{"id":29922196,"date":"2026-10-28T12:02:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T11:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/airplane-boarding-methods-steffen-wilma-back-to-front-fastest\/"},"modified":"2026-10-28T12:02:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T11:02:52","slug":"airplane-boarding-methods-steffen-wilma-back-to-front-fastest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/airplane-boarding-methods-steffen-wilma-back-to-front-fastest\/","title":{"rendered":"Airplane Boarding Methods: Why It&#8217;s So Slow and Which Is Fastest"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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Your group is called, you shuffle down the jet bridge, and then you stop. Somewhere ahead, someone is wrestling a roll-aboard into an overhead bin, and forty people wait behind them in a single-file aisle. Boarding feels slow because it is slow, and physicists have spent years working out why.<\/p>\n\n<p>The surprising answer is that the method most airlines used for decades, boarding from the back of the plane to the front, is one of the worst ways to do it. The fastest method ever measured in a real test looks bizarre at the gate. And the biggest culprit is not the airline at all. It is your carry-on bag.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Fastest method tested:<\/strong> Steffen method: 3 min 36 s for 72 passengers (2011 test)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Slowest method tested:<\/strong> Four-row block boarding: 6 min 54 s<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Back-to-front:<\/strong> 6 min 11 s in the same test<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Window-middle-aisle (WILMA):<\/strong> 4 min 13 s in the same test<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Biggest bottleneck:<\/strong> Stowing carry-on bags in the aisle<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>United WILMA:<\/strong> Reintroduced 26 October 2023, saves up to 2 minutes per flight<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Southwest open seating:<\/strong> Ended 27 January 2026<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The aisle is the problem<\/h2>\n\n<p>An airliner has one aisle, or two on a widebody, and every passenger has to use it. When people board in a block, for example rows 20 to 30, they arrive at roughly the same place at roughly the same time and block each other while they stow bags and squeeze into window seats. Everyone behind them waits.<\/p>\n\n<p>In 2008 the physicist Jason Steffen, then at Fermilab, attacked the problem with a computer simulation. His paper in the Journal of Air Transport Management found that boarding front to back was the worst method and conventional back to front only slightly better. The key, he concluded, is to spread people out along the aisle so that many of them can put their luggage away at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;It spreads people out along the aisle of the airplane so that more people can put their luggage away at the same time. That's the main thing that speeds up the boarding process.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Jason Steffen<\/strong> &mdash; associate professor of physics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, speaking to CBC News<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/boarding-southwest-737-700-long-island-macarthur.jpg\" alt=\"Passengers boarding a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Passengers board a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Long Island MacArthur Airport. On a single-aisle jet, one passenger stowing a bag can stop everyone behind them. Photo: Infrastorian via Wikimedia Commons, CC0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Steffen method<\/h2>\n\n<p>Steffen's solution boards window seats first, in alternate rows, starting from the back: 30A, 28A, 26A and so on, then the same seats on the other side, then the skipped rows, then middle seats and finally aisle seats in the same pattern. Passengers are spaced two rows apart, so several can load bins at once without getting in each other's way.<\/p>\n\n<p>In 2011 he tested it for real. Working with TV producer Jon Hotchkiss, he put 72 volunteers into a mock-up of a Boeing 757 cabin, 12 rows of six seats with a single aisle, at the Air Hollywood studio in California, and timed five methods. The results, published by Steffen and Hotchkiss, were striking: the Steffen method took 3 minutes 36 seconds, window-middle-aisle 4:13, random boarding 4:44, back-to-front 6:11 and boarding in four-row blocks 6:54. Each method was run once, and the authors estimate an uncertainty of about 10 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o9-XjEI8VmA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Footage of the 2011 test of the Steffen method, filmed by Jon Hotchkiss.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>The catch is that the method needs a perfectly ordered line. It splits up families and groups who want to sit together, and it copes badly with latecomers. As Steffen told Wired in 2014, no airline had adopted it. He points out, though, that a disrupted Steffen line simply turns into random boarding, which is still better than back to front.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What airlines actually do<\/h2>\n\n<p>Airlines have moved in Steffen's direction rather than all the way. United reintroduced window-middle-aisle boarding, known as WILMA, for economy passengers from 26 October 2023, after tests at about six airports, saying it saves up to two minutes per flight. Premium cabins and pre-boarders are unchanged, and people on the same reservation still board together. Delta switched to eight numbered boarding zones on 1 May 2024, and American now sounds an alert if someone tries to board before their group is called.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;If United can get two minutes for hundreds of flights a day, that's a bunch of free flights &mdash; and that's a lot of money.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>John Gradek<\/strong> &mdash; lecturer in aviation management, McGill University, speaking to CBC News<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/boarding-united-flight-sfo-gate-g12.jpg\" alt=\"Boarding a United Airlines flight at San Francisco International Airport\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Boarding a United Airlines flight at gate G12, San Francisco International Airport. United reintroduced window-middle-aisle boarding for economy in 2023. Photo: 4300streetcar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Southwest, famous for more than 50 years of open seating, gave it up. It announced in July 2024 that 80 percent of its customers preferred an assigned seat, and assigned seating began with flights on 27 January 2026.