Team 1896 10 Saving Time And Money Summary We

team 1896 10 saving time and money summary we came up with a solution to decrease the amount of time a plane spends on the ground to

Team 1896 10
Saving Time and Money
Summary
We came up with a solution to decrease the amount of time a plane
spends on the ground to maximize the amount of flights that can take
place daily. Our main focus was the issue of boarding and de-boarding
full flights. We considered this the biggest issue that could
potentially be fixed with the right solution. Boarding and de-boarding
delays are caused mostly by aisle-interference of passengers and
struggles with large carry-on items. Our solution eliminates these
problems by reducing the amount of baggage passengers are able to
carry-on with them to one personal item. Also, passengers will be
assigned to seats as they pass through the gate through a computer
starting from the last row continuing forward, from the window to the
aisle seats. This removes the struggle of passengers trying to get
past others in attempts to find their seats.
We also considered the time that would be conserved by not having
carry-ons to place in overhead bins. By only allowing personal items
that are able to fit underneath the seat in front of the passenger, we
found that we could reduce time spent boarding and de-boarding by
nearly 25-30 seconds per passenger with baggage.
Time was not our only concern for this issue. The amount of money
these procedures would cost the airlines was a matter as well. If we
came up with a solution that cost airlines too much the resolution
would be worthless, because our main goal is to maximize profits for
airlines. Therefore we specified our purpose was to find the most
efficient conclusion with the least amount of expenses.
Assumptions with Justifications
Passengers:
-Passengers want to be seated as close to the front as possible.
(This way the order of boarding will be assigned by preference.)
-Passengers want to board and de-board as fast as possible.
(This way we can be sure no one will procrastinate.)
-Every flight is full.
(This way no seats will be unoccupied.)
-Passengers will obey airline officials
(This way we can assure people will follow our procedure for
boarding.)
-Passengers will arrive at the gate on time.
(This way we can assure that when boarding there will be no delays due
to tardiness.)
-Every passenger will only carry a personal item.
(This way we can be sure people will only possess a small item to deal
with in the aisles.)
-There will be some elderly and disabled passengers on every flight.
(This way we can assume extra time and boarding procedures will be
available for their assistance.)
-There will be young children on every flight.
(This way we can take into consideration the time it takes to care for
young passengers.)
-No one walks around after they are situated in their seat.
(This way we can assure there will be no aisle-interference caused by
already seated passengers.)
-There will be some passengers with layovers of an hour or less before
their next flight.
(This way we can be sure to address the problem of quick de-boarding
for passengers who need to catch a following flight.)
-Passengers are prepared to de-board when the plane reaches the gate.
(This way we can be sure that de-boarding time will not be increased
due to passengers that are not ready to leave.)
Airline:
-Airlines want the least expensive solution with the greatest results.
(This way we can be sure to devise a reasonable plan for the
airlines.)
-As time is decreased, money is increased.
(This way we can create a way to help airline businesses by decreasing
boarding time.)
-Business class tickets are more expensive than coach.
(This way we can address the factors included when incorporating
business/first class and the time and money issue.)
Definitions of Constants and Terms
LL, L M, LS=average length of large, midsize, and small planes
DL, DM, DS=distance between seats in a large, midsize, and small plane
S=speed (velocity)
So=average speed
t=amount of time.
TL, TM, TS=time to board a large, midsize, and small plane
d=distance covered
Large plane= 450-800 passengers
Midsize plane=210-330 passengers
Small plane= 85-210 passengers
CL, CM, CS=average number of chairs in each row of large, midsize, and
small planes
AL, AM, AS=average number of aisles in large, midsize, and small
planes
n=row number
RL ,RM ,RS= Number of rows in a large, midsize, and small plane
Introduction
The time it takes to board and de-board passengers is a large part of
the reason planes spend so much time on the ground. This is an issue
to airlines because the more time they spend out of the air, the less
money is made. Finding a process that would minimize the time could be
useful for all sizes of planes. In our research we specifically looked
for the most effective way to reduce the time it takes for passengers
to seat themselves for the least amount of expenses.
