Originally Posted by
nobbyclark
Golds, and I think Silvers, can board whenever they want. But as pointed out already, it depends on the airport and the person operating the gate e.g. at AMS, if they announce they are boarding strictly by seat row number, they mean it. You can be Gold, Black, or any hue between, but you need to wait your turn.
Having said that, invariably the front lockers are full by the time you get on...
T1 and T5 at LHR are a problem on short haul. Although Golds can theoretically board when they want, there is invariably a long single file queue unless you wait until the last minute (which only works if you have no bags to stow for the reasons noted above). This is not good enough, particularly in a new facility.