CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you flew anywhere for Labor Day or any time recently, you’ve probably noticed how long it takes to actually board your plane.
In fact, it takes the average flight almost an hour to board, and experts say it all comes down to cash. Research shows how we currently board airplanes is not the most efficient and actually makes the process longer.
Let's connect the dots.
Several studies show boarding window seats first, then middle seats, then aisle seats would be the quickest way for everyone on board. But that's not what happens.
Airline companies have raised billions of dollars from their loyalty programs. One perk almost every airline loyalty program has is early boarding, which just means people who pay get to board early matter where they're seated.
Some airlines, like Southwest, say they are trying to do something to make boarding a little shorter. Southwest says it's all in the turnaround time. Right now, they are trying to take an average of 2 minutes off the time it takes you to get on your plane by getting it all cleaned up from the last flight quicker.
But as far as getting back to the 10 minutes it used to take for people to board a plane in the 1970s, that will be reserved for the folks who fork up a little extra cash.
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