Why is boarding always from the Left?

[NM]

er that depends on both the aircraft type and door used, eg on 777-300 it is a right turn for F (from door 1L)

Then I would have to refuse boarding as part of the F experience is turning left . But the only OneWorld airline that comes to mind as operating 777-300 aircraft is CX and theirs are configured 2-class for regional operations. AA nearly always use door 2L for boarding so its still turning left for F pax. Not sure about BA boarding on their 777 as I have always been holding right-turn boarding passes when flying BA.

 

[Skyring]

Then I would have to refuse boarding as part of the F experience is turning left . But the only OneWorld airline that comes to mind as operating 777-300 aircraft is CX and theirs are configured 2-class for regional operations. AA nearly always use door 2L for boarding so its still turning left for F pax. Not sure about BA boarding on their 777 as I have always been holding right-turn boarding passes when flying BA.

CX uses two doors when boarding two or three class aircraft in HKG. J and F turn left on the jetway.

 

[NM]

CX uses two doors when boarding two or three class aircraft in HKG. J and F turn left on the jetway.

Exactly, you get to turn left at some point . They do the same from many airports, including KUL.

 

[JohnK]

Exactly, you get to turn left at some point . They do the same from many airports, including KUL.

I have turned left on an aircraft many times yet have never flown first class.

Problem is I get to turn left when i am exiting the aircraft rather than when boarding the aircraft.

 

[FlyFirst]

Hi all

The reason I heard as to why boradiong is from the left...

Propellor aircraft taxi after landing using power on only one side of the aircraft - and this is the right hand side... the left engines are shut down.

Hence on arrival at the gate, the left engines had already stopped and could be secured, meaning it was quicker and safer for pax to leave through the left hand side.

Although, come to think of it (chicken and egg here) - why did aircraft taxi using only the right propellors and not the left? Did they shut the left hand side ones down because that was the boarding side?

I think since the days of prop jets airports have then been built to accommodate aircraft on the left side (airbridges etc).

Regards

FlyFirst

 

[Skyring]

Hi all

The reason I heard as to why boradiong is from the left...

Propellor aircraft taxi after landing using power on only one side of the aircraft - and this is the right hand side... the left engines are shut down.

I often fly on propeller airliners - the Dash 8 is a frequent (and pleasant) Canberra-Sydney ride for me - and they taxi all the way using both engines.

I'd say that somewhere and somewhen a decision was made to standardise passenger loading on the port and freight on the starboard, and it doesn't matter why this happened, it just happened. It may have been something really trivial (and the prop theory is as good as any other) and it snowballed.

 

[Dave Noble]

Not sure about BA boarding on their 777 as I have always been holding right-turn boarding passes when flying BA.

BA often uses 1L for boarding 777s so those heading to the back of the bus get to see what they are missing. I have turned left enough times without travelling 1st class that the turning left being special for 1st is definately a myth.... e.g. on QF 2 class 744s

Dave

 

[FlyFirst]

I often fly on propeller airliners - the Dash 8 is a frequent (and pleasant) Canberra-Sydney ride for me - and they taxi all the way using both engines.

I'd say that somewhere and somewhen a decision was made to standardise passenger loading on the port and freight on the starboard, and it doesn't matter why this happened, it just happened. It may have been something really trivial (and the prop theory is as good as any other) and it snowballed.

That's interesting - I know they taxi out with both - but every prop I've been on they have shut down the left hand side on the taxi way (thing still flies around for a while). You see this particularly in the States, but maybe there they are more focussed on saving fuel?

Regards

FlyFirst

 

[NM]

BA often uses 1L for boarding 777s so those heading to the back of the bus get to see what they are missing. I have turned left enough times without travelling 1st class that the turning left being special for 1st is definately a myth.... e.g. on QF 2 class 744s

Dave

Oh, please don't bust the myth . On a 2-class 744 just turn right 3 times instead of turning left once . Turning left on a 2-class 744 is like wearing F pyjamas in business class - its just not cricket!

 

[Groundfeeder]

Propellor aircraft taxi after landing using power on only one side of the aircraft - and this is the right hand side... the left engines are shut down.

This is a cheap way of saving fuel - doesn't happen in Oz. I've seen Crash-8's reversing out of CNS terminal and they don't use single engine!

In my extensive regional experience, Ive only found one occasion with Hazeltons in a Brazilia (? - can't quite remember type) when at Cobar NSW they shut down the port engine to disembark pax and left the s'board spinning.
Obvious safety reasons, but the cynic in me thought they're just keeping the a/c going in the oppressive heat.

I now understand that the main power gen. is linked to s'board engine (in major propjets (eg:Crash 8's) and maybe jets which is why this is the first engine to be started on the ground before external power truck is removed. Still the same with Q400, despite APU.

 

[bigjobs]

on some really hot summer days in Blackwater the Dash 8 lands to drop off and pick up a few pax and the crew will turn of the right hand engine and leave the left running on the (what i call) engine idle ... it's bloody noisy getting on the plane.

i asked one time and the FA said that they do it to keep the air con on and keep the engines cool.

i guess it's like your car engine ... it will overheat when running in bumper to bumper traffic or when you switch it off.

i know at these times they have been quick to get people off and us on the plane to keep moving. like i said, it's bloody hot when this happens.

 

[Commuter]

I assume that particular Dash 8 has no APU (don't quote me, I'm not clued up on them, but I believe APU is offered as an option on some Dash 8s) - therefore an engine is needed to be running to keep the air conditioning running. Not sure about keeping the engines cool??