Southwest Airlines has really had its ups and downs since the latter half of last year, and we’re learning that they are testing some new ways to make things more efficient.
©Southwest
The experiments could effect the way you board your next flight!
You know that big backup that often happens when boarding? The one where you’re standing on the jet bridge, or stuck in the aisle of the plane for what seems like forever? Well, Southwest is trying to minimize that time because, as they say, “time is money!”
Mickey and Minnie Showing Off the Plane
If you fly through Atlanta, you might notice that Southwest is testing some new ways to shave time off the boarding process.
Breeze currently competes with Southwest for convenient and affordable prices
According to The Wall Street Journal, Southwest’s goal is to reduce the turnaround time for its planes by 5 minutes — and the biggest obstacle to that is bottlenecks in the boarding process. “If you can collect up enough of these minutes in each turn, then you can start to squeeze out some more flying,’’ said Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson.
©Southwest Airlines
One of the things being tested is playing upbeat music in the jet bridge, because studies show that a faster tempo keeps people moving. So, you might hear disco music, or EDM, or hip-hop. There’s even a soundtrack of children’s music in the testing. Additionally, the usual destination posters in the jet bridge have been replaced with framed “travel tips” reminding newbie flyers that they can select any seat when they board the plane, and that their boarding number is not a seat number — questions the airline says its flight attendants hear over and over.
Airport
Other changes to some Southwest gates in Atlanta include a designated area for passengers who need assistance and families boarding together, and a boarding countdown that plays on the video monitors where passengers line up.
Orlando Airport
Southwest Airlines officials say they hope to speed passenger boarding up by 3 minutes or so, and they hope to save additional time by providing larger overhead bins and boarding some planes through the front and back simultaneously. But if you don’t fly through Atlanta, don’t expect to see these changes soon. The airline says they’re all an experiment, at least for now.
As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest travel news!
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The post Big Changes Could Be Coming To a Southwest Flight Near You first appeared on the disney food blog.