orac

Yes. I now look at travel as a necessary evil to go through to arrive at my desination.

Once I was interested in the journey, but no more. Airports are just a pain.

OPebble

They manage to do it very well at LGW even on SH. There is an announcement for GCHs etc etc to board now and transgressors are firmly repulsed.

My impression is that the gate staff at LHR just cannot be arsed to do a simple bit of crowd control. Would be very nice if a senior T5 manager could explain why LGW is so much better in this respect?

BOH

Oh that is so true

BOH

As the passenger seated behind is perfectly entitled to do

redsox1918

95% of the time I sit at the gate and wonder why people are 30 deep trying to get on the plane when on sh. Even when past the gate the line to get on the plane just drags. By the time I am one of the last to board, the lines have gone and it is a real pleasure. Only down side is at times lack of places to put ur bags. 767 sh are fab as very few people realize about the lockers at doors 2.
Now and again (only when in ce) I like to board first make out I am reading the paper and watch peoples faces as they head to row 99. If they realized what you got extra for ur money I am sure they would not be that worried!!

bealine

To be perfectly honest, I have always hated this "Board At Your Leisure" approach, because it almost comes as an afterthought to the "we are boarding seat rows x to x" announcement. By the time the "may board at leisure" bit comes, the great unwashed are already on the escalator!

There is a general assumption among staff that "Club" or "Status" passengers are up in the lounge anyway and don't come down until last knockings! That's true of a handful of "lounge lizards", but I would say at least half are present at the gate when we start proceedings off.

It really wouldn't be hard to muster the passengers with special requirements first, and then to invite "Club and One World elites" to board first as soon as the "go ahead" is given, leaving a 10 - 15 second gap before starting the "boarding by seat number" bit!

At least we could give it a try! It would be interesting to see adrianjc32's comments.

Sixth Freedom

Here in DOH on most flights (not including BA) the Y passengers board from the back and the C/F passengers board from the front. The curtain is already closed when the Y passengers start climbing aboard so overhead locker space is always available for the C/F passengers. ^

BOH

Probably not practical for SH flights at congested airports though - LHR for example. Two airbridges would no doubt increase the overall time each aircraft spends at the gate.

Swanhunter

I was impressed to note that BUD actually offered a seperate lane for priority boarding. A clear sign, a seperate BP reader and a member of staff behind the reader politely enforcing the rules. If contract staff at an outstation can do it, you can only conclude that it is laziness at T5 that prevents them.

ajax

And how many times have you had to wait on the ground at LHR to find someone who has "move the jetbridge the five feet to the plane" in their job description? I have been delayed for that very reason several times (granted, never longer than about five minutes, but still). Cannot imagine how much longer it would take to find TWO people to do that for each flight!

Palmer

Yes! Exactly! I'd no problem with that but if I'd failed to state the obvious then someone would only have asked why I hadn't checked under the seat for space.

Palmer

hsmall

That is true of many. My husband is the stressing sort and we always for s/h find ourselves hanging around the gate so that we can be first or nearly first on. I do not remember a "board at your leisure" announcement ever for s/h at T5 but I may not have been listening as we surge forward to board. not really a premium experience and BA really could improve on this at minimal cost.

Petrus

Come to think of it, except for the BA staff working in the lounges, which are great, I found most T5 ground crew to be quite underwhelming.

ginger50

I think that the most embarrassing point for BA here is that EasyJet manage to organise priority boarding so it must be easy!

ajax

Yes - and even though I don't go to T5 at strange times (I'm normally there late afternoons) the "BA Customer Service" counters are almost always unstaffed. I'm perpetually underwhelmed.