane IS by airport - it is called “fly by” - you can see why airports are included here: > [Airport Information | Southwest Airlines](http://www.southwest.com/html/air/airport-information.html) Business Select is nearly a no-brainer over Anytime fares, but it’s not as good of a deal when compared to the Wanna Get Away fare. With Wanna Get Away, you can purchase Early Bird Check-in for $12.50 each way which usually will get you in the A group, but not in the first 15 or 20 spots. And no free booze. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/24 "2013-12-06T18:36:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > the real problem is that there are so many people in various frequent flier classes who board before everyone else that the congestion is still there. And no system is going to work well for very full planes. Agreed. If you think about it the “boarding by groups starting with the back of the plane” makes the most sense for boarding efficiency. But with all the mergers, airlines like United had to also “merge” all these different FF systems. So now there’s this ridiculous sequence before they get to the “group” (aka “cattle class”) boarding. It’s “platinum club members”, “gold club members”…“zinc club members”…“lead club members”, then “boarding group 1”. The problem is that even though these FF memberships allow for “advanced” boarding, it does not imply that their seats are in the appropriate back-to-front order. So this advanced boarding screws up the whole back to front system: FF club members having “forward” seats thus clogging up the aisle for the people who need to get further aft. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/25 "2013-12-06T19:07:45Z")
The mythbusters actually did a full segment\* on this, and actually discovered that a couple of the most efficient loading mechanisms actually felt slower to the passengers. iirc, the most objectively and subjectively fast way (for a single-aisle arrangement with 3 seats either side) was windows - middle - aisle but done in blocks with each group taking the middle and aisle seats at the rear (or rear-most empty section) and the window seats in the section forward of that one, so it looks like this: ```auto CDD DDC CDD DDC BCC CCB BCC CCB ABB BBA ABB BBA Tail ``` \*There 2 segments in each 40 minute (hour-long w/commercials) episode. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/26 "2013-12-06T20:15:10Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’m wondering if there’s some kind of system in effect for when people want to select their seat during the reservation process. I almost never have anyone with me in the emergency exit row even though it only ever shows one seat available. Maybe they’re trying to keep the seating spread out or balanced for the plane. Or to keep from having all the best seats taken first. I have flown AirTran a few times recently and I have been allowed to choose my seat when booking. I was presented with a map of the aircraft and I could click on the one I wanted. I chose an emergency exit row seat on an Atlanta-\>San Juan flight and a flight attendant questioned me before takeoff to check if I could fulfill the requirements (speak and read English, lift 50ish pounds, not a complete moron) and we were off. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/27 "2013-12-06T20:17:14Z")
I think the larger driver of group-1, group-2, etc, is being able to provide preferential treatment to frequent fliers. I travel a lot for work and have the expected “platinum” type status. That certainly results in me getting upgraded to First Class a lot but when not upgraded that means I get to board early (Group-1) and am always guaranteed the coveted overhead bin space as a result. I also prefer an aisle seat and the airline always assigns me to one. Now in the boarding by window, middle, aisle - that leaves this frequent flier f-coed. I’m in the last group because of my aisle preference and guaranteed there is almost no overhead space left by that point either. Not exactly a great way to treat the customer who flies over 100K miles every year with that airline, right? I imagine the airlines weigh slightly less efficient but acceptable group boarding strategies against a slightly less efficient strategy that gives preference to those that spend the most amount of money annually on the airline. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/28 "2013-12-06T21:21:54Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I have flown AirTran a few times recently and I have been allowed to choose my seat when booking. I was presented with a map of the aircraft and I could click on the one I wanted. I chose an emergency exit row seat on an Atlanta-\>San Juan flight and a flight attendant questioned me before takeoff to check if I could fulfill the requirements (speak and read English, lift 50ish pounds, not a complete moron) and we were off. It’s Airtran in my case as well. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/29 "2013-12-06T21:41:27Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > I think it might be new - if you search for fares it is the “business select” fare. The security lane thing might be by airport. > > [Compare Southwest's Fares - Southwest Airlines](http://www.southwest.com/flight/pop_fareCompare.html?airline=WN) > > I just ran a fare comparison and found a $22 difference (total - not even adjusting for points). I got A01 as my boarding pass number on the way out - it may have been A05 on the way back - and I’m not good at the checking in early thing. YMMV based on flight, but the six or so for that day I just checked seemed to all have a $22 dollar difference (prices were somewhat close together - so it might be some percentage or something). > > ETA: Security lane IS by airport - it is called “fly by” - you can see why airports are included here: > [Airport Information | Southwest Airlines](http://www.southwest.com/html/air/airport-information.html) Thanks! We never even look at business select, being cheapskates who don’t drink on planes. Good to know, though. SW could do a better job marketing this. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505/30 "2013-12-06T23:08:47Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In theory, loading a plan from rear to front should help with that, but it doesn’t really seem to. I was on a flight where they actually loaded through two doors. Via the jetway through the front of the plane, and via a staircase through the rear door. You boarded through the door closest to your seat, and they announced _many_ times who should go through which door. It was an absolute clusterfuck. It only took one or two people who got on the wrong end of the plane, and then they had to cross through every single other person, and the aisles in an airplane are just not wide enough for two people with suitcases to pass each other. I’m pretty sure it would have been faster to let one person on the plane, let them find their seat and stow their bags, then let the next person on the plane… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-seating-logic/675505.md?page=1)