Hmm, just checked in for my first A3 flight on Friday at TXL. By the sounds of it I need to put my arm pads on, ready to force my way to the front! :)

I've never had this problem abroad - only at ATH - and CHQ! I guess the agents in other countries are more worried about doing their jobs properly. Are the gate staff in Greece directly employed by A3 or by a 3rd party handling company?

Actually - talking of Chania, it just reminded me of something I meant to post. On my last flight from there a couple of weeks ago, there was no boarding announcement whatsoever! Everybody gathered in the gate area, which incidentally was shared with a Ryanair flight departing 10 minutes earlier with only a row of seats down the middle of the room to divide pax. The FR pax had already had their boarding cards checked before entering the gate area so it would have been very easy to just squeeze between two seats and get on that flight illicitly - there were no further checks before they boarded the bus! I'm not usually one to worry about "security" things such as this but it even made ME think "hmmm, really..." (although who would want to get on an FR flight instead of A3 anyway?!) Anyway, when it was time for our A3 flight to ATH to board, there was NO boarding announcement. One of the gate staff just stood up and shouted "ελα" (Come on) and the scrum started... I assume maybe the PA wasn't working due to all the work that is going on there right now. But still, this is pretty bad form for A3.

Well I do have a connecting flight ATH-LCA! Looking forward to the scrum with my dodgy looking *G card (screenshot photo!).

Judging from some flights I have been on, there are often only 1-3 passengers in business, and who knows, maybe a few more Golds in coach, so maybe they don't bother? Still not good though.

I concur with the observations and like the holding the Gold card in your hands advice, it should be used like a police badge to waive you through the crowd, "gold coming through", lol. Perhaps they should also have different color for the Business boarding pass, like Alitalia, which could make queuing and queue-jumping more orderly.

There is: Ωχαδελφισμός, je-m'en-foutisme in French, menefreghismo in Italian, no idea how one calls it in English or German.

Κ.

Whatever-ism? :p

Probably a bonus if you didn't actually show for the flight though - good chance you'd still get credit for it if they didn't actually know who got on!

In theory there is no security risk - everyone in the departure area would have been checked, as would their checked baggage. In many parts of the world, that's standard practice - in America, your luggage would still fly even if you didn't because the airlines don't want to waste time off-loading with some tight flight schedules.

As far as I know, it's not A3 but Swissport in most airports (I think ATH is the exception, but I may be wrong).

That's a great idea! I think it should be a different color for priority boarding in general. That would greatly simplify things and make the lives of ground staff easier too.

what about BPs from OLCI when passengers with boarding priority don't use a colour printer?

Good point. Well, maybe they could use something noticeable that would also work on a B&W BP (e.g. a large black strip, large graphic or letter, etc.).

Anyway, for what it's worth, I consider this a moderate annoyance, not a huge problem.

Always happens with A3 in Istanbul the early morning flight.

LHR have enforced it all the flights I have been on. ATH not so much although my last one they did . Flying out of IST is was a scrum. Actually flew DUB-MAD with I2 yesterday and had to cut the line to the front. No separate line for OW Emeralds.

The order you arrive at the destination isn't related to the order in which you board, but the earlier you board the earlier you get to sit down, plus the all important overhead locker space.

I'm happy as long as I board before the non-Golds. Which only happens if you make sure you get to the gate before them :D

On the iPhone app the boarding pass of gold card holders is already gold, while other members have a blue boarding pass. They know how to do it...
If I'm right, priority boarding was no perk at CHQ. Maybe that has changed now. CHQ is still a small airport though. Let's see what will happen once the new building is done and fraport takes over.