ARCHIVE: AA Boarding Priority, Order and Related Issues through 28 Feb 2017
Feb 8, 2016, 10:05 pm
#91
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
Guys,
It ain't difficult ! AA can watch how their partner JAL does it all the time.
But that means getting their buxx out of the counter and check the BP
of the people in line to make sure they are lined up correctly !
Also it is not also difficult to give group numbers to ALL..
First + Business Group 1
EXP Group 2
PLAT Group 3....
Board strictly by group numbers !!!!
F.A.
It ain't difficult ! AA can watch how their partner JAL does it all the time.
But that means getting their buxx out of the counter and check the BP
of the people in line to make sure they are lined up correctly !
Also it is not also difficult to give group numbers to ALL..
First + Business Group 1
EXP Group 2
PLAT Group 3....
Board strictly by group numbers !!!!
F.A.
I am really enjoying this thread, as someone relatively new to AA and also having watched (endured) the implementation of Zone Boarding by Air Canada. Part of the challenge seems to be the lack of a format that is followed by all stations in all markets, with the unfortunate addition that some GAs are contracted from other airlines or airports, where needed. Everyone one of them has their own idea of how proper zone boarding should work.
Throw in some creative agents and a whole mass of people who don't know their BPs have zone #s (or don't care) and it's mayhem.
And to you're point about JAL........Nothing beats boarding at my regular spots, NRT or HND. The GAs for Air Canada are all contracted from NH and are awesome.
No one gets past any of them. The lines are distinct, the signage is clear, and they repeatedly check your BP to see if you are in the right line just prior to boarding. It is worthy of an award.
Feb 8, 2016, 10:20 pm
#92
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: D/FW, TX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 428
This irritates me to no end EVERY time I fly. I swear the "we would like to welcome our first class passengers on board" announcement is the queue for everyone to crowd around the gate. This weekend I had 3 flights in F and 1 in J (on a 3 class flight) and on all 4 had to wade through a huge group of people to get to the boarding lane. When I'm not in first I have the same problem. It is literally every single mainline flight I take. There has to be something AA can do about it...
Reminds me of a story about a flight I took a couple weeks ago as I proceeded to wade through the crowd around the boarding lane.
Fellow passenger: "hey they're only boarding first class right now and its about be priority"
Me: "Thanks I didn't know that"-- as I kept walking and handing my boarding pass to the GA.
A couple minutes later he walks down the isle and looks right at me as I'm getting comfortable in my seat in F.
I wouldn't be mad about it but the way he said it was basically "I've already made the assumption that there is no way in hell you should be boarding any time soon so I'm going to passive aggressively tell you to get out of the way." I guess cause I'm in my mid-late 20s there's no way I could fly enough to board early, right? Some people haha
Reminds me of a story about a flight I took a couple weeks ago as I proceeded to wade through the crowd around the boarding lane.
Fellow passenger: "hey they're only boarding first class right now and its about be priority"
Me: "Thanks I didn't know that"-- as I kept walking and handing my boarding pass to the GA.
A couple minutes later he walks down the isle and looks right at me as I'm getting comfortable in my seat in F.
I wouldn't be mad about it but the way he said it was basically "I've already made the assumption that there is no way in hell you should be boarding any time soon so I'm going to passive aggressively tell you to get out of the way." I guess cause I'm in my mid-late 20s there's no way I could fly enough to board early, right? Some people haha
Feb 8, 2016, 10:39 pm
#93
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
Feb 8, 2016, 10:44 pm
#94
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
@FlyingLaw
I understand your frustration, but we're dealing with humans and sometimes herding cats can be more efficient that boarding humans.
You might enjoy seeing the automated process used in some locations abroad. If it's F or J that is called and you proceed, your pass will scan correctly and the gate will open. The best part is watching someone with a BP for a zone not yet called and he tries to get through and the machine goes nuts. Epic and sometimes worthy of popcorn.
I don't see that process happening on our side of the ocean, partly because automation costs money (units, installation, software, gate renos.....)
.
I understand your frustration, but we're dealing with humans and sometimes herding cats can be more efficient that boarding humans.
You might enjoy seeing the automated process used in some locations abroad. If it's F or J that is called and you proceed, your pass will scan correctly and the gate will open. The best part is watching someone with a BP for a zone not yet called and he tries to get through and the machine goes nuts. Epic and sometimes worthy of popcorn.
I don't see that process happening on our side of the ocean, partly because automation costs money (units, installation, software, gate renos.....)
.
Last edited by 24left; Feb 8, 2016 at 10:59 pm Reason: spelling
Feb 9, 2016, 12:42 am
#96
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
I ran into this situation yesterday and was confused, someone tell me what I should have done
I was connecting so boarding had already begun by the time I got to the gate. I hear them call out "OW Emerald&Sapphire" so I'm assuming First has already gone. Then they call out for all Group 1 boarding so I make my way (I'm just gold) to where the lines start: there's a "Main" line with lots of people and a "Priority" line with all 3 OW elite logos on it that's empty. And as a Gold my BP obviously says Priority too.
So I walk up the priority lane and the gate lady asks if I'm First and I say no, but she called for Group 1 boarding and the priority line was empty. So she goes "well yes but those people have to line up in the "main" line, but too late now just go ahead"
... Er. What's the "priority" boarding for if I'm not supposed to use the Priority boarding lane that displays OW Ruby/AA Gold? Do I have to ask every person in the "main" line if they're Priority boarding and if so if I can pass them? Wut.
