C class priority over *G at boarding?
May 24, 2016, 8:49 am
#31
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Whilst you are indeed correct and it's known and noted not only from a few members but also lurkers it actually would not surprise me as I have witnessed similar over the years. I would class it as a general dropping in manners globally when people fly these days and would not be so ignorant and arrogant to suggest its confined to a particular culture which of course it is NOT!
I guess the PAX was saying i'm Greek, like i'm local / i fly a lot this route, etc. But if you want we talk about this specific topic, you will notice that for years Greek airlines (and not the so true now) was really "pro greek" and all politicians or local celebrities was upgraded and get tons of advantages.
Right now we don't talk about this, we talk about the priority inside the priority line stuff.
Last edited by NWIFlyer; May 24, 2016 at 9:10 am Reason: Remove personalisation
May 25, 2016, 1:47 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 2,890
Even though C and *G usually board together on A3, I think the woman and GA were technically correct. But only if the GA announced boarding just for C pax. Obviously, the "I'm Greek" comment was completely irrelevant.
IIRC, the priority boarding benefit only requires airlines to board *G before the rest of Economy. Perhaps the wording was along the lines of "with First and Business Class or immediately after, at the discretion of the gate" or something. Otherwise, AC and UA would be in violation, since they board premium cabin(s) in Group/Zone 1 and *G in Group/Zone 2.
IIRC, the priority boarding benefit only requires airlines to board *G before the rest of Economy. Perhaps the wording was along the lines of "with First and Business Class or immediately after, at the discretion of the gate" or something. Otherwise, AC and UA would be in violation, since they board premium cabin(s) in Group/Zone 1 and *G in Group/Zone 2.
As quoted earlier in this thread the text is "Board at your convenience with First Class and Business Class passengers where this is offered at the gate." While there is indeed some question what "where this is offered at the gate" restricts, to me it seems that the intent is that *G boards with first and business, unless the gate has no priority boarding at all. I'm not sure *A actually has any real recourse if airlines are in violation, so the fact that violations are occurring isn't much evidence to me that the rule itself is meant to be interpreted that way.
Ultimately I don't think it matters much, but it would be nice to have clarity.
Ultimately I don't think it matters much, but it would be nice to have clarity.
And SQ boards Star Gold separately from business, after business and ahead of general Y.
May 25, 2016, 4:25 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Singapore
Programs: KF*G, Cathay Silver
Posts: 141
C > Y
With the prices that SQ premium cabin commands, this doesn't comes as a surprise. It has never been SQ's intention to dilute their premium products.
May 25, 2016, 10:03 am
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chilling with penguins
Posts: 13,043
Hate to say it but I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. As long as C/*G get priority boarding, that's what matters. It's not like you're boarding a transoceanic flight and there are 42J and God knows how many *G pax in Y!
As long as one gets on before the Y cattle crew -- or can jump into the queue at any time -- that's what matters.
As long as one gets on before the Y cattle crew -- or can jump into the queue at any time -- that's what matters.
May 25, 2016, 11:02 am
#35
Join Date: May 2012
Location: GVA
Posts: 188
But I don't think what you wrote is actually supported by the text. If boarding with first class and business is not offered, then there's no promise that you get any kind of priority."Board at your convenience with First Class and Business Class passengers where this is offered at the gate."
... and if it's not offered at the gate, then you are promised nothing. This is another reason why I think the text means that where there is priority boarding, you're expected to get similar treatment to first and business, because otherwise it seems not to promise anything at all. Of course, this doesn't seem to be the way it works in practice, thank goodness!
May 25, 2016, 11:03 am
#36
Join Date: May 2012
Location: GVA
Posts: 188
Hate to say it but I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. As long as C/*G get priority boarding, that's what matters. It's not like you're boarding a transoceanic flight and there are 42J and God knows how many *G pax in Y!
As long as one gets on before the Y cattle crew -- or can jump into the queue at any time -- that's what matters.
