FAQ
Q: Does the carpet need to be changed to suit different planes?
A:No, all aircraft use the same row and seat numbering system, so one size Flying Carpet fits all. Hence it can be a permanent fixture. Of course smaller planes have fewer rows but that doesn’t matter, it just means that not all the row numbers are used for their flights..
Q: Are boarding passes scanned before or after stepping onto the carpet?
A: Before, passengers only need to walk a few steps after scanning to their place on the Flying Carpet, briefly pause, then move on as a group to the plane when directed by the attendant. It only takes about 30 seconds for 20 passengers to take their places.
Q: The numbered spaces are small, is there enough room for people travelling together ?
A: Yes, they only need to be within the coloured square containing their number, so they can spread out a bit. Each coloured square has 12 spaces so there’s enough room for 4 or more passengers. But on average, there will only be a couple of passengers in each of the 12 seat colour squares.
Q: How many passengers are in each group?
A: Although the carpet can comfortably accommodate up to about 30 or 40 passengers and their carry-on bags, smaller groups of about 20 work well. Passengers have plenty of room on the carpet and inside the plane along the aisle, less than one passenger per row.
Q: Won’t it take longer for many groups?
A: No, each group takes only about 45 seconds to assemble and move on, less than 8 minutes for 10 groups, maybe 200 passengers.
Q: Would an airline have to abandon its current system altogether, eg. Rear-to-Front?
A: Not necessarily, whatever system is used, it will always work better if passengers enter the plane in row order – which is of course what the Flying Carpet does.
Q: Can airlines still offer priority boarding to certain passengers?
A: Yes, whether it’s passengers with privileges, military personnel, mothers with babies, invalids, or for any other reason, they can be in the first group. What’s more, it will be easier for all of them if they also assemble on their assigned seat numbers on the Flying Carpet.
Q: What happens if passengers don’t comply?
A: There will always be mavericks who want to buck the system, but one or two per group don’t cause any noticeable delays. Thankfully, the great majority of people are more than happy to abide by with a system that is seen as sensible, efficient and fair, not to mention faster and less hassle.
Q: Never mind the boarding method, isn’t it the passengers with oversize bags that cause the delays?
A: Yes, the bottlenecks they cause disrupts most boarding methods. But that doesn’t happen with the Flying Carpet; being in row order inside the plane nobody has to wait for slowcoaches struggling to stow their bags.
Q: Wouldn’t it be better to use some sort of projection or electronic screens on the floor?
A: No, the large numbers on the Flying Carpet are highly visible and the pattern is logical and easy to follow. Keep It Simple.
