All Show, No Flow. Class Systems and the Trade-Off Between Status and Smarts

G’day.

I’ve just returned from an overseas trip and one thing has stuck with me, the boarding process on the flights. 

In Australia, most airlines board from the back unless you’re in business class or via the front and rear doors (depending on where you are seated). It’s a simple system that helps reduce aisle congestion. You’re not stepping over people. You’re not stuck behind someone trying to lift a suitcase into an overhead locker in row six while you’re headed to row thirty.

It works. It’s not about showing favour or status… it’s about flow. For me, the best airline experiences start with getting me there on time with as few delays as possible throughout the process. So, I was a little taken aback by the group-based approach that I experienced on all my US flights. It was a slower, more chaotic experience and being in group 8, I felt like I was a pauper. The aisle was filled with people crossing paths, trying to find seats and overhead lockers for luggage, while others were still getting organised in the aisle. It created friction and all to serve one purpose: making sure status is visible.

Now, I get the thinking behind boarding business class early. It’s about offering priority and a sense of exclusivity. Maybe create some envy in the passengers walking by so that next time they fly, they consider a bigger spend to avoid FOMO. However, it got me thinking that maybe airlines have had a marketing lens on that experience and not a CX lens. 

Imagine, instead of rushing business class passengers onto the plane first, we give them an experience that actually feels premium. A calm space near the gate (after they have left their lounge). Comfortable seating. Maybe a drink. No need to queue. No need to sit on the plane like they are some sort of zoo attraction while everyone walks past, wondering how rich they must be, how important they are, or what they do for a living. Instead, they could sit with a bevy, and when the plane is nearly ready, they board last, avoid the crowd, and go straight to their seat in peace.

To me, that feels premium.

I’ve been lucky enough on occasion to sit in business class before and experience that moment when the entire plane walks past you. It doesn’t feel glamorous. It feels awkward. Maybe some people like the performance of it, but I’m not one of them.

I digress. So, outside of business class and back to my question… do we really need 8 groups so everyone can feel a little more important than the person one row behind them getting the exact same seating experience? All in the name of status?

What this all raises is something more interesting than simple boarding preferences.

It’s a question about how we design systems.

Are we designing for effectiveness, or are we designing for status? Are we rewarding what works or what looks good?

This balance between effectiveness and status is increasingly being negotiated, and I believe brands are confusing this with personalisation… it’s not! It’s choosing optics over outcomes. 

Boarding a plane is a relatively small moment in the travel journey, but it’s also one of the first impressions, and it's a reflection of the airline's values.

Some systems are designed to get people moving. Others are designed to make people feel important.

Loading 180 people into a flying metal tube isn't fun for anybody, so do we really need to load people based on status?

Are we designing for flow or for show?

Until next time, and as always, 

hooroo!