CE board at your leisure - forcing your way past the plebs
 

Reading through previous posts, it seems BA has a policy of providing priority boarding for card status holders. Apparently, this applies to both CW and CE flights. However, with CE there is often no separate line for CE pax, so this begs the question: What is the correct boarding etiquette?

I have seen some pax on this board describe how they simply storm past the rest of the Y pax in the queue, no doubt flashing their cards with a big smirk. I am just not sure how I would feel though if I was waiting in the queue and someone forced their way past me.

So...if in CE, or you have status do you:
1) March confidently past everyone else, slam your boarding pass or card on the counter and watch the faces of the plebs grumbling behind you?
2) If boarding has not started, go to the front of the queue, positioning yourself before the first person in the queue, apologetically saying that you are allowed to board first?
3) Wait patiently in the queue with the plebs, after all boarding a SH flight does not take that long so what is the harm.

I do 3). I'd be too embarrassed to push past other people, and besides, even if I didn't feel embarrassed, I wouldn't do it.

However, if I feel that the flight will be full-ish and I have the risk of not having the space to put my wheelie bag, with ET pax often dumping their bags in CE without directed by cabin crew to do so, then I (pathetically, I know) hang around the gate early to make sure that I can join the boarding queue early so that I can definitely put my wheelie in the overhead bin.


BA, please note! Even some LCCs are doing a better job of priority boarding. They have a separate queue for those who paid for priority boarding. I know paid priority boarding is a revenue stream for LCCs and so they need to enforce it to keep that stream going, whereas BA doesn't, but it shows that it can be done pretty easily.

3) Life is too short. Yes you are allowed to board first, but if BA doesn't enforce your rights then you just look like an arrogant p**** if you try to do so for yourself. Plus the stress of facing down those Y passengers just isn't worth the benefit, especially as they will all be walking past you ensconced in CE!

I would usually do option 3 and wait, being British! It's easier often at LGW where they tend to announce preboarding for status pax. If the flight is boarding by row number and you are near the front (either in CE or choosing a forward seat) then you get ahead of many. This should be better though. Other threads have pointed out that leaving the lounge late can make it dificult to get overhead locker space in CE, because ET pax have fllled it up. :td:

So true - saw an arrogant **** push in front of an old couple recently and say that silver cards were allowed priority boarding. I'm pretty sure that it was only gold that had been mentioned for card status. Had I been slightly closer it would have been very tempting to point this out, tell him that i was gold and that the old folks were with me so would he please wait.

I didn't but when I went to the loo at the back of the plane I was pleased to see him and his little family sitting at the very back of a very full aircraft.

1) Never - too crass for my liking
2) Occasionally - subtly done though. For example, when boarding UK Domestic flights
3) Usual for me

I try to time my arrival at the gate about 5 mins (get to the gate about 35 mins prior to the flight time) before boarding starts and stand near the front of the gate.

Gold and Silver are allowed priority boarding

Recently was boarding a LH flight at T5 to find no priority boarding queue, dont know what went wrong on this occasion but as has been mentioned the LCC's are doing a better job

But you shouldn't really have to, as a Gold.

On the s/h 767 they sometimes board from door 2L, so we can still turn left on boarding ;)

I do 3 or a modified 2 (ie just stand at the front before they start making the boarding call to make sure you are in the first lot) depending on how full the flight is.

I agree we should not have to, but they dont make separate calls for CE and card holders or make any effort to get us on with priority, I am sorry to say that Easyjet does it better.....

As a pleb I witness more jostling going on amongst the priority pax themselves.They remind me of a bunch of male capercaillies on the lekking ground fighting for dominance during the breeding season, :D

It is a real scrum with KLM business class boarding with every business pax trying to claim priority over other business pax.

At least the English are too polite to force their way to the front when a queue froms. Queuing is an English custom after all, isnt it?

I am not so concerned about priority boarding but do want to make sure I get to place my cabin luggage near where I sit. This can be a problem with CE but not really an issue with CW. At least BA crew are happy to offer the closet if there is equipment or their own bags taking up the overhead bins.

Not a problem for me. I only have a small laptop which I can easily put under the seat in front of me. I always board as one of the last pax, enjoying the freedom before some hours in a small metal tube ;)

Exactly. Why not board last? Unless you have a ton of hand luggage (which I admit happens to me once in a blue moon) then stay in the lounge until the last minute, or read the paper at the boarding gate occasionally putting it down to enjoy the spectacle of the plastic-card-on-their-laptop-bags brigade trying to look important and barging past people :D

It's not as if there was a pre-departure glass of Champagne or a comfortable seat waiting for you in CE anyway :(

Please tell us more about male capercaillies. I've eaten capers but have never been aware of their sex. Caillies sounds exotic, or Celtic and sweaty, so I wonder what they do?