Originally Posted by seat1C

That's a fine theory, but it doesn't work in practice as it isn't managed properly - and I doubt it could be on a quick turnaround flight with c150 seats.

If there were separate queues for each category of cardholder and they were taken in order then it might work, but that's totally impractical. What you have instead is a build up of people who are entitled to priority but (I assume) don't have lounge access build up in a sort of Ryanair-style queue at the FastTrack and it is very difficult for Golds/Emeralds to get to the front to get the priority they are meant to have (and so on).

It is very rarely done "correctly" (i.e. with status card holders called in order, and those without the right status asked to stand aside) but in any case that can be quite embarrassing, even if those who should stand aside do.

It seems incredibly easy to get a Bronze card and on busy domestic and other SH routes there are just too many to make this is sensible way to reward them. LH is a totally different matter in my view.

I appreciate this is a first world problem, but the way it works (or rather doesn't) at the moment makes people feel they are entitled to something and then makes them feel cheated when they don't really get it. Priority needs to mean something for it to be a valuable benefit and the way BA operate it just now devalues it for their best customers. I appreciate you take a different view so, as I said a bit further up the thread, let's agree to differ!