haydensydney

I prefer having a separate queue specifically for premium cabins - makes the whole boarding experience with the ferrals a much nicer experience

One time when my partner and I "made our way to the front of the queue" we got savage death glares...

....so yes, boarding first allows you to relax and get into the mode, but I prefer not having to pull rank by going to the front of the queue

IAMORGAN

I'll either do option 2 if I am early, or option 4 which is take a seat at the gate until there is no queue and be the last to board. I normally only travel with a small bag which fits under the seat in front, or indeed, underneath the blocked B or E seat, and there is often overhead space left in the club cabin. I don't stand and wait whether I'm travelling in Y, J or F -I just sit at the gate, read the paper etc until more or less everyone is onboard and then present myself. This occasionally annoys gate agents, especially in Salzburg for some reason, who seem to insist that you go and wait in the 100 strong line. If that happens, I just move myself over to an adjacent gate.

Palmer

It works exactly the same on a 3 class with AA.

Palmer

Smirnoff

The way AA do it is really good. Separate signage for the F/J/Elites line, and a pre-boarding announement for F/J/Elites. Simple, clear, effective.

FenLandK

It should be one of two ways - either start and finish boarding of all elites/CE first, so that they can be settled in their seats before boarding Y, or have them wait until Y is finished boarding and then board them.

What happens is that you get some of CE boarding and then filling their lockers, getting settled etc., whilst Y pax are then on their way out to the aircraft too. Just creates a queue whilst the Y pax wait for the CE pax to finish. Seems barmy to me. Even worse when on a remote stand, it's peeing down with rain and you're standing on the aircraft steps getting soaked.

As long as the CE lockers are closed and Y pax are prevented from putting anything in them then I would beg to suggest that boarding CE pax at the end would make most sense. However, this may seem "service unintiuitive", hence why you get this odd system that is in place now. From a CE perspective it also means potentially more time in the lounge and less in the terminal, too

ThatT1Feeling

But this isn't what is promised in the docs you receive with your shiny cards.

It says (and I remember quite clearly), as a GCH "you will always be invited to board first". It doesn't say anything about domestic, SH or LH and it doesn't say "board with the masses".

That's why the shiny cardholders get upset. The marketing promises one thing, the ground crew think that the process is something different.

Boarding at your leisure is a cop-out. Elites and premium classes have paid for priority boarding and, certainly on Domestic and Short Haul, never receive it in my (very regular) experience..

xxxxx

Boarding at leisure is the proposition given to ground staff by Brands and is included on the official announcements cards.

Genius1

Boarding at leisure means the same thing as priority boarding to me. OK, so there's no separate announcement or line (it's not OK, but I'll let it slide ), but my idea of 'leisurely' boarding is not standing in a queue for 10 minutes.

Leisurely boarding is leaving the lounge, strolling to the gate, passing my BP to an agent, wishing the agent a pleasant day and then strolling straight down the jetway onboard (or onto the bus if needs must).

I'm going to email BA EC about the boarding on my flight back from BCN yesterday to see what their response is to this.

Aus_Mal

I tend to do 3), ignoring any "we're now boarding row X" type calls.

The biggest issue with 1) and 2) is that you're potentially pushing in front of other status members and people in Business... That really makes you look like an arrogant so-and-so.

A separate line for priority boarding is the best answer ... pity so many airlines do it poorly.

HIDDY

On the BAEC membership benefits page it says "At departure you can board at your convenience regardless of the class you are travelling in that day."

I read that as meaning you can choose to board first or board last. How you do it is up to you.......either dilly dally at the back or stride arrogantly to the front pushing aside the minions as you go.

Be warned, if you push me aside you'll get a mouthful and if you push my wife you'll get a kick in the balls.

Anfield

Another vote for the way AA does it. ^

I had 14 SH sectors in 3 days with them a couple of years ago and this worked every single time.

IIRC, it's just one sign infront of and between two desks directing F/Elite left and other right. No need for a dedicated lane or desk at all . . . brilliant!

FenLandK

There speaks the voice of experience...

Captain Schmidt

And pretty much the way CX manages its boarding process. I can always walk from the lounge to the gate knowing that I'll be able to pretty much go straight-on to the aircraft as long as boarding has commenced. As others point out, AA also gets this consistently right. Have never understood how BA can't do this part of their product better.

OPebble

As has been posted many times before I just do not understand why LHR gate staff seem incapable of handling this simple instruction but LGW do 100% of the time. I suspect if the LHR Management could be arsed to get down to the T5 gates and watch what happens things might improve!

ginger50

+1 ^ So whatever happened to the simple procedure of asking for pax who need assistance with boarding first... + Club pax? (not suggesting of course that Club pax need assistance, however after all of that Bolly in the lounge, some help would be appreciated!)