<\/p>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The bags<\/h2>\n\n<p>Every study comes back to the same thing: every roll-aboard lifted over a head is time the aisle is blocked. Analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group has argued that airlines should stop charging for checked bags and charge for full-size carry-ons instead. Steffen's verdict is simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Any time you have to wrestle with luggage up over your head, it's going to slow things down.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Jason Steffen<\/strong> &mdash; physicist, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, speaking to CBC News<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oAHbLRjF0vo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">CGP Grey on why the fastest way to board a plane feels like the slowest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iuGEqnmySvo\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">CNBC on why airlines have not fixed inefficient boarding.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Sources: Jason Steffen, Journal of Air Transport Management (2008); Steffen and Hotchkiss, experimental test of airplane boarding methods (2011); CBC News; Associated Press; American Airlines; 6abc (Southwest); Wikipedia<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is the fastest way to board an airplane?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In a 2011 experiment with 72 passengers in a mock Boeing 757 cabin, the Steffen method was fastest at 3 minutes 36 seconds, ahead of window-middle-aisle at 4:13, random boarding at 4:44, back-to-front at 6:11 and four-row block boarding at 6:54. It lets many passengers stow bags at the same time instead of queuing behind each other.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the Steffen boarding method?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Steffen method, proposed by physicist Jason Steffen in 2008, boards window seats first in alternating rows from the back of the cabin, then the skipped rows, then middle seats and finally aisle seats in the same pattern. Spacing passengers two rows apart lets several people load overhead bins at once, which cuts total boarding time.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is back-to-front boarding slow?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Back-to-front boarding is slow because passengers in the same zone sit close together and block each other in the aisle while stowing bags. Jason Steffen's 2008 simulation ranked it only slightly better than front-to-back, and a 2011 test measured it at 6 minutes 11 seconds against 3 minutes 36 seconds for the Steffen method.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is WILMA boarding at United Airlines?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">WILMA stands for window, middle, aisle. United Airlines reintroduced it for economy passengers from 26 October 2023 after tests at about six airports, saying it saves up to two minutes per flight. Premium cabins and pre-boarding groups are unchanged, and passengers on the same reservation still board together.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How do carry-on bags affect airplane boarding time?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Carry-on bags are the main bottleneck in airplane boarding. Physicist Jason Steffen found that stowing luggage in overhead bins is the largest single factor, because each passenger lifting a bag blocks the aisle. Boarding methods that let many passengers stow bags at the same time in different rows finish fastest.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Does Southwest Airlines still use open seating?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. Southwest Airlines ended the open seating it had used since the early 1970s and started assigned seating on flights from 27 January 2026. The airline said 80 percent of its customers preferred an assigned seat, and numbered boarding groups 1 to 8 replaced the old A, B and C groups.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the fastest way to board an airplane?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In a 2011 experiment with 72 passengers in a mock Boeing 757 cabin, the Steffen method was fastest at 3 minutes 36 seconds, ahead of window-middle-aisle at 4:13, random boarding at 4:44, back-to-front at 6:11 and four-row block boarding at 6:54. 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The airline said 80 percent of its customers preferred an assigned seat, and numbered boarding groups 1 to 8 replaced the old A, B and C groups.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/why-airlines-dim-cabin-lights-takeoff-landing\/\">Why Airlines Dim the Cabin Lights for Takeoff and Landing<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/aircraft-weight-and-balance-center-of-gravity-load-sheet-accidents\/\">Weight and Balance: The Load Sheet That Doomed Air Midwest 5481<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/cost-index-explained-how-airlines-choose-cruise-speed\/\">Cost Index: The Number That Decides How Fast Your Flight Flies<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/why-airliners-still-have-ashtrays-far-25-853\/\">Why Airliners Still Have Ashtrays Decades After the Smoking Ban<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story Everyone who flies knows the scene. Your group is called, you shuffle down the jet bridge, and then you stop. Somewhere ahead, someone is wrestling a roll-aboard into an overhead bin, and forty people wait behind them in a single-file aisle. Boarding feels slow because it is slow, and physicists have spent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":29921999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29922196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Airplane Boarding Methods: Which Is Really Fastest?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Back-to-front, WILMA, random or Steffen? 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