There is nothing that I detest more upon arriving after an overnight flight in Europe and finding out that the plane has parked at a pad and we will bus to the terminal. This has happened to me commonly at CDG, FRA, and MAD. Fortunately, I have never had to do this in driving rain or snow. The use of remote pads is almost unheard of in the USA for mainline flights.

Rather than ask why the use of pads is so common in Europe, why isn't it more commonly used in the USA? Airports like BOS are so gate restrained, rather than wait years and spends billions on infrastructure, wouldn't the use of pad boarding make sense at least in the short term? It cannot simply be that the customers do like pads and buses.

Average body mass index American > European, more trouble walking , especially stairs. Just kidding.

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

I think it depends on airport design, with overriding aspects being terminal gate capacity and apron space. For example, small regional European airports would just have you walk out of the gate to the aircraft; whereas old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport would have had many remote/bus gates in the day (small terminal gate capacity, larger apron space) as does Los Angeles International Airport when there are just a few too many international arrivals and departures at the same time, and there's simply no more room in either T2 or TBIT. Then you got likes of London Heathrow, got slightly more terminal gate capacity compared to apron and is extremely rare you would be bussed from aircraft to terminal building. Recently flew DUB-HEL and the AY E190 was parked at a remote gate/apron and had to be bussed into the main terminal, and when you look at the design of the HEL airport, it's a small airport but again lots of apron space, with terminal gates more or less reserved for larger aircrafts and is split between Schengen and non-Schengen flights.

There is a negative perception towards utilising bus gates, seen as 2nd rate, people want to walk down jetbridges and capture the fact that they're flying off somewhere; First Class and Business Class customers certainly don't want to be crammed into a bus with the first half of Premium Economy/Economy customers and thus their feedback would impact on the airports negatively, and potentially driving down business and revenue. But, remote gates are good too in that it doesn't cost airlines as much to park at a remote gate/apron compared to at the terminal. With some airports like LAX that have revamped their remote gates to become satellite remote building/gate - they don't have to worry about installing air con or heating as a trade off but still look (somewhat) aesthetically pleasing during the actual boarding of aircraft experience.

Outside the US, gate space is mostly CUTE, and thus the airport authority can designate which airline uses which gate at a certain time. Whereas in the US, mostly flights have gates already allocated for specific airlines. Ex, AA would not add an additional flight to MSP, for example if they had no gate space. LAX, DCA and JFK are examples of airports in the US that have gates which use buses for boarding so it occurs, just not as common as elsewhere.

You ever ride on one of our US buses? They are usually the most nondescript form of transportation known to man.

I have had that happen at FRA several times, and actually enjoy the trip around the apron looking at the planes, very cool!

I dont mind it lol. I've had to take a bus to the terminal in Shanghai and from the terminal to the plane in Istanbul and Kiev..

Actually, I also took a bus when flying Delta @ JFK last summer.

I wonder if the lack of use of remote boarding in the US also has to do with our ADA laws that require persons with disabilities to accommodated. A wheelchair passenger simply cannot ascend/descend the stairs. I myself sometimes have difficulty walking, and I can tell you those stairs to a 777 can be a challenge. The EU and Asia don't seem to have the all encompassing accessibility laws that the US has.

Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe by number of passengers carried, will not use jetbridges because they say they increase turnround times. Their fleet of over 400 738s all have factory fitted integral front airstairs. To be fair, they can and do routinely turn a 189 seat 738 in 25 minutes. I am aware that at some airports, especially Spanish ones, the airport authority insists on Ryanair using jetbridges, but this is very much the exception.
Other LCCs like Easyjet may park at a bridge-equipped stand but still use stairs instead.
The other thing is that compared to the USA there is an extreme reluctance to use tugs for moving planes around airports. Apart from pushback or moves to and from mx hangars, planes taxi under their own power to their parking spot and depart again from the same location. There are exceptions, particularly planes arriving off intercontinental flights in the morning and not due to depart again until the evening may use jetbridge stands for disembarkation and be towed to remote ones at LHR.
I can also think of lots and lots of European airports that don't have bridges at all, or only one or two. But most of these have no significant longhaul traffic.

airnorth wrote:

I have had that happen at FRA several times, and actually enjoy the trip around the apron looking at the planes, very cool!