What are the factors that lengthen boarding and de-boarding time? We
discussed the different possibilities in hopes to address as many of
them as possible. We came to the conclusion, based on personal
experience, that aisle-interference, struggling with large carry-on
baggage, slow-moving elderly, disabled, and parents’ effort with
strollers are some important issues. After identifying the sources for
the problem, we focused on eliminating them.
The Model
To help is determine the amount of time it takes to fill a plane, we
created an equation to represent the time spent. When determining how
long it would take to get to each seat, we found the average speed of
walking (see appendix A). Next, we calculated the average distance and
divided it by the average speed to find the average time to get to
each row (see appendix B and C). Using this info we were able to
determine the total sum of time it would take to board a plane, with
no aisle interference.
TL
TM
TS
Note we know that the time for boarding is less then or equal to our
model because it includes time so that each passenger walks from front
of the plane to their seat, when in reality people will hopefully be
boarding consecutively therefore already being close to seat by the
time the person in front of them is.
The Solutions
We came up with many solutions to decrease time spent on the ground.
We came to the conclusion that the main issue with boarding is the
aisle interference that occurs when passengers are trying to get
situated with their carry-ons in the overhead bin. One way to reduce
passenger struggle so others can move past them would be to collect
carry-ons prior to boarding and have employees place in the proper
overhead bin for each passenger. This would virtually eliminate all
aisle interference and ensure a much faster boarding process.
Passengers would not need to worry about carrying large items in the
extremely skinny aisles and would be able to simply find their seat.
Unfortunately, we found many flaws with this solution. Having
employees distribute the carry-ons would take just as much, if not
more time than having passengers place them themselves. The difference
would be whether or not the passengers were waiting on the plane, or
in the terminal. Either way the plane is on the ground, losing money
for the airline. If the airline chose to hire new employees for the
task to decrease time, they would be losing more money by having to
pay them. Therefore this solution would not be successful.
Having wider aisles could help with the congestion of people trying to
get past others who are putting their baggage away. Widening the
aisles by taking out one of the column of seats would make boarding
the plane much easier and more time efficient. Most people would be
able to pass through the aisles if someone was standing in their way
while putting away their carry-ons. However, despite the time
improvement, the money the airlines would lose because of the fewer
amount of tickets sold would not make up for the decreased time on the
ground.
The Best Solution
Another way to eliminate aisle interference would be to alter
Southwest Airlines’ procedure of group boarding. Rather than assigning
seats, Southwest distinguishes passenger boarding by groups A, B, and
C. The first group of passengers to check in is in group A and get to
board the plane first, choosing whatever seat they want. Group B and C
follow. Our idea was to have reverse boarding. Group C would board the
plane first, but instead of sitting wherever they choose, they must be
assigned to a seat by the ticket reader at the gate. The seat
assignments would start from the back of the plane and file in from
the window to the aisle. This process would basically abolish aisle
interference because passengers would not have to pass people in the
aisle who are trying to put their carry-ons in the overhead
compartments.
Another thought about boarding would be to consider those who have a
connection flight with a layover of an hour or less. We thought that
it would be appropriate to board them in group A in order to allow
them to de-board faster and get to their gate on time.
Removing the option of bringing carry-ons to store in the overhead
compartments would also greatly reduce boarding time. Passengers would
still be able to bring a personal item with them, but their item must
be small enough to fit below the seat of the passenger in front of
them. After numerous trials of lifting heavy bags onto high shelves,
we calculated it would take about 15 seconds to simply lift bag into
the open space. This trial did not take into consideration shifting
other bags, or trying to find a spot for the luggage to fit.
Therefore, we can assume it could take up to about 25 to 30 seconds
per passenger, which would reduce without the use of carry-on luggage.
Because most airlines have a way of recognizing those passengers who
fly more frequently, the airline could acknowledge them by
automatically putting them into Group A at the time their ticket is
booked. Eliminating business and first class on flights would
ultimately shorten boarding time, but may lose the airlines money.
Therefore, keeping them may take longer to board, but the money the
airline would be making in the extra cost of tickets would make up for
the time spent on the ground.
