Priority Boarding - AMS Style

So, we're often beefing about VS' attempts at priority boarding.

The Amsterdam solution is not only to use two air bridges, but to use an "overwing" suspended airbridge to send the Y pax into the middle of their cabin, on their 747 it's via the L4 door.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1256812/M/

Mike

It's a shame though that the pax aren't separated until they are in the air bridge though, so you are still having to send two queues into one line.

If Heathrow was more like Schiphol it would be a pleasure to fly from there.

[preiffer]

Something very worrying in my mind about having ANYTHING suspended over the surface of a wing. [:0]

Anyway, why not just use the L1 & L2 like they do in SFO? Works for me [y]

Originally posted by preiffer
Something very worrying in my mind about having ANYTHING suspended over the surface of a wing. [:0]

http://www.dewengineering.com/dewbridge ... ub_ddd.htm

This is different than the AMS setup, in that it is designed to service narrowbodies up to the 757-200, but is being trialled with some of the LCCs in the US. It's heavily automated.

Anyway, why not just use the L1 & L2 like they do in SFO? Works for me [y]

Totally agree.

So many of the gates at T3 have dual bridges (over 50% of them), yet VS won't, and it probably is a won't rather than can't, use them - while competitors like UA, SQ, NH, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, do.

Mike

[Decker]

Cost issue then?

[mitchja]

Qatar Airways have a good system that only needs 1 jetway.

They completely board Y first. Once all Y pax are boarded and settled in, they close the curtains between Y and J/F, then board the J and F pax (by which time they have left the lounge and are reaching the gate area).

The jetways do seem to be the problem for many airlines as at airports where there's no jetways (MLE springs to mind) there are steps at the back and steps at door L2. Y pax use the rear door and board from the back and J/Y use the steps are door L2.

Regards

[preiffer]

While that Dew Engineering thing looks very impressive, I still dont' get the NEED to go over the wing. There are 4 doors on each side of the main deck of a 744, 2 of which are in front of the wing anyway!