Just returned from Delta flight - confused about some things!

[Liz]

Why do they load the plane from the front to the back now?

Why do they have you select seats online when you purchase the ticket and then when you get there you have different seats? I'm sure of this because for the 4 of us I selected 2 rows one behind the other so we'd have 2 window seats and for each flight we were assigned 4 in the same row (1 window, 1 middle, 2 aisle).

Why when we arrived home and only one of our four checked bags arrived did they deliver the other 3 bags at 3:00 AM? Don't get me wrong, I was happy to see the bags but 3:00 AM????

None of these are a big deal but since DISers are full of so much wisdom I figured someone would know the answers to these questions! I'm just a naturally curious person and wondered why! Delta got us to and from Florida safely and somewhat on time so that's all that really matters!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

They load from back to front for faster boarding. If they loaded front to back you would never get down the aisle.
They may have changed the aircraft and you did not know it, at that point they reassign seats.
They deliver misdirected luggage by courier, the courier drops things off when he/she gets the luggage. They once left mine in front of my garage, at night, in the winter. No call, no doorbell, no nothing.
Nothing wrong with your questions, I, too, am very curious and want to know "what makes things work and why" all the time.
This is how we learn.

 

[Liz]

Thanks Gail!

As for the loading the aircraft question, they were loading it front to back and that's what I thought was so strange because its always been back to front before. They were loading by zones starting with 1 and going up. We were towards the back on all our flights and were always one of the last to board.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Liz,
You know, I can read and have great comprehension skills MOST of the time. Guess it was one of the times they lapsed.
Sorry about that.
As to your question, now that I have reread it, I have no answer.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I flew on Delta back in February and they were doing the "loading by zones" thing then. Definitely different from loading from the back to the front. I never did find out why they're doing that.

Not sure about the assigned seats, though. Had you selected an exit row when you got the tickets online? If so, maybe they moved you because you had kids and they wouldn't have been able to sit in the exit row.

Another explanation is that maybe someone who checked in ahead of you was assigned your seats so they could have a party together and that was the only way. Not exactly nice, I know.

 

[LiLPrincess]

We flew on Delta recently and noticed the same thing about the zones. I couldn't figure out a pattern to it, except maybe they were loading window seats first so people didn't have to climb over them?

We had also picked seats together, but on one leg our seats were changed from what we had picked on the internet. Come to find out, the aircraft had been changed from an MD-90 to and MD-88 so they had to reassign seats.

 

[AllyBri]

I questioned Delta-Song about the front loading last year, when it first started, they said it was faster that way. To me it seems about the same as the old way.

The seat change I have no idea. I always book online and select my seats at the same time, so far (lol) I am always in the same seats I booked.

 

[CarolA]

The luggage delivery is normally a service that will do LOTS of airlines at any airport. (Not a good service mind you!)

I have learned to just go back and pick mine up the next morning to avoid the 3 am knock!

 

[TexasViper]

I just returned on a Delta flight as well. You are certainly right about confusing! My only explanation for the front to back is that the first people seem to always include their "Medallion" customers. For some reason, they always seemed to be seated at the front of the plane. I also thought this was highly inefficient, since it clogs up the aisles. My flight to Orlando was supposed to take off at 5:45 am, so we dragged ourselves to the airport by 4:40 (ugh!), only to find that part of our flight had been cancelled, so they rerouted us on one that didn't leave until 8am. What a way to start a trip!

One last note about Delta: On the way back, we changed planes at DFW. The next gate was miles from the gate we landed at, and when we got to the departure gate, the place was a zoo. I noticed that they had dozens of planes leaving from only a few gates and they were all scheduled to leave at either 9:15 or 9:20. We were told that our boarding was delayed due to a "tire change". We were next told "that it must be a more serious mechanical problem, they didn't know what it was but as soon as they knew... [guy whispers something from inside the jetway]...oh wait, we can now board". On the plane, the pilot said they were sorry for the delay, but there was some "irregular paperwork that needed clearing up". My guess is that they had too many planes boarding at once and they needed some excuse to hold us. Mechanical problem delays are the one item that no one will ever complain about.

I'm not particularly knocking Delta, because it seems that all airlines can be like this sometimes, but I just thought I'd mention it.

 

[drogerstn]

I have learned to just go back and pick mine up the next morning to avoid the 3 am knock!

I requested that my luggage to be held at the airport once since I work at the airport, but the airline still delivered my luggage at 2am with the roads ice up.

I also thought this was highly inefficient, since it clogs up the aisles.

It seems that under the old method, too many rows would be included in each group that is called, so the aisles would get clogged then as well.

One thing I'd like about loading front to back is that people who sit in the back of the aircraft won't get the chance to sneak their carry-on into the bins at the front of the aircraft.

People hover in front of the boarding gate waiting for their group to get called, so when mine is called, I don't know who to get in front of and who to get behind...

 

[CarolA]

TexasViper,
I don't think it is just Delta at Dallas/Ft Worth.

