When your plane pulls up to the terminal, the jetway is the corridor that rolls out to meet its front door. We should also use the airplane's back door. If a particular gate next to a gate where passengers are boarding is not using its own jetway, that jetway should be pressed into service to allow passengers to board through the back.

More exits and entries mean less time wasted clearing off or seating all the passengers-- One person struggling with a bag or a stroller won't impede the flow of half the plane, just one-quarter of it. Planes will be seated from the middle out instead of from the back forward.

Passengers are happier, planes may keep to schedules better, and only existing resources are used (although they'll need to borrow another clerk to collect tickets for the back door).
-- ejs, May 25 2001

I always make fun of the San Jose airport for not having jetways (C'mon, this is ground zero of the New Economy, and I disembark via *stairs* that someone *pushes* into place, and then I *walk* across the *tarmac*? But I guess if I were really among the digital elite, I'd have a private jet or something, and it would all be moot), but they often wheel stairs to both ends of the aircraft, and you can deplane twice as quickly.

I believe they only board in the front, however.
-- egnor, May 25 2001


That would be San Jose *International* Airport - Come on, lets have a list of all those international destinations you can go to from San Jose. Ummm.. Mexico, and ...
-- hippo, May 25 2001


[hippo]: According to their web-site, Tokyo-Narita and Toronto.
-- angel, May 25 2001


A simple solution to your problem, ejs, would be to exchange a handful of windows with ones that can be opened by the passengers (but obviously only when the plan is at a standstill). Those passengers who are in a tremendous rush -- and I must admit that I sometimes find myself among them -- could simple use the provided rope ladders to clamber out, lower themselves to the tarmac, and sprint towards the nearest perimeter fence. Those who wish to travel at a more leisurely pace can disembark in the usual manner.
-- Dr Furtz, Jun 11 2001


[angel] I stand (<pa> sit, actually </pa>) corrected.
-- hippo, Jun 12 2001


Even in these days of increased security, a double jetway is not a bad idea, provided that both tubes extend from a single stem which extends out from the stem. The double tubes would speed up the deplaning and loading of passengers and could also be used to load carts of snacks and sodas, if there aren't too many passengers and more experience is gained with the new security measures and the passenger traffic, which is sure to rebound.
-- JoeBader1, Sep 29 2001


Baked. Airbus A380 will be able to use double jetways, and quite a few airports are already preparing for it.
-- danilom, Jun 19 2002


The problem with boarding new passengers as the old ones depart is that they go through and clean the thing while there's no one on board. Wouldn't be able to do that this way.

That being said, being able to get out of the tin can as quickly as possible is a Good Thing.
-- StarChaser, Jun 19 2002


Danilom, we're not talking about a double-level jetway, as the A380 would implement, we're discussing a system whereby travellers board and deboard from the front and rear doors of the aircraft, using either two jetways, or a 'Y' shaped one.
-- Alx_xlA, Mar 23 2010



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