Effects of a hand luggage guiding system on airplane boarding time and passenger experience

Authors

Mirte VendelFollow
Sagar Dangal, Delft University of TechnologyFollow
Jessica Coppens, Delft University of TechnologyFollow
Suzanne Hiemstra-van Mastrigt, Delft University of TechnologyFollow
Peter Vink, Delft University of TechnologyFollow

Abstract

This research investigates whether a hand luggage guiding system in overhead bins decreases boarding time and improves boarding experience during aircraft boarding process. A guiding system was developed which allocates and displays the passengers luggage space in the overhead bin. The allocated space is guided by a light strip in front of the display that blinks when a passenger comes close to their allocated luggage space. This system was tested in a Boeing 737 test fuselage. Compared to regular boarding, a boarding time reduction of 16 to 23 seconds was estimated using the hand luggage guiding system in groups of 18 passengers compared with the traditional way of boarding. This corresponds to 3 to 4 minutes of boarding time reduction on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 passengers. In addition, the boarding experience of the new system was significantly higher than regular boarding. Although this system has potential, it is recommended to test it while boarding in an actual flight with passengers.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants for volunteering in this study. This study has been part of the research project PASSME, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 636308.

Scholarly Commons Citation

Vendel, M., Dangal, S., Coppens, J., Hiemstra-van Mastrigt, S., & Vink, P. (2019). Effects of a hand luggage guiding system on airplane boarding time and passenger experience. International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, 6(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15394/ijaaa.2019.1333