BOARDING THE PLANE Part One

I recently led you through my weight-loss journey and how it impacted my flight experiences. Now I want to guide you through an episode of thinking through a process that we who fly often, go through it, and then I want help you think about it differently.

SCENARIO  

         It may be helpful to go ahead and identify some assumptions. There is only one way to board and de-board the plane. There is one aisle and there are two sections, first class and economy coach. There are two restrooms on the plane, one in the front and one in the rear. There is one flight attendant for each section. You can only have one carry-on.

         Let’s go board this plane. You check into your flight and you get to your gate. Next it’s time to start boarding the plane. Now pay attention to the process of those getting on your plane.

1) First, the passengers that need extra assistance are asked to board the plane. This usually includes someone with a disability, an elder, parent with children and perhaps anyone that needs hand holding.

2) Second, 1st class passengers are able to board the plane. They usually get on the plane and sometimes are served drinks after they pack their carry on and sit down.

3) After 1st class boards, the remainder of passengers are allowed the board the plane and this usually happens in zones. The zones go from 1-6 and when people are boarding in economy by zone, the seats are stratified front, center, rear. For instance, zone (1) will have passengers in row 12-14, 21-23, 28-30. That way the front of the economy does not fill up before the back or the center of coach class.  

Now we are on the plane.

DISCUSSION         

         Have you ever boarded a plane like this? Most people that fly, this is the basic order of how the passengers board. I have flown most United States airlines in over three decades. Minus how traveling drastically changed after 9/11, the way we board planes has not changed. Go back over the order of how people board planes. (1) that need assistant, 2) 1st class and 3) everyone else). I find it interesting that that while first class is seated and being served drinks, others are boarding the plane. How courteous is that? While the different passenger and zones are being seated think about how luggage is stored above head in those bins. Luggage could fall out and hurt a person. Picture the people sitting in the aisle seat(s). While people are boarding in other rows, their luggage could hit a person sitting in the aisle seat. When thinking about safety, it is possible that this process could be done differently and maybe efficiently. 

         The way I distinguished the boarding process, I thought about it in three different ways, courtesy, safety, and efficiency. Before, I address this I want to explain how I came to this.

         Most of my life, I have flown in economy/coach class. In the last two years I have been able to fly first class almost every flight and I travel monthly. As my position on the plane changed, I became aware of those that are sitting where I used to sit. I pay attention and observe others boarding the plane, and I watch those that are serving on the plane. An idea I have is that if your mindset does not change with your status, you may hit barriers that add complexity and complications to your situation. This happens because the mindset that you employed in a past circumstance may not coalesce with your current situation. My economy mindset may ask, “Why is the flight attendant serving drinks while people are still boarding the plane?” Another question my economy mindset may ask is, “Why am I sitting here comfortably with a lot of leg room, my luggage tucked away and other people are boarding the plane hoping they can store their luggage and sit comfortably in their tight row?” As I think about this, I watch people board, and I even notice to lack of or obvious eye contact that is made between myself and another passenger.

DIVERSITY and INCLUSION

         Let’s switch up two things in the boarding scenario. First, make the airline your organization and second, make the way we board planes, the way your organization works. As you read this, you may think, we need to board planes differently and I agree with you. Humans are creatures of habit and when I do something a long time, the same way with no critique or correction and it works for me, I will continue to do it. Organizations are the same way. If a process works there are no critiques from those who matter and it saves resources, then the organization will continue to do it.

         In the scenario I presented, what does it take for the airline to board planes differently? Another question can be what does it take for the CEO of an airline to think and act on the idea that we need to board planes differently? If I made this scenario about a person, I am asking what do I need to help that person think and behave differently.

         First, for a person to think differently, they may need a person they respect to share with them the option of another way to do something. Second, the person sharing the option may need to share it in a way it is palatable for their friend to accept. Third, the person receiving the new information may need to be in a position or emotional state where they can receive this new information. Fourth, this new information may need to be presented in a way that can benefit the other person. If any of these four factors are off, it will be difficult to get someone to listen to you, consider what you are saying, and potentially do something that is outside of their comfort zone.