Greenpen

I check-in at LHR where ever is easiest. I've checked in at a Y desk when flying F because it had no queue. When the delightful checker-in realised I was in F she explained there was a special F area and tried to send me to it, but I did not need to and all went well.

Last time I flew Y on IB I checked in at the F area as I was uncertain if I could check-in luggage very early for an IB flight. The helpful staff at the reception made a phone call to clarify and then I checked my bags in. Off I went to London for the day!

G-BPED

By this reasoning you are now creating another layer of check-in benefits.

If a GCH can check-in at a GCH desk in the F zone then its still in the F zone

Given the zoo at T5 the other day being able to check-in at a relatively quiet F zone desk made the process less stressfull.

HIDDY

Priority boarding causes yet another stushie on the forum.

I don't bother with announcements. When in F I body swerve the opposition and head to the front because I'm confident no-one can trump me. In J I'm never in any rush as luggage space isn't a problem. In Y I just follow the wife....if she gets questioned she gives a sharp reply in Spanish so can get away with anything.

csutter

They already have an arrangement like this at the F checkin in T5 on some days - that said I've only used F checkin there once when J was a zoo. No point slogging all the way there and back to security.

jcm9000

I propose at gate bars for GCHs served in plastic cups of course, lets you keep drinking in a convivial space while having no worries about being one of the first on board as you can be pointed mid-sup onto the flying machine. Also the bonus of everyone seeing you there....

JumboJim

Hi 81romeo

I was on the flight and standing right next to you when the incident happened.

If I may share my view. I agree with the inconsistent approach to boarding and this does happen in Tel Aviv from time to time. For example, sometimes they use the side door to the gate for F J and those eligible BAEC customers but yesterday they used the main area and had a fast track lane instead.

To be fair to the ground staff yesterday, it was an oversold flight with a lot of upgrades so it was rather manic at the gate area, but the lady at the gate did call only First and Club passengers. And reiterated it after you tried to get through the gate.

I think here it was a case of inconsistency as if I hadn't been in the F/J camp I would have tried to get on too. But I did think I was going to be joining you at the back as she seemed a little gruff with me too!

But overall it was a good flight - let down my the absolutely disgraceful queue at T5 immigration last night.

Mixbury

Worth pointing out that what BA count as priority boarding is actually a priority line, if you are lucky. The second person in the priority line boards behind the first person in the non-priority line, and should there be a passport issue, or some such, the priority line comes to a standstill.

paulwuk

Same at checkin, when 1 person handles business class, and 3 handle economy

81romeo

Hi JumboJim,

the power of FT! We all should put some stickers on our bags

Yes, I also saw that at least 6 pax got a new (F) boarding pass issued at the gate, not sure if J was full because I was right at the back. W had 1 spare seat for sure.
I think in total ca. 15 pax got a new boarding pass at the gate.

Regarding the "gate incident" I do agree with you, you have also pointed out that there was only one line yesterday. Given that I still think that I was right and eligible for priority boarding, what should I have done in that case? All pax were already in the line, should I have moved at the very end of the sole line and boarding at the end?

She was very gruff, I only wonder what would have happened if I did not change my clothes before going to the airport, probably with my suit&tie and all my tattoos covered she would have had a different reaction?

Anyway, I felt very embarrassed, not sure you noted it.

At LHR I went through the E-gates in ca 10 minutes and afterwards still had to wait for luggage.

000

I have to say I do like AA's staggered boarding system.

A bad experience at TLV is unfortunately pretty much the norm. If it wasn't this, it would be something else.

Irubi

I fully agree that the priority boarding needs to be clarified by BA.

But, I think I also need to put a note in to look from the point of view of TLV. What do you do if you have a late in-bound plane, so you are already behind schedule. You have a jam packed oversold plane - AND - there are more passengers eligible for priority boarding than regular boarding??

I got stuck with this a few weeks ago - they used the side door for F+J passengers and spent more time shifting gold, silver, bronze not in F or J than moving the line forward. The regular line had 2 lines and moved far quicker, so ended up being almost last.

I do like to get one early especially on the A321 when overhead space (in any class) fills up very quickly.

I don't know what the solution is - but especially in TLV it is clear the current situation doesn't work.

Gshumway

I do like it how AA does it:

F-Emerald
J-Sapphire
etc.

billinghamn

I agree with those that have highlighted how bad priority boarding is now being handled - too many in the line (I assume because of the inclusion of Ruby/Bronze CHs), and I do believe that those flying in First and Business should get priority over GCHs.

However, my major gripe is that BA needs to practice what it preaches! Happy BA customers are happy as a result of: predictability (i.e. you know what you're going to get) and consistency (i.e. the service is always the same), and that also means their priority boarding policy needs to be policed - people should be turned back if they try to board early.

[Customers are also made happy when they get upgraded but let's put that one on one side! ]

And to be honest I don't know why BA find it so difficult to deliver a predictable and consistent service when it comes to priority boarding. Just stick to a priority boarding policy and make sure your gate staff use it.

nh1980

Priority boarding for Bronze should be scrapped IMO with the priority being Gold and F, then Silver and CE or CW followed by the rest. Admittedly yes the status holders may be in Y and there may be a lot of them but if I were BA I would want to reward revenue loyalty from my status passengers rather than potentially prioritise those on a once in a lifetime Premium cabin experience from Tesco or buying multiple prepaid credit cards and vouchers etc. However F is meant to be special and BA's ground offering is woefully inadequate in the first place (on board not bad) I.e the whole kerb to gate experience is shoddy. I still think F passengers should be called last and collected/escorted especially to the aircraft rather than scrum at the gates.

chalf

All three of the US majors have zone-based boarding systems. As a number of others, I find this to be very transparent and efficient. As a high-status Y passenger, I have no trouble boarding after F/J--they paid for it, whereas I am being thanked for being a loyal customer even though I may not have elected to purchase the premium product for that particular flight. I still have a superior experience to the average Y passenger, and will ascribe some value to that. It also facilitates tiering within the elite levels (eg, I find it quite reasonable to give Bronze some preference in boarding, but not as much as a GCH or SCH).

In the US one does see "Zone 1" (or the equivalent) as the fifth group to board (after those needing assistance, F class, various levels of FFs, space aliens, etc.), and the handful left by the time one it is time for Zone 7 to board end up wondering whom they offended to deserve such a fate. Still, the system is overall quite logical and understandable. That said, US passengers are very well-trained over many years. even going back 30+ years I can recall orderly boarding by row number. Compare this to Europe where the norm is to rush the gate as soon as boarding commences or, if one is lucky, to form an long but orderly queue as soon as more than three pax think boarding is about to start.