Physci

Different experience to me (also last Friday but to LGW http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22485545-post22.html) where CE, Gold, Silver, OWE and OWS were all boarded together - usual BA inconsistency then (albeit that priority boarding was at least offered!)

waspsl

Just flown back from DFW and staggered boarding there as well. First time I have seen on BA. Always on AA.
Welcome change and slows the boarding scrum, hope it rolls out system wide.

LTN Phobia

No staggered boarding for me either. I know staggered boarding is not the standard procedure but I must say I was disappointed not to get that, although it didn't affect me.

However there must have been about 40 people in the PB queue! That's too many PB and it must be lengthening the boarding process when would have boarded by the seat row due to being a busy flight?

I must add, however, that PB was strictly enforced and a number of people were asked to wait.

I have this hypothesis - the longer the PB queue the more likely for people to mistake them for a standard boarding queue. Some of those that we sometimes call 'chancers' may well be genuinely confused people who may not have paid attention to the Fast Track sign or the PA.

Physci

Similar number in the PB queue for me as well LTN Phobia, and there were only 3 of us in CE ...

Physci

No staggered boarding at DEN last Thursday for me - just one big scrum in the FastTrack queue

Dave Noble

If the bags fail to meet the size requirements , then it is quite correct that the bags were removed and required to be checked in. It is the passenger's responsibility to comply with size requirements

LTN Phobia

If the bags did not fit into the size gauge, then it's the problem with the passenger and not the airline. They should not have tried to bring on board oversize bags. Simple as that. They have no right to go mad.

missdimeaner

Travelled back from AMS-LGW last night, really didn't pay attention to the boarding process apart from the 'Club Europe' passengers may board bit....that was us so off we went.

I was a little dismayed that it was an old BMI bird, no wardrobe...hard seats and every CE seat was taken only 3 rows.

On our way over from LHR on Saturday there were 9 CE passengers and 6 rows..much nicer.

Ah well it's back to the back with the rest of the proles for a while now !

gwade

Flew back on Saturday morning on the AM 767 flight which was going out of D53 instead of the other pier. I don't know what the other pier's gates are like, but after going thorugh security, you were in a "pre boarding pass" section. They started "preboarding" and I with Sapphire and Euro Traveler were allowed to pass (they made some generic call for Club Europe and I just walked up despite my class). We all then were "moved" into the next section, but were not allowed to board yet.

By the time boarding started, you pretty much boarded in a free for all depending on where you were standing, but it sounded like the agent near the door was "asking" whether you were in Club...I passed and boarded so not sure what happened after that.

Circusplaza

Fully agree is passengers responsibility, but if the bag fits (not sideways) it is good to allow you to board, specially when you pay 5 times more for a tickets and flying in business class. Specially these American people where the policy there is less strict.
But again agree with the point you wrote.

On the boarding I agree with the staggered way. More comfortable for everyone when there is such a long priority passengers like in AMS.

Cheers.

martyndavid

Flew back from AMS twice in the last week once to LGW, once to LHR. On both flights priority boarding was called by a single announcement inviting CE, BA gold, silver and bronze, OW emerald, sapphire and ruby to board. It was also enforced.

A small problem with LHR to EDI a few days ago because of difficulty with photo recognition of someone at the front of the PB queue. At least 10 folk from the general boarding line made it to the plane before the PB queue was called across to the other camera.

bryand83

Took the same flight tonight and anybody who has ever taken a BA flight before was allowed into the priority queue. Looks like it was a one off last month.

lhrpete

The green and yellow tags were out in force at AMS earlier this week too as was the bag size gauge. I saw a number of people in the non-priority queue called forward and told to place their bag in the gauge, some fitted and some didn't. An American couple hit the roof when told their bags were going in the hold.

Oddly the gauge was then put away and no more bags were checked which considering Y looked full seemed strange. C was OK, probably about 75% occupied over six rows.

Boarding was called and C & Gold and was enforced, I don't know what happened next because I was aboard by then but obviously from what came aboard they stopped policing hand luggage as some huge pieces came on and several people with three or four bags.

I did feel a bit sorry for the American couple who were penalised, they may have been in transit and had things they needed and the size checking was certainly not applied consistently or fairly.

I did think the ground staff, one woman in particular were verging on hostile in their manner. I know boarding heavily booked services one after the other cannot be easy but hostility does nothing to improve matters but rather makes them worse.

EDIflyer

Yep - I've only had it a couple of times where they ONLY take folk from the PB queue first, most of the time they simultaneously take pax from the general and PB queues so it's only semi-priority (or pretty much no priority on the EDI route given to the number of pax with status!)