3 reasons why we hate the process of boarding planes according to an airline passenger satisfaction expert

• A dislike of boarding planes is all about how human the experience is.
• Jealousy, feeling "like cattle," and the stress of a deadline are why we dislike the process.

Boarding a plane sucks.

With the sometimes unclear announcements, waiting in line on the jet bridge, dealing with carry-on luggage, and the detested "gate lice", there can be a lot for passengers to deal with.

Flyers agree it's not their favorite part of the airline experience, ranking it more tolerable than transfers, border control, and baggage collection but not as enjoyable as booking, checking in, and arriving at the airport, according to results from the International Air Transport Association 2022 Global Passenger Survey.

Eager to squeeze as many flights out of a single time slot as possible, airlines have been experimenting to speed up boarding for years. Most recently, Southwest Airlines announced it is trialing 11 new ways to make the process move faster including flashing lights and upbeat music in an effort to shave 5 minutes off the boarding time — which is now an average of around 40 or 50 minutes depending on the size of the plane.

But, according to Mike Taylor, managing director for travel intelligence at consumer consulting company J.D. Power, the speed of boarding has only a partial impact on passengers' satisfaction. The rest is all about feelings.

1. Envy

Most airlines — United, Delta, American — board their planes using a "tiered" system.

"If you're a first class passenger and you've paid a lot of money, or you're a platinum member and you've got a zillion points and miles, you're rewarded by getting on the plane first," Taylor told Insider.

The rest of the plane, around 70% of passengers, according to Taylor's research, is left behind to watch, and, supposedly, reflect on their conspicuous lack of perks, which doesn't help make the whole experience pleasant.

That's why, among economy class passengers, Southwest Airlines is a big favorite. Southwest assigns boarding groups based on when passengers have checked in, and once on the plane, there's no seating assigned.

"Most economy passengers like Southwest boarding process the best, because it seems more egalitarian," Taylor explained.

It's also considered the fastest boarding method currently in use.

2. A desire to feel special

Turns out passengers don't like to feel like they're being herded onto an airplane.

"There's a high correlation between the people skills of an airline and how people like their boarding process," Taylor said.

J.D. Power measures customer satisfaction on a 1000-point scale. A free alcoholic drink is 50 satisfaction points, as much as calling a passenger by their first name. People like it when the experience is personalized, and they're much more likely to endure the huffing and waiting of getting in the aircraft when they feel seen or appreciated.

"They don't wanna be treated like cattle," Taylor said, adding that Delta Air Lines pays particular attention to these kinds of details.

3. Stress

While traveling, there are moments when you can be late, and moments when you really can't. If you're a couple of hours late to your car rental, the car will probably still be there. If you're late to your hotel room reservation, it's no big deal. If you're two hours late for your flight, you've got problems.

"It's the deadline pressure that reduces satisfaction," Taylor explained. "It makes people anxious. Even when they're at the gate, people still have the feeling that the plane might take off without them."

That's probably why the "gate lice" phenomenon is so widespread it has its own name.

Customer satisfaction, Taylor said, is rarely about how fast you can get something done. "It's not so much about the numbers," he said. "It's about human behavior."