Optimization of assigning passengers to seats on airplanes based on their carry-on luggage

•We determine the sequence in which passengers should board an airplane.•The sequence is determined using mixed integer programming optimization.•Rows 1 and 2 of the plane should be assigned to passengers with few carry-on bags.•This assignment reduces the time to complete the boarding of passengers.

We build upon previous work that assigns passengers to a specific numerical position in line that depends on their seat location. The assignment of seat locations to passengers depends on the number of luggage they carry aboard the plane. In particular, we propose a mixed integer programming model that determines the number of luggage to be carried by passengers assigned to each seat. Numerical results indicate that the proposed approach results in a reduction of the time to complete the boarding of the plane. The improvement is greatest when many luggage are carried onto the plane. The optimal distribution of luggage assigns passengers with few carry-on bags to the rows of the plane closest to the entrance.