I agree, getting a ride on the apron on the ground at FRA was an interesting way to see the airport. Especially when we drove just behind a row of 747s and A380s, then I really realised how huge they are.

The silliest bus boarding I've done was in Tirana (TIA), the plane was parked around 40 metres from the gate, but they used a bus for that distance.

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

That doesn't mean it doesn't happen though I used bus / stairs combo for both departure and arrival yesterday (in Europe).

GCT64 wrote:

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

That doesn't mean it doesn't happen though I used bus / stairs combo for both departure and arrival yesterday (in Europe).

Yeah but is it that common?

IAHWorldflyer wrote:

I wonder if the lack of use of remote boarding in the US also has to do with our ADA laws that require persons with disabilities to accommodated. A wheelchair passenger simply cannot ascend/descend the stairs. I myself sometimes have difficulty walking, and I can tell you those stairs to a 777 can be a challenge. The EU and Asia don't seem to have the all encompassing accessibility laws that the US has.

The EU requires similar standards of care for people with disabilities, but the duty is imposed on the airport (but booked through the airline). There are special vehicles that collect passengers with walking difficulties/wheelchairs from the terminal, take them to the plane, and then raise them to plane door height using an enclosed platform. They normally board through doors on the opposite side to those used by other pax, so there's no conflict of movement.

trex8 wrote:

Average body mass index American > European, more trouble walking , especially stairs. Just kidding.

As an American, I agree! A lot of truth in humor. Glad some humor exist on this site...

ILNFlyer wrote:

You ever ride on one of our US buses? They are usually the most nondescript form of transportation known to man.

The German ones aren't much different. Perhaps a bit better for wheelchairs and old folks since they all kneel and have low floors.

I once flew through CDG. After being bussed from the 777 to the terminal, and walking about 3 miles to the next gate, I was then bussed back to my connecting A320. Which was parked about 100 yards away from what I swear was that same darn 777...

On my last 3 trips to Europe our plane disembarked at a remote stand and had to be bussed in to the terminal. ( JFK-CDG on AF 777-300ER and EWR-LHR BA 777-200) The only one I was not bussed in was DTW-AMS (DL A350-900) it could be anecdotal but I am not a huge fan of getting off and getting on a bus when you land at 7 AM bc your body still thinks it is 1-2 AM.

airnorth wrote:

I ... actually enjoy the trip around the apron looking at the planes, very cool!

My feelings as well, I don't really care for the bus ride itself, especially after a long flight, but I like the chance to get out on the ramp for a few and getting a better view of all the aircraft around me. There's just something more majestic about looking up at these lovely machines from ground level.

IWMBH wrote:

GCT64 wrote:

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

That doesn't mean it doesn't happen though I used bus / stairs combo for both departure and arrival yesterday (in Europe).

Yeah but is it that common?

LTN handled 16M+ pax last year without any jetways (you either walk to/from plane or bus & walk to/from plane) and I'm sure there are lots of other examples.

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

It's quite common in regional ops in continental Europe (on ATRs, Dash 8s, CRJs, ERJs and so on). Out of the 27 airports we operate to regularly on the Q400, at my carrier we park at air bridge stands at only - three (and in those cases pax walk to the ground entrance of the bridge). Everywhere else, it's on the buses - be it at a small airport where you park 50 meters from the terminal, or a large gateway with remote stands where you have to ride for 10 minutes to get anywhere.

Honestly, I just love when taking E190/E195 or similar in FRA and travelling all the apron by bus: great opportunity to see a lot of action!
HEL used to have plenty of remote stand utilisation. Not much anymore.
Italy is a country with minimal jetbridge apart for main airports.
All in all, the main reason might be due to space availability. Check LIN case in Italy. It is just impossible to effectively add many jetbridges there.

Not sure if European attitude about walking/moving might be a relevant factor compared compared to Unitedstates attitude to use device to move the least.