Having the seat assignments given at the gate directly before boarding
is also useful to people traveling together who did not book their
flights at the same time, or who were unable to be assigned to seats
near each other. They would simply have to board at the same time and
they would be able to sit together. Another time conserver would be to
not allow strollers past the gate. Passengers will be asked to fold
them up and hand them off to a flight attendant prior to walking
through the gate to the tunnel so they could place them in the front
of the plane. We researched how long it would take to fold up a
stroller because we were without access to one. We found that an
experienced mother can fold up a stroller in about 30 seconds (*).
Removing the task of folding up the stroller right in front of the
entrance of the plane would reduce the time by about a half of a
minute per stroller.
Also, most airlines have disabled board with the first group in order
to accommodate them, but we figured that if they were to board last,
then they would not cause aisle interference, or cause for delays in
boarding. They would also have more assistance, and would feel less
rushed by other passengers.
This solution would work easily for small planes and could be modified
to work in medium and large planes. Appendix D shows diagrams of how
the order would work for each plane size. For planes with two aisles,
the process would be the same, but when your seat number is given, an
aisle number is given as well, to indicate which aisle to go down when
boarding. For large double-decker planes, the boarding would be taking
place simultaneously for the lower and upper levels, with bridges
leading to the upper deck and lower.
De-boarding the plane is something that there is less control over.
The normal process for unloading the plane is usually row-by-row, from
the front to the back. This process would be sped up tremendously
without the use of carry-ons in the overhead compartments because
passengers would not have to wait for the person in front of them to
retrieve their belongings. Also, it would make more sense to have the
physically disabled seated towards the front of the plane wait until
everyone else has exited the aircraft to de-board. More than likely,
it would take the less time if they wait until the other passengers
have gotten off the plane because there would be more room to maneuver
and time for the flight attendants to help them. Also, passengers
would not have to wait for the disabled, and would be able to leave
the plane quickly.
Eliminating carry-ons might frustrate passengers who do not wish to
wait in baggage claim for their luggage. However, the time conserved
by the boarding and de-boarding procedures would make-up for the wait
in baggage claim. Some passengers would not like the being out of
control of the seat they are given. Despite this, people might accept
this change in procedure for the overall decrease in time they will
have to spend waiting to get on and off the plane. The empty overheads
would be a waste of space if left unused, but if the airlines choose
to do so, they could remove them, giving passengers more room to stand
up straight.
Outside Factors
Some events that occur while the plane is on the ground are completely
unavoidable. Cleaning the plane from the previous flight, de-icing the
plane in winter conditions, the time it takes to taxi to the runway,
re-fueling, etc are factors that contribute to longer time spent on
the ground. When determining the amount of time the plane spends on
the ground these factors need to be considered as well, besides
boarding and de-boarding.
Results/ Conclusion
The solution that we came up with would eliminate the main cause of
delays that airlines face when preparing for the next flight. The
basis for our procedure is simple and efficient. We are sure this
process would take less time than the methods of boarding now because
it is very similar, without the hassle of trying to maneuver around
other passengers and struggle with baggage. Our model stimulates the
absolute maximum amount of time it would take to board the plane,
given under our assumptions. In reality, because people will be
walking simultaneously following each other the time will be decreased
immensely.
APPENDIX A
Appendix A is a chart of the times it took for several people to walk
a variety of different ways. Using the time it took for each person to
walk thirty feet, we were able to calculate the velocity of each
trial. Persons number one, two and three are the three members of the
group. Person number four was a janitor that we observed and timed the
steps of. Person number five was a professor that we observed and
timed. We were unable to determine the height of four and five because
we did not converse with them. The females that we observed were one,
two and three, and the males that were observed were four and five.
The three members of our group walked three different ways. The first
way was normal. We did the normal type of walking twice to ensure
accuracy on the calculations. Then, we also did time-trials in high
heels to help determine whether there would be any difference
depending on the type of shoe. We also imitated walking with an
impairment to help factor that type of walking into our average speed.
To determine the speed, we took the amount of time it took us to walk
a certain distance. This is modeled by the following equation:
S=D/t
Once we calculated the speed of each trial, we averaged the speeds of
all the trials.
Person Number
Height of Person
Type of Walking
Time it Took to Walk 30 feet.
Speed in Feet per Second
1
5 ft. 5 in.
Normal Trial #1
7.46 sec.
4.02 ft/sec
1
5 ft. 5 in.
Normal Trial #2
7.62 sec.
