United to halve boarding time

New jet bridges will allow Ted fliers in front, back doors

Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 12, 2006 at midnight

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United Airlines will install five state-of-the-art jet bridges at Denver International Airport that allow passengers to board and deplane from both the front and back doors of an aircraft.

The nation's second-largest airline will use the advanced bridges, developed by Ottawa, Ontario- based Dew Engineering and Development Ltd., on Concourse B for flights involving its low-cost arm, Ted.

As part of the plan, United will move all 35 daily Ted flights currently operating on Concourse A to Concourse B by this fall.

If the new "dual" bridges work as planned, United hopes to increase revenue and efficiency by decreasing the amount of time it takes to de-board and re-board aircraft. The carrier estimates it can shave 10 minutes off its "turn time," meaning its planes can fly longer - and make more money - each day.

"It's another opportunity for us to turn the airplane faster," said Sean Donohue, vice president of Ted. "Ultimately, what we get is more productivity out of the airplane. Anything we can do to get more out of that multimillion-dollar asset . . . is a good thing to us."

United will install the bridges starting in April. For the first few months, they will be used for United's mainline flights until the Ted operations are moved to the B concourse.

The carrier said it fully intends to keep its five gates on Concourse A and is deciding whether it will shift regional jets or possibly some of its main, United-branded flights there from the B concourse.

The new high-tech bridges are equipped with advanced sensors that detect the position of the aircraft and automatically hook the bridge to the plane. Upon arrival, a pilot parks the plane visually by looking at a huge screen mounted outside of the concourse, eliminating the need for workers to guide the jet in and hook it up to the bridge.

The new bridges essentially form a "Y" shape, with the left fork connecting to the door in the front of the plane and the right connecting the door in the back. The two sides then converge before connecting to the concourse.

United estimates the technology will cut boarding and deplaning times in half to an average of five to seven minutes.

"From a customer's perspective, you obviously gain a tremendous benefit," Donohue said. "You can get off the airplane faster, and you can get on the airplane faster."

Currently, several carriers use similar dual bridges worldwide. But the version United will install is the first that is completely automated.

United has spent a good deal of effort recently trying to get passengers in and out of airplanes more quickly. Several months ago, the carrier switched to a boarding system that lets passengers with window seats get on first, followed by those in middle and aisle seats. Previously, United boarded passengers by row number. The change, United says, has speeded up the boarding process because there are fewer bottlenecks caused by passengers who must stand up to let other people in their rows get by.

United's ultimate plan is to roll out the new bridges to other hub airports and eventually use it for many of its mainline flights as well.

Stuart Klaskin, an aviation consultant in Miami, said moving to the new automated bridges is a logical move for United, which is planning to emerge from bankruptcy protection within weeks.

"I think if you're a major hub operator, anything you can do across your system to reduce aircraft downtime is a very good thing," Klaskin said.

United, the largest airline at DIA with more than 5,500 employees, has used Ted as a testing ground for new services and procedures before, such as its move to sell lunch and snack boxes during flights.

Denver International Airport ranked No. 1

• Top airport: The next time you experience crowded parking lots, long security lines or other perceived hassles at Denver International Airport, don't be so quick to complain.

You don't know how good you have it.

A poll released Wednesday by Business Traveler magazine ranked DIA as the best airport in North America.

The publication compiled the results of its 17th annual Business Travel Awards by asking thousands of its readers to comment on several aspects of travel. And whom better to ask: The magazine says its readers spent, on average, 49 nights in hotels last year.

• Top airline: Aside from the best airports, the poll asked travelers to vote for their favorite airlines, hotels and travel Web sites.

United Airlines, despite well-publicized cutbacks during the past three years, ranked as the best airline for North American travel. It also took top honors for its frequent-flier program, which allows customers to redeem miles for travel to destinations worldwide.

OTHER AWARDS:

• Singapore Airlines, best overall airline in the world, best airline for international travel, best first-class and economy service, and best business-class service to Asia

• British Airways, best business-class service

• JetBlue Airways, best low-cost carrier

The advantages

• Sean Donohue, vice president of Ted: "From a customer's perspective you obviously gain a tremendous benefit. You can get off the airplane faster, and you can get on the airplane faster."

walshc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2744

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