Better Ways to Board an Airplane
Better Ways to Board an Airplane
https://student.grablingo.com/materials_units/1872
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
flick through
Phrasal Verb
flɪk θruː
to read a book, magazine, or newspaper quickly
He flicked through the magazine while he waited.
cram
Verb
kræm
to force something into an area that is too small to contain it
She crammed her sweater into her bag and rushed out the door.
overhead compartments
Noun
ˌəʊvə(r)ˈhed kəmˈpɑː(r)tmənts
the luggage compartments located above the seats in airplanes
Your carry-on luggage must be placed in the overhead compartments or underneath the seat in front of you.
turnaround
Noun
ˈtəːnəraʊnd
the amount of time needed to complete a process
Slow turnaround times have caused delays across the country.
up in the air
Phrase
ʌp ɪn ðə ˈer
unknown, or still to be figured out
The future of the company is still up in the air.
Exercise 2
Article
Better Ways to Board an Airplane
Waiting is an ordinary part of air travel. We wait in line to check in two hours before we’re set to board. We wait in the terminal, flicking through the newspaper, browsing the internet on our phones, or eating overpriced airport food. And we wait as our fellow passengers board the plane, checking the clock to see if we’ll be taking off on time.
According to Boeing Aero Magazine, boarding times slowed down between 1968 and 1998 by more than half, and they’ve probably gotten slower because checking a bag has become more expensive. A lot of people cram as much as they can into one carry-on bag and take up precious minutes trying to stuff it into the overhead compartments, or worse, realizing that it’s too big and having to check it in after all.
Slow turnaround times are expensive for airlines, but they make a profit selling early boarding passes, so they may not want to speed up the process.
Some tests and computer simulations suggest that boarding could be much more efficient.
Most airlines board their planes from the back to the front. This seems logical, but as passengers are trying to access the same rows and overheads at the same time, the inevitable traffic jam begins.
Mythbusters, a popular TV science show, ran a number of simulations to see if this method could be improved. They found that the back to front method took around 25 minutes. U.S. Airways boards people in a random order; this was found to be about 7 minutes faster.
An even faster method is ‘outside in.’ People seated by the windows boarded first, followed by those in the middle and then passengers with aisle seats. Mythbusters found that this was 10 minutes faster than the back to front method.
Southwest Airlines, however, goes one step further: passengers board at random and are free to sit wherever they want. This method is slightly quicker than outside in.
As for why airlines continue to stick with the back to front method, the answer is still up in the air.
Exercise 3
Questions
What boarding method do most airlines use?
Which airline lets passengers sit wherever they want?
Why is the back to front method so slow?
What is the fastest boarding method?
Exercise 4
Discussion
How do you feel about airport boarding times?
Do you think that airlines should change their boarding methods? Why? Why not?
Would you agree that "waiting is an ordinary part of air travel"? Why? Why not?
What do you do to keep yourself occupied while waiting at the airport?
Why do you think it's so expensive to buy food at airports?
Exercise 5
Further Discussion
How often do you fly? Why?
Do you prefer sitting in the window seat or next to the aisle? Why?
Have you ever been late for a flight? If so, please share your experience. If not, why not?
Have you ever been on any long-haul flights? If so, how would you describe the experience? If not, what's the longest flight you've ever been on?
Based on your experience, would you say that air travel is getting cheaper or more expensive? Why?
Exercise 6
Quotes
Go up in an airplane. Go high enough, and it's like we don't even exist. - Muhammad Ali. Do you think that air travel has become so commonplace that we often take it for granted? Why? Why not?
The only thing I like about air travel is it gives me time to read. - Jane Lindskold. What do you like about air travel?
