Priority Access Boarding at SFO
 

A friend likes to hold off boarding. When he approached the gate using the Priority Access lane he was told they have finished PA boarding and asked why he didn't board then. As I recall the PA lane was supposed to be open throughout boarding process.

Is this a policy change or GA games?

FYI, it was LUS flight SFO CLT, he was in F with LTP status.

GA that doesn't know, or didn't want to bother with, the correct policy.

This has happened to me before except what I've seen happen is they "close" the PA by putting up the barrier strap and then I feel like a <redacted> trying to board via PA so I just wait until the end of boarding or wait in line. Anyone have a better suggestion for what to do in that situation?

I would open the lane, keep your priority boarding pass visible, and wait for the agent to acknowledge you. I've yet to have any issues with boarding through the priority lane midway through the process, even with LUS agents, and am not aware of any policy changes.

As mentioned in another thread though, SFO is apparently one of the worse stations in terms of "overenthusiastic" agents inventing new policies.

Just get in line behind the other passengers and wait your turn to board. That works for me.

Per the AA.com website regarding elite status benefits:

"f you arrive late to the gate, you may bypass the General Boarding lines and enjoy the convenience of boarding anytime via the dedicated Priority boarding lane. Just show your boarding pass, and you'll be on your way!"

GA in this case was either uninformed or willfully ignorant.

At SFO it could easily be either.

Priority Access Boarding at SFO
 

If they close it, I just move to the front of the general boarding and make my BP visible. They typically keep it open and I don't have to act like a jerk...

yes, cutting to the front of an existing line would be a jerk move. That's why they have the PA line, it allows for more organized/authorized line cutting.

Exactly.

It's amazing that people need the Internet to figure stuff like this out.

So just give up on yet another program benefit because the agent doesn't know what they are doing?

Unfortunately posting here on FT will get no traction, but reporting it to AA just might someone's attention, much like with the PDB, AA now has a posting for the FAs.

No - at least for me that's not the reason why I do what tom911 suggests. I just feel that if other passengers' boarding groups have been called, we're in the same position: entitled to board. I don't feel right jumping in front of other people once they've been called to board, and I think it raises people's blood pressure when they see it done. So I don't do it, even though official policy says I could. Nothing to do with whether the agent knows the policy.

Per the terms of the program, you are entitled to board in front of them. You may not feel right doing it, and that's fine, but it doesn't change the program's entitlement for others.

^ A few months ago I showed up midway through boarding a flight at DFW only to realize that there wasn't a PA lane at all. With my boarding pass visible, I just cut in front of the line and had no issues. Of course, giving the gate chocolate (as a thank you for her earlier assistance) couldn't have hurt either.

Sfo priority aaccess
 

Got told none in LAX, will there be in SFO T2?