Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners) - Priority boarding now available on all European flights

Just saw this in my M&M Portal, not sure if this was posted before, at least I couldn't find anything in FT using the Search function:

Priority boarding now available on all European flights

So that Business Class passengers, HON Circle Members, Senators and Star Gold card holders can enjoy even more relaxed boarding, priority boarding will be available to them on all European flights with a gate position from 3 September 2012. Priority boarding enables them to board before all other passengers, which means that they can calmly stow their hand luggage. An announcement will inform passengers of the new service before they board.

The aim of this service is to make travelling with Lufthansa as comfortable as possible for our passengers and to eliminate queuing times when boarding.

Really? On all European flights with a gate position? A real enhancement?:eek:

I suppose cramming FTL into the package was not an option *sigh*

I suppose cramming FTL into the package was not an option *sigh*

I really hate segment boarding with priority, just being a segment. I think priority boarding only works if there is a separate line that is open all the time for priority passengers. In my mind the main point with priority boarding is that when I arrive from the lounge, I do need to do yet another stop at the airport before boarding. I want to be able to start boarding conveniently and efficiently when I arrive at the gate. I will not plan to leave th elounge early enough so that I can jump in when there is an announcement for priority passengers. This is nonsense...

I wonder if OS will follow as well ... in the new Vienna-terminal, this would be a huge improvement (even if I agree with wazow that ideally, you'd have a separate line)

Why is it only flights with a gate position? Why can't they have priority boarding for bus to plane boarding? KLM manage it very well at AMS.

You get to board the bus first witk KLM? But seriously, how do they do it in AMS, I never had to take a bus to an airplane there ?

Fokkers usually depart from bus gates at the B pier.

Why is it only flights with a gate position? Why can't they have priority boarding for bus to plane boarding? KLM manage it very well at AMS.

I've had an announcement for priority boarding onto the bus. I nearly wet myself laughing. If there was a separate priority bus, then that would be fine, but all it means is that you get to board the bus first and get off it last.

Exactly... That was why I was wondering how they would do it. Last time when I didn't know I had to use a bus at FRA, I was also getting of the bus almost last...

I think priority boarding only works if there is a separate line that is open all the time for priority passengers. In my mind the main point with priority boarding is that when I arrive from the lounge, I do need to do yet another stop at the airport before boarding.


I can only agree with that: If you arrive from the lounge at the boarding gate, and you see the zoo at boarding, it doesn´t help you that you might have been getting the chance to board first 10 minutes ago. ^

Sorry, priority boarding or not within Europe, it's a pure gongshow on LH.

Even on my Z/D tickets and as *G they never make any effort in differentiating lines. Also I have yet to see announcements strictly for business/*G to actually board first...

One positive thing about LH are the clean cabin interiors. :)

You get to board the bus first witk KLM? But seriously, how do they do it in AMS, I never had to take a bus to an airplane there ?

easyJet managed it at Budapest by using buses with two sectors, separated by a chain(!), each sector with its own set of doors. The airline's "easy boarding" passengers were released from the bus first.

LH priority boarding is a mess in their hubs. I don't get why they do it so properly in some outstations, for example SIN or some US stations and can't get it straight at home. I agree that there should be a seperate line for *G/SEN/HON/C to board all the time. So many times I come from the lounge 20-25mins before departure only to wait in line another 10-15mins to board.

Wouldn't it be very easy to program one of the automatic scanners so that it only works for elites to board there?

It's probably not a technical challenge... but if they reserve one lane for *G the total boarding time will probably be longer.

LHs policy about priority boarding is: we don't care.
To change this, there mus come a lot of changes. If they really want, it should be no problem to change procedures in a few months everywhere. I don't think so, but we will see.

Even in F they don't have priority boarding on a regular basis.
Only way to get priority boarding is to "board" through the first class terminal in FRA...

This entire priority boarding thing is pure psychological... on longhaul ex MUC they usually open the next door gate to board the *G+C/F, for others there is an annoucement made, but with the electronic gates things go pretty fast anyways. Thanks to the hand luggage 'service agent' police you don't have to rush on board to secure you OH bin space like in the US anyway, so I prefer to board as late as possible...@:-)

This entire priority boarding thing is pure psychological... on longhaul ex MUC they usually open the next door gate to board the *G+C/F, for others there is an annoucement made, but with the electronic gates things go pretty fast anyways. Thanks to the hand luggage 'service agent' police you don't have to rush on board to secure you OH bin space like in the US anyway, so I prefer to board as late as possible...@:-)

YMMV but I don't understand how the unseemly scrums in FRA and MUC are "pure psychological". The hand-luggage police in FRA and MUC do an uneven job and time and again in my experience one finds the FAs doing an inadequate job of supervising who puts what amount of luggage in the business-class bins. In the U.S., at least on UA, one can't rush on board since the boarding is by priority group (which means people in the last groups often have to have their hand luggage gate-checked); one sees a lot of people impatiently crowding the both the electronic and manned gates in FRA and MUC.

This entire priority boarding thing is pure psychological... on longhaul ex MUC they usually open the next door gate to board the *G+C/F, for others there is an annoucement made, but with the electronic gates things go pretty fast anyways. Thanks to the hand luggage 'service agent' police you don't have to rush on board to secure you OH bin space like in the US anyway, so I prefer to board as late as possible...@:-)

Probably a personal preference. But I appreciate being on of the first one's on board, maybe because I mostly fly Y. Especially in exit rows, where overhead space is tight I like to make sure to have my luggage stored and then just sit down and read my paper ;)

I've had an announcement for priority boarding onto the bus. I nearly wet myself laughing. If there was a separate priority bus, then that would be fine, but all it means is that you get to board the bus first and get off it last.