I was connecting so boarding had already begun by the time I got to the gate. I hear them call out "OW Emerald&Sapphire" so I'm assuming First has already gone. Then they call out for all Group 1 boarding so I make my way (I'm just gold) to where the lines start: there's a "Main" line with lots of people and a "Priority" line with all 3 OW elite logos on it that's empty. And as a Gold my BP obviously says Priority too.
So I walk up the priority lane and the gate lady asks if I'm First and I say no, but she called for Group 1 boarding and the priority line was empty. So she goes "well yes but those people have to line up in the "main" line, but too late now just go ahead"
... Er. What's the "priority" boarding for if I'm not supposed to use the Priority boarding lane that displays OW Ruby/AA Gold? Do I have to ask every person in the "main" line if they're Priority boarding and if so if I can pass them? Wut.
If they announced ahead of time that nobody should line up ahead of time except F that might help...a little.
Feb 9, 2016, 12:45 am
#97
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
I think we need to remember that since most airlines now charge for a checked luggage
Everyone is trying to find space on board for their stuff
At Lhr flying BA turning passengers away if the group is not boarding
And at the same time AA at Lhr is a complete mess
I hate it
AA needs to sort this out quick
Like most here when in F I can't even get to board upon boarding announcement is made
Everyone is trying to find space on board for their stuff
At Lhr flying BA turning passengers away if the group is not boarding
And at the same time AA at Lhr is a complete mess
I hate it
AA needs to sort this out quick
Like most here when in F I can't even get to board upon boarding announcement is made
Feb 9, 2016, 1:01 am
#98
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: LAS
Programs: PA FT, TW Gold, NW/CO PE, VK Eagleflyer
Posts: 7,173
At DL, Zone One is the 3rd group to board. Airlines have brought this confusion on themselves with their tortured use of the English language (See: Enhancement.)
Feb 9, 2016, 1:37 am
#99
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 219
Just boarded AA67 BCN-JFK, and the gate agents clearly said business class only first, yet a few OW Ruby tried to board with them and was denied. Every other elite patiently waited. Funny thing is, those the passengers seemed frustrated they couldn't board with business...
Feb 9, 2016, 1:47 am
#100
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: PDX
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 174
I wish the screens behind the GA counters would show what groups is boarding.
Feb 9, 2016, 5:03 am
#101
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LTP, Bonvoy Titanium; AA CK before I retired
Posts: 1,597
Oh c'mon. Everybody gets to the destination at the same time, and if you're ticketed in F you will almost always get your carryons into a bin near your seat, and if you don't get a PDB is the FA's fault. This thread is a candidate for http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ain-about.html
Feb 9, 2016, 5:13 am
#102
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
It should be printed as a large number and be on the screen saying
what is boarding. It is not rocket science if you want it to work..My guess
is that AA does not care WHO boarded when as long as they all boarded
before the ETD...
F.A.
Feb 9, 2016, 5:16 am
#103
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Oh c'mon. Everybody gets to the destination at the same time, and if you're ticketed in F you will almost always get your carryons into a bin near your seat, and if you don't get a PDB is the FA's fault. This thread is a candidate for http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ain-about.html
2. On red-eye flights, getting to my seat early (allowing for an extra 15-20 minutes of sleep) is extremely valuable to me. On daytime flights, that 15-20 minutes can mean the difference between finishing my work on the plane or having to restart it at home/in the hotel. Neither of these are stupid or insubstantial to me.
Feb 9, 2016, 6:05 am
#104
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Every time I have flown with AA (and that is quite a lot of times these 2 years), the order is as follows, which I believe is also the official policy:
F/veterans
EXP + PLT
GLD
Priority access/Citi
Group 1...
I don't remember any time when this wasn't observed. I never (attempt to) board before PLT is called, but almost every time I see an EXP or two (or worse, a kettle or two) try to sneak into the F line as it dwindles down. Unfortunately, I have almost never seen them being sent back by the GA
The funniest thing however is that there were a couple of times when there were no EXPs and I had to swim through the gate lice to board when PLT was called (and yes, with a lot of evil stares, as I look much younger than most other pax but sorry I've got the priority here)
F/veterans
EXP + PLT
GLD
Priority access/Citi
Group 1...
I don't remember any time when this wasn't observed. I never (attempt to) board before PLT is called, but almost every time I see an EXP or two (or worse, a kettle or two) try to sneak into the F line as it dwindles down. Unfortunately, I have almost never seen them being sent back by the GA
The funniest thing however is that there were a couple of times when there were no EXPs and I had to swim through the gate lice to board when PLT was called (and yes, with a lot of evil stares, as I look much younger than most other pax but sorry I've got the priority here)
Feb 9, 2016, 6:26 am
#105
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: DFW, DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, SWA A-list +
Posts: 1,007
Except that's not what you hear. The announcement is "Snarfle SQUAWCK Class GRMBLE ZRBT" at the same time the adjacent gates announces "Argle walla boarding BZZT" and the airport announcements come on reminding us to exercise vague caution.
I wish the screens behind the GA counters would show what groups is boarding.
I wish the screens behind the GA counters would show what groups is boarding.