15 October 2011
There is more than one way to board an aeroplane, and the best way has been the subject of some discussion for some time. So much discussion, in fact, that John Hotchkiss, a television producer, took it upon himself to determine the most efficient way of boarding a plane, and he has discovered that the most common method is the least efficient of them all.
Interestingly, the random boarding pattern, as favoured by the low-cost airlines, fares better than most, but boarding the window seats first, followed by the middle seats, and then the aisle seats results in a 40% increase in efficiency.
It is the Steffen method, however, which is able to increase plane-filling time most substantially. In this system, the seats are filled using the window-middle-aisle strategy, but the rows are filled on an alternate basis, minimising the bottlenecking that would usually occur as the aisle fills with people clambering to use the over-head compartments.
The Steffen method has yet to be adopted by any major airline, and even if it is, it will do nothing to change the core truth of aeroplane travel: that is doesn’t matter how quickly you get to your seat, the person next to you will always be a snorer.