Alaska Airlines has a straightforward boarding process. With flights to over 115 destinations and most of that traffic originating on the West Coast, Alaska Airlines is going to be a favorite of many U.S. Travelers. Since its network is ever-expanding, its planes are comfortable, and its service is friendly, it’s reasonable to assume that many of us will end up on Alaska Airlines flight at some point within the next few years. When that time comes, we want you to be ready with everything you need to know to start your trip off stress-free.
To make that happen, we are going over all the details of the Alaska Airlines boarding process so you can easily get ready to fly.
Alaska Airlines has six boarding groups, making their boarding process relatively simple. These six groups will be able to get on the plane following those eligible for pre boarding.
Travelers who can pre board include guests with disabilities or who need extra time to board, families with children under 2, and active-duty military members.
After pre boarding is complete, first-class ticketed passengers are the first boarding group. Then the process continues, in alphabetical order, beginning with Group A and ending with Group E.
Your ticket type and your Mileage Plan membership level will determine your assigned boarding group. If you have elite status, you may be able to board sooner, no matter where you're seated on the plane.
You'll see your group assignment on your boarding pass. Alaska has display screens at the gate to help travelers know when it's their turn to board. The groups with a green check board, while groups in red will board soon.
Here is a detailed looked at Alaska's boarding groups and the eligibility for each.
In addition to the boarding pass enhancements, Alaska Airlines added boarding information to the video monitors at the gate. Previously, if you walked up to the gate after boarding was started, you would need to ask other passengers which group was boarding or wait and try to hear the next announcement. This solves that in a simple and straightforward way.
The new video notifications are also great in a noisy gate area where it can be hard to hear a gate agent’s announcements.
Now that we’ve seen how easy Alaska Airlines has made it for its passengers to the board by groups, let’s take a look at who is eligible for each group so you know just when to get on the plane.
Guests seated in first class
Remaining guests seated in the back half of the aircraft
Remaining guests seated in the front half of the aircraft
Guests in Saver seats
Alaska Airlines states that once boarding begins, groups will board in approximately 5-minute intervals. But in practice, we aren’t sure how accurate this timing will be.
The later groups of general boarding should have many more people than the first groups. If there are only a few elite members on a flight, will they really wait 5 minutes to board Group B? We don’t think so.
So although the planned 5 minutes between groups is a nice outline, you shouldn’t go wandering off to the bathroom if you are in Group D — it may not really be another 15 minutes until you board.
There are a few ways to get priority boarding privileges, like purchasing a premium-class ticket or having elite status with the airline. But those aren't the only options. Here are several ways to get on the plane sooner:
In the past, the airline has celebrated May the Fourth along with Star Wars fans and has gotten into the holiday spirit by celebrating National Ugly Sweater Day. Keep an eye out for these promotions — you may be able to board sooner if you decide to participate.
Knowledge of the Alaska Airlines boarding groups makes the experience much easier; however, boarding the plane in a wise way can be the key to making your trip smooth and giving you less worry. Here are some tips that are useful, through which you can get on without hurry and take your place nicely.
1. Arrive Early at the Gate
The boarding process is very well organized, yet it is advisable to be at the gate at least 45 minutes before the flight departs. You can then check the screen, hear the announcements, and be at the boarding point at the time of your group. If you get there too late, your carry-on bags may not fit in the overhead compartment.
2. Keep Your Boarding Pass Handy
Your boarding pass indicates your flight status in very clear terms, and the group you are in. Having it ready, be it in printed form or a digital version on your phone, will not only save you from getting confused but also enable you to get to the boarding area faster when your group is called. If you are traveling with friends or relatives, make sure every one of them knows their group number, as sometimes not all people in the same reservation are assigned to the same group.
3. Check the Gate Screens for Updates
At the majority of Alaska Airlines gates, large video screens display which boarding group is currently boarding. A green check mark indicates that the group is now boarding, while a red sign indicates that they will board shortly. Even in noisy and overcrowded gate areas, this visual system enables you to follow the process.
4. Travel Light When Possible
If you are in either Group D or Group E, overhead bin space might already be crowded by the time you get to board the plane. To make sure that you do not have to check your bag at the gate, you might want to use a small backpack or a soft-sided bag instead. Passengers with saver seats should definitely have a plan ready for possibly storing their bag under the seat.
5. Use Online Check-In for Faster Processing
Online check-in at Alaska Airlines starts 24 hours before the flight. This is the easiest way to guarantee your seat, receive your boarding pass early, and find out your boarding group in advance.
Early boarding is not just about being the first to get on the plane. It brings along several benefits:
The combination of a straightforward group boarding process, easy-to-read boarding passes, and gate video screens with clear directions make Alaska Airlines a leader when it comes to passenger-friendly boarding procedures.
Even if you don’t fly with the airline very often, matching up the clearly indicated group letter on your boarding pass to the green check or red dash on the video monitors is fairly obvious.
In busy airports, you no longer have to worry about hearing the muffled boarding announcements — if you walk up to the gate late, you’ll always know right where they are in the boarding process. Alaska Airlines really has made boarding easy for its passengers.
If you live on the West Coast, you are probably already familiar with how Alaska Airlines does things. For those on the East Coast, it might be a while until you find yourself on an Alaska Airlines flight. Either way, when it comes time to board, you should now know exactly what to do!
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