BTW, I used bus to board on a B777-300 (not sure if normal or ER) in DXB to fly EK DXB-DAC in... I think 2012.

Bostrom wrote:

airnorth wrote:

The silliest bus boarding I've done was in Tirana (TIA), the plane was parked around 40 metres from the gate, but they used a bus for that distance.

Terminal 2 in DXB is that same. You can be parked right in front of the terminal and yet still need to take the bus. I walked on the ramp many times. Especially BRN and FDH.

Because many Americans (rightly) recognize it as a sub-standard experience (weather!) and won't put up with it. Just how quickly did AS order E75s and start jet-bridge loading (and parking Q400s) as soon as DL brought competition to SEA-regional routes?

I have boarded a 747-400 on remote in CPT. I boarded a 777/737 in DXB many times. I disembarked an A340-300 in CPT. I boarded a 777 in IST. An A319 in FRA. So remote boarding and disembarking is common. Take DXB for example. Gate space is limited. Most of EK's operation is remote. FZ pretty much is only remote. It is common across the world. No country stands out in particular. It is all about airport design and availability of stands.

RobertS975 wrote:

Rather than ask why the use of pads is so common in Europe, why isn't it more commonly used in the USA?

One thought is that the U.S. has more extreme weather than much of Europe in general. Want to be out in the elements at MSP or ORD in February? How about PHX or IAH in July?

I agree with others that it can be a cool experience to be bused around the apron, but bad weather can make the experience of remote boarding a pain. A few years back my wife and I had to board in pouring rain at NWI, which is an airport with no jet bridges. It took half the flight to dry off.

It could also be a security thing. The US is a leader (save for Israel) in airport security. It can be annoying I know.

It could also be a cost thing. Someone mentioned that in Europe they raise disabled pax on the other side of the a/c. That has to be more capitol intensive than rolling them down a jet bridge. In both equipment and human effort its more effort.

Andy33 wrote:

Other LCCs like Easyjet may park at a bridge-equipped stand but still use stairs instead.

Actually easyJet uses bridges at the front and stairs at the back.

Andy33 wrote:

The other thing is that compared to the USA there is an extreme reluctance to use tugs for moving planes around airports.

Can you elaborate? I have never heard of this reluctance.

RobertS975 wrote:

There is nothing that I detest more upon arriving after an overnight flight in Europe and finding out that the plane has parked at a pad and we will bus to the terminal.

That's how VIPs are treated, though. Bussed or rather vanned to the VIP terminal.

It’s happened to me once in 20+ flights out of Heathrow. And it last happened in 2006.

I disembarked from an A340-600 by stairs at DOH, and then used stairs two hours later to board a 787-8, it's a spectacular feeling to be so close to such large planes and really take in their size.

lots of good answers thus far, all with some element of relevance.

I do think there is cultural expectations in the US of higher standard of "comfort" (ie, always being in climate controlled environments) then is widely accepted in Europe (as a comparable).
I was recently at a tiny airport in Texas where I and 10 other people waited in a ground level gate to board a small ERJ, and I could not help to laugh at the time and effort taken to extend a jetway to the door. We walked *up the jetway*, then *down the jetway* to board the low aircraft all of 20 feet away. obviously, we could have easily walked out and more quickly boarded with a step stool. I get there are standards and protocols in place, but it was funny.

Also, it can't be ignored that the US has harsher environmental extremes than Europe, particularly at the major cities/airports. from the scorch of Phoenix, Houston, Miami to the ice and wind of Chicago, Minneapolis, the wet of Seattle. These are factors.

Andy33 wrote:

IAHWorldflyer wrote:

I wonder if the lack of use of remote boarding in the US also has to do with our ADA laws that require persons with disabilities to accommodated. A wheelchair passenger simply cannot ascend/descend the stairs. I myself sometimes have difficulty walking, and I can tell you those stairs to a 777 can be a challenge. The EU and Asia don't seem to have the all encompassing accessibility laws that the US has.

The EU requires similar standards of care for people with disabilities, but the duty is imposed on the airport (but booked through the airline). There are special vehicles that collect passengers with walking difficulties/wheelchairs from the terminal, take them to the plane, and then raise them to plane door height using an enclosed platform. They normally board through doors on the opposite side to those used by other pax, so there's no conflict of movement.

