FRANKFURT: Airlines have been doing it all wrong, it seems. The last time you flew, it was probably your seat number that decided when you were called to board the plane.
And while some airlines board by rows and seat zones, others are seemingly random in their approach, allowing all passengers on at the same time.
In either case, you typically have to wait in the aisle until people ahead of you finished stowing away their bags.
But one approach, most recently adopted by German carrier Lufthansa, has raised hopes for an end to crowded aisles by adopting one simple rule: window first.
Passengers on this airline will now board first if they have a window seat, followed by anyone with a middle seat and finally those with an aisle seat, Lufthansa has announced.
The window-middle-aisle procedure, known as WilMA, is hoped to guarantee faster boarding — and yet United has reportedly struggled to improve its boarding times in the US despite introducing the window-first approach.
Nevertheless, Lufthansa is preparing to roll out the new boarding approach on short and medium-haul routes from November onwards after trialling the technique in Frankfurt airport in April.
As with most other airlines, certain other passengers, such as priority customers, families with small children and travellers with reduced mobility will still be allowed to board first. Families and groups will also still be allowed to board together, the airline says. — dpa
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
