Question for Anyone Who Has Flown WestJet Lately

[tinkerone]

I just read a piece about WestJet and how they load based on seats back to front. Has this been your experience? We have flights coming up and have seats very near the back booked and just wondering what to expect.

I have never understood why airlines load front to back, it wastes so much time. You can't get past the people trying to get organized, it just backlogs the loading. You can't fault someone trying to put their items in the bins and trying to get comfortable, and having someone trying to push past you doesn't help.

 

[starvenger]

It's a good question. But it breaks down something like this:

Westjet - like virtually all airlines - load the premium seats/higher status passengers first (Zone 1)
Next are people with young kids/accessibility issues.
On most flights I believe they have two additional zones - the back half (Zone 2) and the front half (Zone 3). So you'll be Zone 2.

So it's a bit of a hybrid model. You pay more, have paid more in the past or you have people that traditionally take more time to get settled, you get to board first. The people in the premium seats tend to settle in quickly, so your bottlenecks tend to come from the latter two groups, and they could be seated anywhere on the plane.

 

[tinkerone]

It's a good question. But it breaks down something like this:

Westjet - like virtually all airlines - load the premium seats/higher status passengers first (Zone 1)
Next are people with young kids/accessibility issues.
On most flights I believe they have two additional zones - the back half (Zone 2) and the front half (Zone 3). So you'll be Zone 2.

So it's a bit of a hybrid model. You pay more, have paid more in the past or you have people that traditionally take more time to get settled, you get to board first. The people in the premium seats tend to settle in quickly, so your bottlenecks tend to come from the latter two groups, and they could be seated anywhere on the plane.

Soooooo, going back to my question, does WestJet load back to front? Sorry, it's just the answer was confusing to me.

I know how the priorities work, who gets to go first and all that. It's the regular passengers I'm wondering about. While your putting everyone in zones, you have not stated if zone 2 boards before zone 3, which I suppose is my question. I'm used to 'now boarding rows X to Z'. Do they go 1 - 30 or 30 - 1?
After the premium passengers/people with young kids/accessibility issues, do they load back to front?

 

[Aladora]

Soooooo, going back to my question, does WestJet load back to front? Sorry, it's just the answer was confusing to me.

I know how the priorities work, who gets to go first and all that. It's the regular passengers I'm wondering about. While your putting everyone in zones, you have not stated if zone 2 boards before zone 3, which I suppose is my question. I'm used to 'now boarding rows X to Z'. Do they go 1 - 30 or 30 - 1?
After the premium passengers/people with young kids/accessibility issues, do they load back to front?

WestJet loads back to front, the zones are loaded in numerical order. So, zone 1 loads before 2, 2 before 3. Zone 1 is premium, zone 2 is the back half of economy, zone 3 is the front half of economy.

We flew in July and it went in this order:

People with young kids or those who need extra time.
Zone 1 and passengers with WJ status.
Zone 2
Zone 3

 

[starvenger]

Soooooo, going back to my question, does WestJet load back to front? Sorry, it's just the answer was confusing to me.

I know how the priorities work, who gets to go first and all that. It's the regular passengers I'm wondering about. While your putting everyone in zones, you have not stated if zone 2 boards before zone 3, which I suppose is my question. I'm used to 'now boarding rows X to Z'. Do they go 1 - 30 or 30 - 1?
After the premium passengers/people with young kids/accessibility issues, do they load back to front?

Gotcha. Guess we weren't on the same wavelength there.

It's back to front using "zones", but on a standard 737, each "zone" is effectively half the plane. Zone 2 would be the back half, Zone 3 is the front half.

 

[tinkerone]

Thank you all, I think I have it straight in my head. I appreciate everyones response and for taking the time to help me get it all clear.

 

[bfost87]

Nearly all airlines that I've flown load from back to front, after premium/kids,etc.

It's easier for them to keep a steady flow of "traffic" onto the aircraft. If you have everyone walk to the back and then get seated, versus having the people in the front keep stopping to get seated.

 

[tinkerone]

Nearly all airlines that I've flown load from back to front, after premium/kids,etc.

It's easier for them to keep a steady flow of "traffic" onto the aircraft. If you have everyone walk to the back and then get seated, versus having the people in the front keep stopping to get seated.

Not been my experience which is why I asked. I was surprised to hear this. We flew Air Transat last time we traveled and they weren't doing this at that time, just as Covid started. Same goes for our travels with Air Canada. Jet Blue was our go to airline and they did this for only two of the 25 flights we have had with them.
It's good to know they are doing this now though. I'm happy about it. Makes boarding so much easier.

 

[dancin Disney style]

My last 2 WJ trips (both this year) they did board back to front. Those with premium seats where last....not first as they normally would have been.

 

[Aladora]

My last 2 WJ trips (both this year) they did board back to front. Those with premium seats where last....not first as they normally would have been.

Until they start providing pre-departure drinks (like high end first class flights do! ) I am happy boarding last in premium...less time stuck in a metal tube!

 

[tlcdoula]

Until they start providing pre-departure drinks (like high end first class flights do! ) I am happy boarding last in premium...less time stuck in a metal tube!

Exactly, I don't need to spend any extra time on the plane. The only thing that worries me is not having room for my bag.