Delta Air Lines Boarding Process: A Walk-through

The American legacy carrier, Delta Air Lines, has a new boarding process with more boarding categories than before.

This will make way for a smoother boarding. The airline boarding process is based on the branded fare.

Therefore, passengers can now well-organized experience and better gate experience.

Delta has challenged the decade-old zone boarding aviation standard. Do you know how it works?

To find out, follow the article as it takes on a walk-through of the Delta Air Lines new boarding process.

Delta Air Lines’ Previous Boarding Sequence

Before proceeding with the new boarding process, let’s take a look at the older order of boarding by Delta Air Lines.

First to the board are pre-boarding passengers. Following them are Delta One passengers.

Next in line are First Class, Delta Premium Select passengers, and Diamond Medallion members, respectively.

Delta Air Lines New Boarding Sequence

Now, if you compare the old Delta boarding process to the newer, you find more boarding categories and stages.

Also, note that the Silver Medallion members do not have a dedicated priority boarding zone for flights that depart from Amsterdam’s Schiphol and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. This is because of the boarding policies of KLM and Air France airlines.

Anyhow, here is how the new boarding order looks like:

1. Pre-boarding: This includes passengers that require assistance or additional time to board. It also includes active U.S. military personnel with valid ID.
2. Delta One: Next comes, Delta One members and Diamond Medallion Members. In case the aircraft lacks this cabin, then Diamond Medallion Members are moved to the next zone.
3. First Class and Delta Premium Select: Passengers in the First Class, Delta Premium Select Members, and Diamond Medallion Members (conditional). Further, customers traveling with strollers and car seats, or others with early boarding also belong to this zone. Also, Diamond Medallion members are the first to board if the regional jet lack First Class cabin.
4. Delta Comfort Plus: All Delta Comfort Plus Members.
5. Sky Priority: This includes Platinum Medallion, Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold, GOL Smiles Diamond, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold, Flying Blue Platinum and Gold, Gold Medallion, and SkyTeam^®Elite Plus members.

From here onwards, the boarding process follows cabins rather than fare types:

6. Delta Main Cabin 1: It comprises of Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers, GOL Smiles Gold members, Silver Medallion members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members, Priority Boarding Trip Extra customers and Delta Corporate travelers.
7. Delta Main Cabin 2: All main cabin passengers.
8. Main Cabin 3: This boarding stage consists of all the passengers reserved in the T, X, and V fares.
9. Basic Economy: And concluding the boarding order is the Delta Airlines Basic Economy.

Quick Comparison between Both

• So, the number of boarding categories is 8. Pre-boarding passengers don’t have to follow the color code. They will board the first.
• The order of boarding for cabins, i.e., Delta Main Cabins 1-3 and Basic Economy, remains unchanged. The same goes for the pre-boarding.
• Delta Comfort Plus pushes Sky Priority a step behind in the order.
• And, the former Premium boarding zone has been split into two. The first boarding zone being Delta One on aircraft with Delta One cabin. The other zone being Delta Premium Select or First Class.
• After pre borders, Delta One passengers will be the first to board transcontinental flights.

Delta Air Lines Color System

The Delta’s new boarding process follows the ticket type. Delta has color-coded each fare type.

You will notice digital screens instead of the static board screens. They guide each fare type through the colors assigned to their Delta flight tickets.

What escalates the need for a well-organized system is that Delta is amongst the largest air carriers in the world.

Further, Atlanta, the major USA hub for Delta, is home to the busiest airport in the world. There are a huge number of passengers that move through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

• Advantages of Delta’s Color Coded Boarding Process/ Boarding by Branded Fare

Let’s look at the benefits of Delta’s shift in the boarding process.

1. Replacing the number coding system with color is effective because humans are visual beings. Hence, colors guide passengers through boarding better than the complex numbered zones and gates.
2. It checks the crowding problems and leads to better traffic movement. Upon the suggestion of Delta’s gate agents, Delta Comfort Plus was added to curb gate crowding.
3. It simplifies and organizes the boarding process.
4. You can distinguish the fare products through color-coded gate signage and airport screens.
5. Delta’s online shopping experience, boarding passes, Fly Delta App, jetway screens, and boarding signage will feature the New boarding order name. Thereby improving communication.

Delta Allows Purchase of Priority Boarding

Further, passengers can push themselves up the boarding order. Delta allows its customers to purchase priority boarding. It starts at $15 per flight. What is the privilege, you ask?

Well, you will be allowed to board equivalent to passengers in the Main Cabin 1.

Once you opt for the service, your boarding pass will have the service facility printed over it. Moreover, if you wish to cancel or change flights, the purchase shall be forfeited.

So,

1. You must use the App: You can purchase priority boarding by making your flight ticket booking through the Fly Delta App.
2. It’s a Good Value Deal: To purchase $15 priority boarding makes sense as you get onto the plane at the same time as the lower-level elite members. You will be boarding before the rest of the Delta main cabins.
3. There’s a Passenger Limit: To avail priority boarding, the primary cardholder must not have more than nine passengers on the reservation.
4. The Fare is Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable: If you purchase priority booking, your ticket will be non-refundable and non-transferable. That means the delta 24-hour cancellation policy doesn’t apply.
5. You can get Automatic Priority Boarding: You get automatic priority boarding if you are a Platinum, Gold, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles credit cardholder. However, only if you attach your SkyMiles number in your reservation. Also, additional authorized users on the card account cannot avail of this benefit.

Boosting Delta SkyMiles Balance

Delta Air Lines’ loyalty program SkyMiles is dollar-based. In other words,  the points are awarded based on how many dollars you spend on Delta, rather than the number of miles you fly.

Once again, Delta has proved to be an airline that doesn’t follow footsteps. It is an innovator, whether it is the boarding zone or its loyalty program.

There are two types of miles under the program. These are:

• Miles: Delta awards these based on the amount of dollars spent on Delta purchases. As you start, you will earn five bonus miles for every $1. As you progress through general membership to Diamond Medallion, the number of bonus miles per dollar spent increases.
• Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM): Delta awards these based on the distance traveled or miles flown. MQM is your way to extra privileges and benefits. They also help you achieve elite status.

Also, you require an affiliated credit card to earn miles and sign up for the SkyMiles account.

Here are some methods to boost your Delta SkyMiles balance.

1. Earn double the bonus miles if you make Delta purchases using Delta SkyMiles Credit Card.
2. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card will help you earn and transfer Marriott’s point to Delta. Also, you get 5000 bonus miles for every 60,000 Marriott points to you make.
3. Make purchases from the Delta SkyMiles shopping portal to earn free miles.
4. Delta’s SkyMiles dining program is another satisfying way to boost your balance.
5. There are also ways to earn miles by paying utility bills such as gas and electric services.
6. Referring to someone for a credit card also gives you extra points.
7. Booking Delta Vacations or Delta’s hotel partners is another great way to earn miles on the go.

Delta consistently works to enhance the travel experience of its customers. The new boarding process has improved passenger ratings significantly. The boarding order gets passengers to their destinations on time.

So, next time you book Delta Airlines flight tickets, pay attention to the boarding process.