Presumably pre-nine group process, an American Airlines 757-200 boards in Miami – Photo: Jake Grant | AirlineReporter

One of the most viewed stories here at AirlineReporter year in and year out is the primer on how different airlines board their flights. Of course, this is something that every passenger, from the lucky few who board Etihad’s Residence to the basic economy flyers on American, United, and Delta have to do in order to take their flight, so it will forever be a question that travelers are asking. However, even that last sentence belies the reason for this update.

In the midwest, boarding from the ramp is rare, even for smaller regional jets – Photo: Jake Grant | AirlineReporter

The original post was written five years ago, almost an eternity in the aviation business. In fact, neither the aforementioned luxurious Residence nor basic economy at the other end of the spectrum had been implemented yet. Therefore, we felt it was time to dust off an old favorite.