As long as one gets on before the Y cattle crew -- or can jump into the queue at any time -- that's what matters.
May 25, 2016, 3:42 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,347
Given that business is at the front of the plane, for short haul flights like A3, it may be faster if *G in Y boarded before J pax so they could move down the aisle.
If J class boards before any Y pax, then it would actually make more sense to board from the back of the plane
If J class boards before any Y pax, then it would actually make more sense to board from the back of the plane
May 26, 2016, 11:55 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Melbourne, AU
Programs: *A Gold, QF (ex-QP), AA, TG, A3 Gold, VA, SQ
Posts: 358
The Star Alliance Reference Guide 2015 only lists "priority boarding" as a privilege of *G, not how it should be implemented:
https://portal.staralliance.com/empl...eference-guide
https://portal.staralliance.com/empl...eference-guide
May 27, 2016, 5:44 am
#40
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,567
This morning at Corfu, waiting to board the A3 codeshare with OA that is flown with A3 Metal (organisational genius: if you want to OLCI all the way to HER, you do your 1st flight on the OA site and then the 2nd one on the A3 site!).
Two gates available, #6 and #7. Everybody waits in front of #6 (printed on the BC). Since I see two Goldair agents preparing both gates, I ask the one at #6 which one would be for the M+B Gold members and she says #7. Hearing this, the entire “mass” of waiting pax (not a line!), consisting mostly of non-Greek tourists, immediately moves to that one leaving #6 “empty. The agent at #7, a few minutes later, indeed starts boarding and as announced (priority boarding in effect!), first takes care of people in real need of priority (babies, small kids, handicapped), in theory to continue with C and *G. By the time they’re done with two handicapped pax, though, #6 is also open, and most of the people who moved to previously, decide to change gates again and go back to that one. I’ve never seen anything like that, amazingly also done in silence, perhaps because there were few Greeks involved (no loud complaining). Mind you, we are then all (both gates) stopped 10 m further down for 1 minute for reasons unknown, and when we’re allowed to continue, almost everybody literally runs to the plane in order to be “first” to get in.
This thing reminded me of my first Ryanair flight, or one of the flights I took many, many years ago when no seats had been assigned.
No lazy Goldair employees anywhere, other than the two overwhelmed gate agents and a supervisor standing close to the plane. I wish I had made a video of this. In comparison, boarding in all other Greek airport I’ve used were sheer organisational Fantasialand.
Somebody from A3 should visit CFU soon...
Two gates available, #6 and #7. Everybody waits in front of #6 (printed on the BC). Since I see two Goldair agents preparing both gates, I ask the one at #6 which one would be for the M+B Gold members and she says #7. Hearing this, the entire “mass” of waiting pax (not a line!), consisting mostly of non-Greek tourists, immediately moves to that one leaving #6 “empty. The agent at #7, a few minutes later, indeed starts boarding and as announced (priority boarding in effect!), first takes care of people in real need of priority (babies, small kids, handicapped), in theory to continue with C and *G. By the time they’re done with two handicapped pax, though, #6 is also open, and most of the people who moved to previously, decide to change gates again and go back to that one. I’ve never seen anything like that, amazingly also done in silence, perhaps because there were few Greeks involved (no loud complaining). Mind you, we are then all (both gates) stopped 10 m further down for 1 minute for reasons unknown, and when we’re allowed to continue, almost everybody literally runs to the plane in order to be “first” to get in.
This thing reminded me of my first Ryanair flight, or one of the flights I took many, many years ago when no seats had been assigned.
No lazy Goldair employees anywhere, other than the two overwhelmed gate agents and a supervisor standing close to the plane. I wish I had made a video of this. In comparison, boarding in all other Greek airport I’ve used were sheer organisational Fantasialand.
Somebody from A3 should visit CFU soon...
