Antarius

Here are a few more screenshots of an EXP BP (not in F (yet ) this time)

Antarius

Mobile:

controller1

Are you saying the agent-printed BPs (on card stock) no longer have the passenger elite status printed as a watermark at an angle in the middle of the BP?

Antarius

Looks like it. Here is my F Agent printed BP (I am also EXP)

HofstraJet

Will be curious to see how they handle a wheelchair designation on the ticket. Will they still put me in the appropriate group and just have the gate agent preboard like pre-3/1 or will the wheelchair designation bump me up? First post-3/1 flight in a few weeks. Will let everyone know.

controller1

Thanks. But unlike the assertion made by dkc192, the elite status is still shown on the BP as shown in the upper right corner next to the FF#.

dkc192

Right, my bad. I meant to say that for EXP, PLT, OWE, and OWS in coach, it no longer prints EXECPLAT or PLATINUM, etc. where it shows group number now.

dkc192

I believe whether or not agent-printed BPs have the watermark is dependent on airport and even agent location. Looks like the shot of the BP ex-HNL above doesn't have the watermark, but my BPs ex-BOS a couple weeks ago definitely had them. Most, if not all, international outports don't have the ability to print them. It may also vary by agent location within an airport. At JFK, for example, BPs printed at the ticket counter have them, but one BP I got at the gate as a result of an upgrade did not have it.

controller1

Even for First Class, I don't believe it ever printed the AA FF status where the Group # is now. I believe it has always only been the OW status.

I have an agent-printed BP from a DFW counter at the end of February. Under the caption FIRST (which is where the Group # is on the BP example of Antarius) is my seat assignment and below that is the OW status. The only difference in the two examples of pre-March 1 and post-March 1 is the substitution of GROUP 1 for FIRST and the absence of the AA FF status displayed as a watermark.

UPDATE: One more difference. The post-March 1 BP in First shows PRIORITY FIRST at the bottom of the BP, while the pre-March 1 BP shows PRIORITY AACCESS.

Antarius

I have a flight tomorrow MAF-DFW-IAH. I will get the agent printed BP at MAF as well as DFW and post them as additional data points. So far am in Y on MAF - DFW and F on DFW- IAH

dkc192

No, it doesn't, because class of service trumps status. Prior to 3/1, anyone in F would have FIRST where it would say GROUP 1 now. Likewise, as I said in my previous post, EXP in coach would have EXECPLAT where it would say GROUP 2 now. And so on.

dmodemd

On my flight on 3/3 at DFW I did not see any information showing on the flight display monitor as to what boarding group was active. Yesterday, the monitor would show which boarding group was boarding, but the agent wasn't always quick with advancing it after the announcements of each group.

pa3lsvt

Monitor usage has been variable and not always well synced when it is used, but so far all my GA announcement have been excellent (save for BOS) under the new system. Today at SNA, they made a second call for Group 2 when only one person stepped up.

The new system has definitely eliminated the clueless randoms just boarding because they see people moving forward. It has significantly improved the value of the early boarding benefit for this Plat/Group 3.

giants_fan

After coming back from Asia, I was at the gate waiting for DFW-MCO. The lice were congregating, and I was sitting off to the side, wondering if they'd actually call CK (mostly miss so far). To my surprise, I was called by name to pre-board! I stepped on the plane, saying hi to the FA at the door. As I was sitting, she radioed to the Gate, "so I guess we've started boarding?," in a quite sarcastic tone, for which another FA apologized to me. It seems she had the departure time mixed up in her head, and had 5 less minutes than she thought.

Of interest, the Cathay Pacific BP I had for the earlier legs didn't even have Emerald on them, which was evident when I tried to go to the CX First Class lounge in HKG. Good thing I had my CK card on me! What a lounge, by the way

StirredNotShaken

3/9 HNL-LAX, GA briefly explains that new boarding procedure is by Groups and that everyone should look at their group number before approaching the gate. As soon as the wheelchair pax are lined up in the Elite boarding line, there is a mad rush by everyone to block both Elite and Group 5 boarding lines.

The GA reminds everyone of the new boarding procedures AGAIN and asks everyone to remain seated - no one sits down and holds their stance.

GA calls for CK's to board and a few clueless pax approach the GA with their BPs only to be turned away. I start inching my way towards the mob (I'm in Group 1). Rest of the mob holds their positions and continue to block both boarding lines.

GA calls for Group 1 and several more clueless pax wander over to the GA who AGAIN tells them to remain seated until she calls their group. I am blocked from reaching the Gate so I yell "ARE YOU GROUP 1? If not, can I board?" Only a few pax let myself and a couple of other F flyers into the boarding lane.

The GA examines my BP and welcomes me onboard. I don't know what happened after that.

It's clear that HNL pax have not abandoned their "rush-the-gate" mentality that I've witnessed over the years. The poor AA GA's will have to figure out how to deal with this mob soon in order to get us out ontime (it seemed that we barely got out ontime)

Edit: Yes, I know it seems that I'm the obnoxious one for yelling but trust me, I wouldn't have boarded unless I yelled. And let me throw some other excuses out for my behavior (I was tired from working the morning shift... my dog ate my boarding pass... etc...). I'd prefer it if the GA's got tough and ordered everyone away but that didn't happen.