3.94 ft/sec
1
5 ft. 5 in.
Wearing Heels
7.10 sec.
4.23 ft/sec
1
5 ft. 5 in.
Impaired Walking
8.36 sec.
3.59 ft/sec
2
5 ft. 3 in.
Normal Trial #1
7.45 sec.
4.03 ft/sec
2
5 ft. 3 in.
Normal Trial #2
7.98 sec.
3.76 ft/sec
2
5 ft. 3 in.
Wearing Heels
7.72 sec.
3.89 ft/sec
2
5 ft. 3 in.
Impaired Walking
10.46 sec.
2.87 ft/sec
3
5 ft. 4 in.
Normal Trial #1
9.39 sec.
3.19 ft/sec
3
5 ft. 4 in.
Normal Trial #2
8.26 sec.
3.63 ft/sec
3
5 ft. 4 in.
Wearing Heels
10.06 sec.
2.98 ft/sec
3
5 ft. 4 in.
Impaired Walking
12.89 sec.
2.33 ft/sec
4
Unknown
Normal Walking
6.51 sec.
4.61 ft/sec
5
Unknown
Normal Walking
5.35 sec.
5.61 ft/sec
AVERAGE
--
--
8.33 sec.
3.76 ft/sec
APPENDIX B
Appendix B is a representation of the different sizes of planes. Each
category of planes has several different that fall within that
category. Each chart has a few planes listed with the length of each
type of plane and the number of rows. We took the average of the
length of the different planes in each category and the average of the
number of rows in each category. The results are shown in the tables
below.
Small Aircraft
Plane Type
Length of the Plane
Number of Rows
737-800
129 ft. 6 in.
32 rows
757-200
155 ft. 3 in.
45 rows
757-200 Transcontinental
155 ft. 3 in.
44 rows
MD-90
152 ft. 7 in.
39 rows
MD-88
147 ft. 11 in.
38 rows
MD-88 Shuttle
147 ft. 11 in.
37 rows
AVERAGE
148 ft. 1 in.
39 rows
Medium Aircraft1
Plane Type
Length of the Plane
Number of Rows
767-300
180 ft. 3 in.
47 rows
767-300ER
180 ft. 3 in.
42 rows
767-400ER
201 ft. 4 in.
49 rows
767-400ER Transatlantic
201 ft. 4 in.
46 rows
777-200
209 ft. 1 in.
57 rows
AVERAGE
194 ft. 5 in.
48 rows
Large Aircraft
Plane Type
Length of Plane
Number of Rows
Airbus A3xx
239 ft. 6 in.
Lower-37 rows
Upper-27 rows
Airbus A380
238 ft. 8 in.
Lower-37 rows
Upper-27 rows
AVERAGE
239 ft. 1 in.
Lower-37 rows
Upper-27 rows
APPENDIX C
Appendix C represents several different things. First, the second
column in the chart below represents the average distance to each seat
for each category of aircraft. The average distance is calculated
using the average length of each size plane divided by the number of
rows (both values were are shown in Appendix B). This can be
represented by the following equation:
DL,M,S=LL,M,S/RL,M,S
The third column in the chart represents the average time it takes to
get to a seat. We use information from the second column of this chart
and the average speed found in Appendix A. The average time it takes
to get to a seat can be represented by the following equation:
TL,M,S=DL,M,S/So
We had to find the second column first because we use the information
in the second column to calculate the third column. The information
from the third column is used to help calculate the time it takes to
load the plane.
Type of Plane
Average Distance to Seat
Average Time to Seat
Small
3 ft. 10 in.
1.01 sec.
Medium
4 ft. 1 in.
1.09 sec.
Large-Upper Deck
6 ft. 5 in.
1.72 sec.
Large-Lower Deck
8 ft. 11 in.
2.35 sec.
APPENDIX C
Small Plane Midsize Plane Large Plane2

1 All plane sources came from the following websites:
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/aircraft_types_layout/737-800/index.jsp
http://www.dglr.de/veranstaltungen/archiv/focusing-technology/2004-05-13_baatz.pdf
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/airbus_a380#cockpit
2 Pictures from:
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/aircraft_types_layout/737-800/index.jsp
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=29