Mock as much as you like, but for those of us with reduced mobility, being able to get a seat on the bus is a benefit beyond value.

YMMV but I don't understand how the unseemly scrums in FRA and MUC are "pure psychological".

You misunderstood me. I meant to say the idea of boarding elites and C/F pax first is useless from an operational perspective (the plane won't fill up faster) but just strokes the psyche of the elite/C/F passenger. I tend to board last and if someone has taken the bin space that I'm supposed/need to use I ask the FA to find that passenger and ask him/her to remove it, especially in C.

The dance with the zones that UA does is crazy!

Mock as much as you like, but for those of us with reduced mobility, being able to get a seat on the bus is a benefit beyond value.

PRM pax are allowed to board first anyway, I have never seen a gate agent (or fellow pax for that matter) not paying attention to the need(s) of PRM...?

The dance with the zones that UA does is crazy!

Yes, agreed now that the new UA seems to have combined the worst of old CO and UA; the old UA system worked because GAs enforced it consistently and clearly.

The dance with the zones that UA does is crazy!


From my experience this zone / priority group boarding makes mess when boarding even bigger :D And I can say that it does not speed up boarding of the plane (even when they know that they are terribly late).

Being an Air Canada member, this is one comparison point in which I can say that AC and UA do a much, much better job at. SK is just as guilty as LH at pre-boarding (well, more like a lack thereof). I can't comment on other intra-Europe *A carriers. I know this sounds silly but I actually value priority boarding... so perhaps the announced changes to pre-boarding on LH will be markedly improved?

SK boarding at LHR sucks goatfuzz too. The gate agent's reason when I inquired about the lack of a priority access lane into the gate area was because the gate was so close to the SK/AC London Lounge that we could just mosy on over at anytime... which defeats the purpose of pre-boarding... :rolleyes: but I digress.

In DXB, when in apron posizion, the dedicated bus for Biz passengers is a reality. For the intra europe LH flights is out of discussion.
The "chain" solution into same bus is appalling.
Cheaper and easier is just to let work the electronic gates properly, setting them as the announcement in progress.

Does priority boarding apply to the companion as well, the same way lounge access does? It would be all but logical, but then again, "logical" is hardly equal to "probable" nowadays :)

BA does a good job of priority boarding on their flights from LHR to European destinations for their business class and OW elite members. I think LH has a long way to go to even get close to how BA operates their priority boarding.

BA does a good job of priority boarding on their flights from LHR to European destinations for their business class and OW elite members. I think LH has a long way to go to even get close to how BA operates their priority boarding.

Yes, because they have a separate/dedicated lane.

The last few times, however, I've gotten on board faster using the regular lane. The DYKWIAs tend to stand around and already form a line in the Priority boarding lane. The normal people tend to just sit and wait, as advised. If you're seated in the right place in the departure area, it's fairly easy to get near the top of the regular boarding line when boarding is announced - and the regular line is then usually processed (while the priority pax are still being processed) once that agent finishes making all the boarding announcements.

Does priority boarding apply to the companion as well, the same way lounge access does? It would be all but logical, but then again, "logical" is hardly equal to "probable" nowadays :)
So far I was lucky with the automated readers when it comes to companions. But I guess that the machine would bounce a companion who has no *G and isn't on the same reservation and is in coach.

Did anyone notice any changes? I had an flight ex FRA in the above period and they still boarded pax with screamers and those with a sense of entitlement ahead of premium pax and elites.

For once a got a real, physical gate quite a rare sight for shorthauls.

I really hate segment boarding with priority, just being a segment. I think priority boarding only works if there is a separate line that is open all the time for priority passengers. In my mind the main point with priority boarding is that when I arrive from the lounge, I do need to do yet another stop at the airport before boarding. I want to be able to start boarding conveniently and efficiently when I arrive at the gate. I will not plan to leave th elounge early enough so that I can jump in when there is an announcement for priority passengers. This is nonsense...

:td:

Sorry for my disagree!

Reason: Priority Boarding enables the entitled passengers for the first time ever to jump at the front of the line AND stow their hand baggage into the dedicated spaces.

So there is:
+ no risk that Y pax of the last rows just drop their oversized baggage in the next available overhead locker :p
+ a quieter and calmer boarding with people who know where their seat is :eek:
+ the opportunity for a more personal and friendly welcome

So I can't just accept this moaning about this new service. :D

Last week:

CGN (2x): priority boarding worked perfectly. Staff checked BP before scanning.
TXL: no prio boarding at all
HAM: no prio boarding at all

Completely agree with you!

Txl-Fra no priority boarding

Fra-Muc no priority boarding

Must be some PR BS!

GDN - MUC -> no priority boarding
MUC - BCN -> priority boarding
BCN - MUC -> priority boarding
MUC - GDN -> no priority boarding
GDN - FRA -> no priority boarding again
FRA - DUB -> no priority boarding

Yesterday's BRU-VIE -> priority boarding

KL is looking at priority boarding: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/klm-flying-dutchman/1391892-klm-requests-your-input-regarding-priority-boarding.html