Delta Air Lines to implement new boarding method to improve efficiency and accessibility

19-04-24

Starting May 1, Delta Air Lines will introduce a change to its boarding method, seeking to streamline the process and facilitate access for all passengers, especially those who are infrequent or not fluent in English. The new strategy will assign passengers to numbered zones, a practice already known in the industry but which will be adapted by Delta to improve clarity and efficiency during boarding.

While the initiative is not groundbreaking, as it employs a sequence similar to that of other airlines, this adjustment in group nomenclature and zone distribution is expected to streamline the process. Zones will be organized primarily by fare category, such as "Sky Priority," and the order of boarding will be maintained with some modifications to the group names. Passengers requiring special assistance will continue to have priority and will board before those in Zone 1, which includes Delta One and First Class customers.

Zone 2 will accommodate Diamond Medallion members and Delta Premium Select ticket holders, while Delta Comfort+ customers will occupy Zone 3. Next, Sky Priority customers will board in Zone 4. This system will expand to Zone 8 to include Basic Economy passengers.

Delta has indicated that these changes will not only bring greater clarity to the boarding sequence, but will also make the process more intuitive, particularly benefiting those travelers who are less frequent flyers or face language barriers. However, travel experts suggest that it may be even more efficient and quicker to implement a system based on seat location within the aircraft, such as giving priority to window seats in the rear.

This adjustment marks a return to more traditional boarding practices, abandoning the personalized method Delta had introduced in 2018. With these changes, the airline seeks to improve the travel experience while maintaining established priorities for passengers with higher status or premium class fares.