All airlines, including Delta, publish the order that passengers board aircraft on their websites. We try to keep an updated list at this link.
However, one of our readers asked about a change they noticed when they recently boarded a Delta flight. While I’m not sure if this is an official change, it will make a huge difference to some passengers when they board the plane.
After Delta One, Delta Premium Select, First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Sky Priority customers, Delta boards the Main Cabin passengers.
The first group used to include the following:
- Silver Medallion Members
- Delta Corporate Travelers
- Gold, Platinum and Reserve Delta SkyMiles credit card members
- Flying Blue Silver members
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members
- Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members
- SkyTeam Elite
- SkyMiles Select Members
- LATAM Pass Gold+ Elite
- WestJet Rewards Silver Elite
However, this is now how Delta describes the boarding process on its website:
Delta One, Delta Premium Select, First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Sky Priority customers will be invited to board before our agents begin back-to-front boarding for Main Cabin and Basic Economy customers. With more customers traveling with us this summer, we have implemented a more efficient boarding experience.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this but doesn’t it seem that after the groups mentioned, the rest of the plane is boarded from back to front for Main Cabin and Basic Economy passengers? Therefore, elite members and Delta co-brand cardholders no longer get priority boarding or earlier access to overhead space? That’s going to be important because even Delta admits that more people will travel this summer.
I already have one data point that says Delta started boarding from back to front right after being done with Comfort+ passengers. Of course, if Delta continues to place the screens that tell you when to board where no one can see them, it’s understandable if you miss your boarding group.
Has anyone else flown Delta recently and experienced the same thing?
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and get emailed notifications of when we post. Or maybe you’d like to join our Facebook group – we have 23,000+ members and we talk and ask questions about travel (including Disney parks), creative ways to earn frequent flyer miles and hotel points, how to save money on or for your trips, get access to travel articles you may not see otherwise, etc. Whether you’ve read our posts before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
3 comments
Love the back to front loading Moves faster and everyone isn’t being jostled in process. Always wondered why it was not done this way
Delta has been boarding most flights back to front since they claim it is better for social distancing (although research proves it is actually significantly worse). But it’s really hit or miss lately, sone flights are back to front, some are not. And sometimes Comfort+ is the LAST to board.
This sucks. I obtained a Delta Platinum card because one of the perks was main cabin 1 boarding. However there is no main cabin 1. If Delta had any scruples they would remove this as a listed benefit. This is the first and last year I will keep this card.