The General public have worked out that the inability to police its' own policy has created a reverse cause and effect at the boarding gate. A growing number of passengers arrive at the gate with every larger and more numerous bags where they are invited to check them into the hold for free in return for priority boarding. This was a cute incentive when a couple of passengers came forward. Last nights BA 1492 to GLA was running around 60 minutes late. A relatively patient queue had formed around the entrance to the boarding lanes but a gate announcement of baggage resulted in over 40 passengers coming forward (it took me a while to realise the scale of the take up, so I didn't count the first few). Boarding was delayed as the gate staff were so busy processing all these extra bags. When boarding did commence, a gate agent stood at the entrance to the lane checking people were eligible for boarding at that time. However, the bag volunteers and the assistance passengers meant that the first person in Group 1 to board was actually closer to the 50th person to board the aircraft.

I was about 55th. Personally, I liked it. Nobody in front of me was delaying boarding standing in the aisle as they had no bags to store. There were a lot of disgruntled Group 1-3 passengers though. And I saw at least one bag tag on the floor of jetty where someone had taken up the offer and then taken their bag onto the aircraft anyhow. Not sure if this would have messed up the hold bag reconciliation.

The gate agents speeded up the boarding process. But this is treating the symptom not the cause and is going to escalate until the point that boarding groups become meaningless and gate agents replace check in agents. BA really need to stop all these silly reactionary measures and get a blank sheet of paper to solve the problem. I'll give them a starter: Employ someone on commission to supervise the boarding gates and pay them for every bag that has to be checked because it is out of policy. This is funded by making the customer pay. If they do not pay, they do not travel. Explicit communication prior to travel will be key.

But really BA, it is not on to let the riff raff board before me.