That airport was designed for people who get off at it. Those of us who have to change planes there are in for it.

My personal fav was AA that used to board flights to Austin and San Antonio down the same jet way at the same time. More then once we went back to the gate since the person screamed WAIT when the FA said something about going to Austin LOL!

I do wish the airlines would SHOVE those people away from the gate. When they do call your row you have to SHOVE your way on. (Several years ago I was boarding a flight from London to Atlanta. They boarded Business Class first and as I walked by this woman she literally put her hand out to stop me and said "they are boarding business class only". Yes, and I had a business class ticket as I told her. Her husband looked like he wanted to crawl under the plane. LOL!)

 

[dvc guy]

I know when we have flown song they board the group that goes in the rows 1-6 as well as a few other groups. Boarding rows 1-6 requires that you go left when you board so this does not slow boarding the rest of the aircraft.

 

[Shannon G]

I do wish the airlines would SHOVE those people away from the gate. When they do call your row you have to SHOVE your way on.

Me too! This is really a hassle when you are flying with young kids, and are supposed to able to pre-board. This past January, we flew to St. Thomas withour DD, then 18 months. We had a connection in Philadelphia. When they called for pre-boarding, we were unable to get to the gate, because of people (one family in particular was bad) who would not get the heck out of the way and let us through. By the time we got near the gate, they were calling for boarding of regular passengers, and the family who had blocked our way in the first place then shoved in front of us. Of course, then when we get on the plane, I feel rushed and flustered as I am blocking other people while buckling DD's car seat in.

If your boarding group has not been called yet - get out of the way!!!!!!!

 

[Goof]

the last time we flew to wdw was in 2002 and zone-boarding was not being used. I can't see the positive side of this. Also, what if you and your child are assigned seats together and it falls within a different zone?

 

[alexturner74]

If you and your child are seated in different zones, you both will be assigned the higher zone.

Song and Delta do zone boarding differently.

Delta zones work as follows:
1: First Class
2: Medallion, front half of coach (also includes bulkhead seats)
3: Medallion, back half of coach
4-9: Rest of coach from the back towards front

For medallion flyers, the front half is loaded first to allow the cleaners to finish up the rear of the plane. So instead of waiting to board until the cleaners are completely done, they can start boarding earlier.

For Song, the first two zones are to the left of the boarding door. The rest of the zones are to the right, and work from window to the aisle. Like I said before, if you are at a window seat and your child is assigned a middle seat, then you'll both board together with the rest of the "window" people.

 

[Goof]

alex, so regardless of what zone my child and i are in, he will board with me, correct? We chose seats that are on either the left or right side of the aircraft and are only window & isle seats with no middle seating. DS is on the window and i am on the isle. DD is on the window and DW is on the isle behind DS and i.

tks for the info. I knew of this procedure for boarding but have never given it much thought until just recently. It doesn't appear to much of anything that would stress most passengers but there is still that uncertainty when traveling with children.

 

[alexturner74]

Yes. Everyone on the same itinerary should be assigned the same boarding zone regardless of where they are sitting in the aircraft.

 

[Goof]

alex, tks again. I am glad to hear that all passengers on the same itinerary are assigned the same zone.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Originally posted by CarolA
TexasViper,

I do wish the airlines would SHOVE those people away from the gate. When they do call your row you have to SHOVE your way on.

I think the people that take their good ol' time getting in their seats and blocking the aisle should be given a good ol'shove.

Many years ago I was boarding with my infant DD in Cincinatti I think, and we had to walk onto the runway climb the stairs to board and it is snowing. I am almost in the plane but people stop and I am standing in a light snow trying to cover the baby and I poke my head in to see what the heck is holding everyone up and some inconsiderate idiot is slowly taking his coat off, folding it, folding his wives putting it in the overhead compartment in the middle of the isle. To add insult to injury, they hadn't called his row! He just boarded at first call!

Everyone jumped when I barked "It's snowing and we want to board!!" The attendent just smiled at me and rolled her eyes.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

I may be a bit obsessed about this but I check our flights everyday online to make sure there are not any changes. Last July nine of us flying from Dayton OH to Orlando and our plane was changed. I found this early on a Sunday morning and called immediately. Our seats were all over the place including our 10-month old grandson (which had a purchased seat) who was all by himself. We also had a five-hour lay over in Atlanta coming home. This was in April and we were leaving in July. I was on the phone for three hours trying to have changes made. While I realize that the person I am speaking to is not at fault at all she was more or less take it or don’t fly with Delta. I asked to speak to a manager. We ended up flying out of Cincinnati on another flight instead of Dayton which was fine because it was direct. The original person I spoke to was asked to apologize to me and she did. They had cancelled many flights to cut backs and they were in for a rough day. The only thing I asked for was a different flight without a five-hour lay over.

I check everyday for our fights for September with Delta’s current situation. In the long run you know way ahead of time if there are changes. Delta has never e-mailed us new tickets I always had to call for them in order to use online check in.