The change is supposed to help reduce congestion at the airlines' gates
If you’ve ever been trying to get onto a Delta Air Lines plane in the last five years or so and been confused about whether your “Sky Priority” boarding spot meant you’d get to your seat before a person with a “Premium Select” assignment (wrong), worry no more. The airline is changing the boarding process it initiated in 2018, swapping out seven named zones for numbered ones.
“While a simple change, this transition to numbered zones will provide customers more clarity into the boarding sequence and make the boarding process more intuitive — especially for infrequent travelers and/or customers who might face a language barrier at the gate,” a Delta spokesperson told McClatchy News. The new system goes into effect May 1.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said that shift from the prior system, itself hailed at the time as an effort “to bring consistency, simplicity, and clarity to the gate and boarding experience” by the company, was an intuitive one.
“When you have a number and you’re standing in line, we are all trained to know when it’s our turn,” he said.
CNN reports that when United Airlines made a similar change to its boarding process last year, it saved two minutes from its boarding process.
In an infographic posted online, Delta explained where its old zones where stand in its new order.
💺 “Delta One” or “First Class” will become “Zone 1"
💺“Diamond Medallions” and “Delta Premium Select” will become “Zone 2"
💺“Delta Comfort+” will become “Zone 3"
💺“Sky Priority” will become “Zone 4"
💺“Main Cabin 1" will become “Zone 5"
💺“Maine Cabin 2" will become “Zone 6"
💺“Main Cabin 3" will become “Zone 7"
💺“Basic Economy” will become “Zone 8"
People who need help getting onto the plane and active-duty military members will still get onto the plane before everyone else.
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