Delta is changing its boarding process. Here’s what to expect on upcoming flights

Tanasia Kenney
·1 min read
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Delta Air Lines passengers will soon see changes to the way they board.

The Atlanta-based airline said it will return to boarding passengers by numbered zones starting May 1, a Delta spokesperson confirmed to McClatchy News. It’s a blast from the past, as Delta scrapped numbered boarding in early 2019, CNN reported.

Currently, travelers board in “branded” groups based on their customer status — Diamond Medallion, for example — or their fare class, the airline said.

Passengers will still board in the same order, Delta said, however boarding categories will be numbered zones instead.

The process will begin with pre-boarding followed by Delta One or first class customers boarding in Zone 1, according to the airline. Zone 2 includes Diamond Medallion and Delta Premium Select passengers, with Delta Comfort Plus and Sky Priority members in Zones 3 and 4.

“While a simple change, this transition to numbered zones will provide customers more clarity into the boarding sequence and make the boarding process more intuitive — especially for infrequent travelers and/or customers who might face a language barrier at the gate,” the Delta spokesperson told McClatchy News.

Zone numbers will be printed on passengers’ tickets and boarding passes accessed on the FlyDelta app, the airline said. The new tweaks are to ensure “a more streamlined” boarding process.

Delta added that the zones will provide “international customers a more simplified, consistent experience when traveling on mixed-metal itineraries.”

At the gate, passengers in zones 1-4 will use the Sky Priority lane while those seated in zones 5-8 will line up in the general boarding area, according to Delta’s website.

Boarding lane signs will be updated to show the new zone numbers.

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