Apparently there is a « new procedure » for departures and boarding at 2F for Ultimates. I say apparently…

Flying CDG-Europe this morning, in J, with luggage. Checked them in, and the agent asked whether I needed « any special assistance during the boarding » (I declined). Arriving at the lounge, the agent there that accompanied me to the ULTI area explained that there was a « nouvelle procédure » for boarding, whereby they would not escort us to the gate but « let the gate know » whether we’d like to board early or late. I said that I’d like to board early. « OK, then you just have to leave as soon as the flight is shown as boarding on the screens ». Putting to the side for a moment the insufficient number of information screens in the lounge (=have to get up and sprint through lounge to see what the status of the flight is), I made my way to the gate when the flight showed as boarding. When I got there, they were in the middle of boarding zone 4; I suppose the flight wasn’t very full and zones 1-3 went through quickly.

I don’t understand what the new procedure is. Has anyone else experienced something different? Pre-boarding continues to be offered, which means that you have to be at the gate before boarding starts. As that moment is difficult to guess, many people prefer waiting in the lounge rather than the often crowded gate area - which means that when they arrive they are in the middle of the mêlée. When boarding happens, zones 1 and 2 are boarded together.