LGW, Gate 13. Yesterday, BA2263 to KIN in CW. An absolute uncontrolled farce.
Group 1 on our BPs, of course, And at the entrance to the holding pen are 3 desk Agents checking documentation - one for the ‘Priority Gang’. So far so good. However, we then enter this VERY large holding area with no signage whatsoever. We position at the far end (near the door to the airbridge) and wait.
The speakers at this end of the pen aren’t working properly, and cut out after the first words from the Agents back there where we entered. But we know the script!
Eventually one Agent comes to the boarding end of the holding area, opens the door to the airbridge and ushers through the small handful of assistance pax. She then heads back to the entry area, leaving the door open and, of course, unattended. After a couple of minutes, a handful of pax decided this must be their opportunity to start boarding, so they head off down the airbridge. Cue
everyone (J, Y, W, Gold, Silbver, Bronze, Blue and Nil) just self-boarding en masse.*
No announcements, no signage, no control, no priorities ... just simple chaos. Disgraceful, IMO.
* We anticipated the scenario, and self-boarded in the first dozen or two