Last edited by KLouis; May 27, 2016 at 5:50 am Reason: corrected typos
May 27, 2016, 5:54 am
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: lounge next door
Programs: *A Gold / ST Elite+ / OWS / EK G / HH Diam. / MR Tit / Hyatt GLOB / IHG Diam. / SL Jade / GHA Tit.
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This morning at Corfu, waiting to board the A3 codeshare with OA that is flown with A3 Metal (organisational genius: if you want to OLCI all the way to HER, you do your 1st flight on the OA site and then the 2nd one on the A3 site!).
Two gates available, #6 and #7. Everybody waits in front of #6 (printed on the BC). Since I see two Goldair agents preparing both gates, I ask the one at #6 which one would be for the M+B Gold members and she says #7. Hearing this, the entire “mass” of waiting pax (not a line!), consisting mostly of non-Greek tourists, immediately moves to that one leaving #6 “empty. The agent at #7, a few minutes later, indeed starts boarding and as announced (priority boarding in effect!), first takes care of people in real need of priority (babies, small kids, handicapped), in theory to continue with C and *G. By the time they’re done with two handicapped pax, though, #6 is also open, and most of the people who moved to previously, decide to change gates again and go back to that one. I’ve never seen anything like that, amazingly also done in silence, perhaps because there were few Greeks involved (no loud complaining). Mind you, we are then all (both gates) stopped 10 m further down for 1 minute for reasons unknown, and when we’re allowed to continue, almost everybody literally runs to the plane in order to be “first” to get in.
This thing reminded me of my first Ryanair flight, or one of the flights I took many, many years ago when no seats had been assigned.
No lazy Goldair employees anywhere, other than the two overwhelmed gate agents and a supervisor standing close to the plane. I wish I had made a video of this. In comparison, boarding in all other Greek airport I’ve used were sheer organisational Fantasialand.
Somebody from A3 should visit CFU soon...
Two gates available, #6 and #7. Everybody waits in front of #6 (printed on the BC). Since I see two Goldair agents preparing both gates, I ask the one at #6 which one would be for the M+B Gold members and she says #7. Hearing this, the entire “mass” of waiting pax (not a line!), consisting mostly of non-Greek tourists, immediately moves to that one leaving #6 “empty. The agent at #7, a few minutes later, indeed starts boarding and as announced (priority boarding in effect!), first takes care of people in real need of priority (babies, small kids, handicapped), in theory to continue with C and *G. By the time they’re done with two handicapped pax, though, #6 is also open, and most of the people who moved to previously, decide to change gates again and go back to that one. I’ve never seen anything like that, amazingly also done in silence, perhaps because there were few Greeks involved (no loud complaining). Mind you, we are then all (both gates) stopped 10 m further down for 1 minute for reasons unknown, and when we’re allowed to continue, almost everybody literally runs to the plane in order to be “first” to get in.
This thing reminded me of my first Ryanair flight, or one of the flights I took many, many years ago when no seats had been assigned.
No lazy Goldair employees anywhere, other than the two overwhelmed gate agents and a supervisor standing close to the plane. I wish I had made a video of this. In comparison, boarding in all other Greek airport I’ve used were sheer organisational Fantasialand.
Somebody from A3 should visit CFU soon...
Almost same experience : Business counter close + boarding was a real mess (low cost style). They did the announcements but nobody respected them and they didn't really managed it... For the switch from 6 to 7 they did the same yesterday, don't know why. It was a very odd boarding, because they call people at the gate and finally does not open the gate before 10 minutes, change their mind for the gate number etc etc
But good news, in this crappy airport there is the WIFI now!!! Not a good one but enough to check your emails.
May 27, 2016, 5:55 am
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: lounge next door
Programs: *A Gold / ST Elite+ / OWS / EK G / HH Diam. / MR Tit / Hyatt GLOB / IHG Diam. / SL Jade / GHA Tit.
Posts: 1,527
Same style in Rhodes last week too... they don't care, they do the announcement but does nothing to enforce people to respect the rules.