Afternoon All

Flew down from GLA on BA1487 this afternoon. We were on an A319 (felt like bliss compared to the A321neo) and were given a treat by the way of the safety video rather than the manual safety demonstration. Pushed back on time from gate 21 and after start-up, taxied to runway 23. Safety video started during pushback.

Now, this isn’t a post about the video per se, but was wondering if the length of it was the cause of what happened at the end of the taxi. We got to the holding point before entry on to the runway where we sat for not very long. Without the ‘ding’ happening, we pulled onto the runway and sat at the take off point for not very long. We then started moving along the runway until the first exit taxiway and a ‘ground go around’ was performed until we were back at the hold point again. The video was still playing up until we pulled onto the exit and cabin crew still securing the cabin. Only when we got to the hold point again did the CSM put the cabin secure slider across and told crew to take their seats for departure.

Before re-entering the runway, the ‘ding’ was dinged on this occasion and we then taxied onto the runway and lined up for departure. All normal thereafter.

There was no aircraft behind us when we first lined up on the runway. The second time we were at the hold point, we had to wait on a lander.

My questions being, why did the flight crew move onto an active runway and initially line up without the audible cabin crew warning or ensuring the cabin was ready for departure before progressing to this point? Would there be any penalties for having to vacate the active runway because the cabin wasn’t secured?

This isn’t a criticism of the crew or anything like that, they know a hell of a lot more about these things than I do but I’m just genuinely curious as I cannot recall anything like this happening in all of the years I’ve been flying. And the video did seem to be rather long (latest re-mix version).

MODS: Feel free to move to a more appropriate place if you think it warrants.

Ta.