Thanks for the explanation!

ro1960 wrote:

RobertS975 wrote:

There is nothing that I detest more upon arriving after an overnight flight in Europe and finding out that the plane has parked at a pad and we will bus to the terminal.

That's how VIPs are treated, though. Bussed or rather vanned to the VIP terminal.

of course - but with some exclusivity and not with the unwashed masses

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

Lucky you...
Been on buses at MAD, CDG, ORY, FRA, MUC, LIS, FCO and LIN several times flying short and long haul.

airnorth wrote:

I have had that happen at FRA several times, and actually enjoy the trip around the apron looking at the planes, very cool!

Me too! Especially at FRA. We're all aviation enthusiasts here, aren't we? ;0)

Can't offer an explanation but the times I have boarded a bus, whether it be in the US or abroad, it has always been at a bustling airport. During the summer, I had to board a bus for a Norwegian flight at my home airport (SEA), which was the first for me at that facility. We boarded at an A-gate and were bused to a remote stand. DCA uses buses for post-security transfers and accessing regional flights.

I always have found the jet bridge obsession in the US a bit amusing. Jet bridges have been used at US airports to board 30-seat Saabs and 40-seat ATRs which hardly seem worth the trouble. Even at the remote boarding hardstands at LAX, passengers are bussed to the aircraft, enter a small structure and climb some stairs only to board the aircraft using....a jet bridge. Meanwhile European and Chinese (to a much greater degree) airlines are boarding the largest aircraft, 777s and 747s, using buses and airstairs.

I routinely fly JFK/IAD --> FRA --> SVO/DME. While Aeroflot has come a long way from when I was a kid I still prefer to fly LH and spend extra 3 hours at FRA.
Regardless, i'd say 50% of the time the flight from Moscow ends up deplaning onto a bus. I've never deplaned to a bus landing in FRA from a longhaul however.

A few of the reasons as follow

* de regulation happening later in Europe and no consolidation of airlines until recently
* national carriers in every country meaning lots of smaller hubs and even the biggest hubs are small compared to the US ones
* eastern europe lagging behind and only recently surging in pax numbers, see Warsaw for example, it used to have only 3 jetbridges.
* southern europe has seen a huge boom in air travel thanks to LCCs, congesting airports, especially smaller ones like Naples or Valencia.

In addition to what it has been said, I wonder if it has also to do with Schengen / non-Schengen.

Last year I made a non-Schengen / Schengen connection on TAP Portugal. We were bussed in both flights. When I took the 2nd flight I discovered that... it was the same plane.

Boarding / deboarding people by bus gives more flexibility in the use of planes (particularly short-haul / narrow body fleet) for Schengen / non-Schengen destinations (UK, Ireland, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa). In the US most NB will be domestic, and most WB will be international.

Andy33 wrote:

Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe by number of passengers carried, will not use jetbridges because they say they increase turnround times. Their fleet of over 400 738s all have factory fitted integral front airstairs. To be fair, they can and do routinely turn a 189 seat 738 in 25 minutes. I am aware that at some airports, especially Spanish ones, the airport authority insists on Ryanair using jetbridges, but this is very much the exception.
Other LCCs like Easyjet may park at a bridge-equipped stand but still use stairs instead..

Which Spanish ones? I think ALC is one. MAD too. PMI I think so. But I recall using Ryanair recently in SCQ (the only airline that do not uses jet bridges), SVQ or VLC and we did not use jet bridges. I think it is more dependant on the airport than on anything else.

As has been said many times on A.net, Americans don't like props... so it stands to reason we don't like buses either. I think the last time I used the stairs was at HPN, but no, bus, we walked to the terminal.

At JFK last month we used a bus to board our Thomas Cook A332 back to MAN but yet used an airbridge at MAN.

Not sure if they do it anymore, but a few years ago at PHL I boarded a bus to go from terminal F to A/B. The walk is otherwise quite a distance, so I appreciated it in this instance to just hop on for a quick ride across the apron. Like others have said, I actually enjoyed being closer to the planes and the apron because you get a chance to see things that you normally can't if you're inside the terminal.

