If you think boarding a plane in the US is disorganized, try boarding a plane in pretty much any non-Western country. Boarding groups don't exist, lines have no width limitations, and it's a mad rush to squeeze on board. In many places, carry-on baggage restrictions aren't even remotely enforced or checked.
The most organized boarding experiences I've had in the West
have been in the UK, interestingly enough. It seems the British are innately aware of how to queue correctly and in an orderly fashion. Japan and Singapore were also incredibly orderly.
I've been to a lot of places around the world, and I'd say the US is on the upper side of the middle of the pack in boarding efficiency and order, and it's better than boarding the plane in some European countries even. Considering the US market alone accounts for a significant chunk of all air travel globally, efficient boarding isn't exactly something people ignored. There's actually a lot of research that's gone into it.
I'd say the US is capable of doing things organized with large groups of people, but only if there is a social standard set for that situation and environment. Right now we have no such standard for an evacuation situation.
Yeah, it's a mess but it's all because the incentives are wrong. If you've got an exit row aisle, there's not much advantage to getting on quickly and orderly. And if you do have a middle seat in the back, what's the point of getting in a hurry to get on board?
The Southwest cattle car style works better than anything else I've seen. Sure, it sucks to be one of the last boarders and be sentenced to a middle seat in the back, but that's something that can be fixed if you're better organized and more punctual next time you fly.
Ever since airlines started charging for checked bags, there's a significant incentive to board early no matter your seating, since the overhead bins universally fill up about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way into boarding.
I'm always skeptical of this assertion. My observation is that business travelers tend not to check luggage because they're often on shorter trips, know how to pack lightly, and don't want to spend the extra time on every one of their many trips. This in spite of the fact that they can expense the cost if they even need to pay because of loyalty programs.
When you see the people checking seemingly all their worldly possessions, it's mostly families.
I don't doubt there's some effect at the margins but people mostly just prefer to carry-on if they can.
To be perfectly honest, I don't actually have a strong recollection of how much charging for checked bags changed things. In any case though, it's universally my observation that (in the pre-COVID world anyway) there's far too little carry on space to go around.
I partly blame roll-a-boards. They take up more space and are less flexible than soft luggage.
I also think that in the "old" days, carry-on garment bags notwithstanding, business travelers were far more inclined to check because they needed a lot more clothing to be properly dressed. I used to check luggage when I traveled on business. I haven't done so, barring unusual circumstances (gear for personal travel or commercial materials), in well over a decade.
I’ve been on several airlines over the past few years and not once have I been charged to check my bag at the gate once they ran out of space. Sometimes they ask for volunteers.
