# Best Order to Board an Airplane? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2023, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244 "2023-05-18T22:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/121 "2023-05-23T01:03:29Z")
I was doing a fair bit of business travel before and after the checked bag fees became a thing. They absolutely made a sifference. After that, the last people on a flight would almost never have a space for their roll-ons and had to gate check them. I learned to be able to travel with a carry-on and a ‘personal bag’ that can go under the seats. That’s all I ever took with me on business trips less than a week after the checked luggage fees came in. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/122 "2023-05-23T19:50:33Z")
Our impetus on this last trip - we were headed to NYC for only a few days. We did not want to experience what was in the news last year, luggage lost in space for some or all the duration of our trip. We had no problem checking it on the way home, since if it did go missing for a few days, we have a house full of other clothes and toiletries. What I do see is carry-ons that if placed wheels-in don’t allow the FA to close the bin, so by then it’s too late for gate check, the cabin door is closed. The FA has to rotate the offending suitcae, then rearrange everyone else’s stuff to make it fit, etc. Once upon a time I recall most airplanes had a small closet up front for things like hanging suits and the occasional very large item. I was taking a rolled up poster in a tube home once and they put it in there. I assume nowadays that’s turned into a seat for sale. Considering virtually every seat is taken (and often they are overbooked) I have trouble seeing how airlines are at all suffering financially, considering in the Goode Olde Days planes flew usually half full. (The 9-11 hijackers allegedly deliberately chose early morning flights that would be more than half-empty.) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/123 "2023-10-20T16:15:29Z")
Bumping an old thread because change is a-coming. > **[United Airlines will board passengers by window, middle, then aisle seats](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1207255409/united-airlines-new-boarding-policy)** > > Passengers in economy class will see the changes soon. Boarding remains unchanged for first class, business class and pre-boarding. The change is estimated to cut boarding times by up to 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/124 "2023-10-20T17:21:44Z")
I wonder how long that will last. It’d be cool if it works, but it’s been tried and failed a time or three already in the industry. The biggest fly in the ointment is groups, and especially those with kids, who want to board as a group, not spread into 2 or 3 separate phases of the boarding process. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/125 "2023-10-20T17:37:50Z")
Perhaps they’ve added a wrinkle to keep groups together? If there’s a window-middle or window-middle-aisle set, have them all board with the window seat? Wouldn’t help much if you have a group that crosses the aisle, e.g. W-M-A–A or M-A–A-M, though the latter would all board at the same time anyway? The part I’d be worried about is the lack of overhead space for all the aisle seats who are getting in last. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/126 "2023-10-20T18:49:15Z")
WMAA is a lot less common than AA. That’s mostly just families with kids. And the AA people can wait and board at the end. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/127 "2023-10-20T19:15:39Z")
If I read United’s release correctly, they said that a group under the same reservation will board with the earliest member. So for example a couple with window and middle seats will board with the windows; a couple with middle and aisle seats will board with the middles. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/128 "2023-10-23T02:17:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’d be cool if it works, but it’s been tried and failed a time or three already in the industry. It works in Japan, but that’s probably because Japanese are better at these things. The last flight I had was on Skymark, a discount airline, and it was fine. My son had the middle and I had the isle so we boarded with the middle group. Of course, Japanese are much better at boarding and disembarking in general, so that may not say anything about what Merikins are going to do. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2023, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/129 "2023-10-24T02:52:21Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > The part I’d be worried about is the lack of overhead space for all the aisle seats who are getting in last. Not to worry… some airlines are charging for carry-ons too. (Air Canada, OTOH, has changed their carry-on size by an inch so that some standard carry-ons don’t fit the guide and need to be checked - for a fee.) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244/130 "2023-10-25T02:06:21Z")
Maybe it’s **not** best to have everyone & all cargo in the [back](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWmkzPdVc0U) when deplaning, like JetBlue did at JFK yesterday. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244.md?page=6)