It happened to me last year when I flew to MAD on a late evening flight. I can't remember if it was with BA or Iberia Express though. There was certainly no lack of available bridges at the time. I was told later by a friend who works at the airport that such occurrences are usually down to a shortage of jetbridge operators at the time; so rather than keep you waiting at a gate for 10- 20 minutes waiting for an operator to show up, they just bus you to the terminal.

I didn't mind one bit; it saved time and given that it can be a rather long walk to passport control & the exit on MAD's T4 if the gate is at either end of the building, also some walking.

Andy33 wrote:

Ryanair, the largest airline in Europe by number of passengers carried, will not use jetbridges because they say they increase turnround times.

Not only that, most airports also charge more for using jet bridges than for airstairs. For an ULCC like Ryanair this does matter.

I've often flown Ryanair and never once boarded them through a jetway. One time the aircraft was parked at a gate with a jetway available, but they didn't use it. Instead we were led down the stairs and onto the platform to board the aircraft through stairs. This method of boarding works faster because both doors can be used, it even says in your boarding card if you have to use the front or rear door for boarding.

In Amsterdam they built a special concourse, the H-concourse, for LCC usage. It only has 5 or 6 gates, but none of them are equipped with jet bridges. The plane just parks in front of the gate and then stairs are used for boarding. EasyJet makes heavily use of it. Because LCCs in Europe don't offer connections it was designed in such a way that all arrivals from the H-concourse only have one way out: to the exit. It is impossible to stay airside after arriving at one of those gates, as opposed to the regular gates where departures and arrivals are mixed. Airlines that make use of the H-concourse pay lower handling fees than airlines that use regular gates. One problem is that the current H-concourse is becoming too small for Amsterdam, there are more airlines wanting to use it than there is capacity.

At many small airports jet bridges are not available, you either walk to the aircraft or go there by bus. This is because the largest users of smaller airports are often LCCs who oppose jet bridges. Why would an airport have them if they're not being used anyway?

SCQ83 wrote:

Which Spanish ones? I think ALC is one. MAD too. PMI I think so. But I recall using Ryanair recently in SCQ (the only airline that do not uses jet bridges), SVQ or VLC and we did not use jet bridges. I think it is more dependant on the airport than on anything else.

I've seen this being done in Barcelona, it was very weird to see a Ryanair aircraft using a jetbridge.

The example I mentioned earlier of being parked at a gate with a jetbridge yet boarding through stairs was at Lanzarote by the way, also a Spanish airport. So yes, it must be different for every airport.

IWMBH wrote:

I am from Europe and I can't remember the last time I used a bus to get to the airplane.

Try Geneva Airport one day... You can end up deboarding in a jetway and still have to board a bus afterwards to be reinjected in the right place (Schengen,Non-Schengen, or One-Stop, Non-One-Stop)

I've had this happen more frequently in Europe than some others in this thread report. My previous two flights to Heathrow (BA, EWR origin) have had to deplane and bus. I've also had it happen at CDG within the past 2 years on an Air France flight. I enjoy it when it's a quick flight, but after you've been on an overnight flight for 6+ hours, it's a bit annoying to have to board a bus and get the full airport tour.

I don't transfer through ATL as much as I used to, but they used to board quite a few of their regional flights via walking out on the tarmac and up the onboard stairs. Is this still the case?

Weather in the USA is much harsher than Europe and airports are designed to handle it as a result. 48 degrees C is an every summer thing at places like PHX, LAS, PSP, TUS. -20c in ORD, MSP, DTW. It was -33 degrees C in ORD less than 2 months ago.

I typically transit at CDG between North America and Africa flights. Stairs boarding and deplaning are almost always guaranteed for the African leg. Never for American flights.
I could be wrong but I bet US based airlines pay extra to guarantee gate space. Very annoying when you have babies. Had to carry car seats and kids before at sametime . Very sweaty experience.

I prefer buses.

Pictures taken from the bus, and pictures taken walking from bus to plane.