New Fast Track Boarding Arrangements @ DUB - CE / Gold / Emerald Only
Nov 5, 2014, 5:03 am
#32
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I still remember this July, I was boarding at NRT on a JAL's flight to Frankfurt.
Boarding agents asked passengers eligible for FT to start queuing (while letting families with kids, disables...to board first), then agents started to stamp BP , screen out chancers.
Interestingly they then send some other people to the front to form a third queue(I assumed they are F paxs and OWEs), boarding starts for the third queue, once finished, other FT paxs started to board, then ordinary pax are invited to join the queue. It was as smooth as it can be.^
JAL allows all status paxs (including JGC, and Crystal which is OWR) to have FT on international flights, so there are always a lot of people eligible for FT, but I have never experience any dissatisfaction at boarding over my 4 long haul flights with JAL. Compared to BA at T5 it has always been a mess....no matter long-haul or short-haul
Boarding agents asked passengers eligible for FT to start queuing (while letting families with kids, disables...to board first), then agents started to stamp BP , screen out chancers.
Interestingly they then send some other people to the front to form a third queue(I assumed they are F paxs and OWEs), boarding starts for the third queue, once finished, other FT paxs started to board, then ordinary pax are invited to join the queue. It was as smooth as it can be.^
JAL allows all status paxs (including JGC, and Crystal which is OWR) to have FT on international flights, so there are always a lot of people eligible for FT, but I have never experience any dissatisfaction at boarding over my 4 long haul flights with JAL. Compared to BA at T5 it has always been a mess....no matter long-haul or short-haul
I suspect it's more to do with "Japan" than JAL though, because my experience with ANA has been the same as JAL (and BA in Japan).
JL tend to divide priority boarding into subgroups for domestic, e.g. for Emerald and First, followed by Sapphire etc. It works very well.
Nov 5, 2014, 5:14 am
#33
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 278
Indeed, everything works better in Japan. Normally you don't even have to take your own luggage off the belt at NRT, an army of elderly (but extremely fit) men remove it and lay it out beside the belt separated by F / yellow tag, CW / orange tag and non-priority.
Nov 5, 2014, 5:17 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: GGLfL
Posts: 1,126
The ones with BPs for row 17, who stop at the first row to examine the seat numbers, then move back a row to do the same thing again....
Nov 5, 2014, 6:23 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London, Sth Africa or LAS
Programs: VS Silver, BA Blue - finally; but hotels.com Gold :)
Posts: 1,858
AA/US is the oneworld practice to follow. ^
I've just done half a dozen domestic F sectors within the USofA. Each time I know I want to get to the Gate at t-35.
Each time, within a couple of minutes a clear announcement invites First passengers and OWE to board. Typically 10 or so would step forward and we'd be down the jetway pronto.
As soon as the last of that group is lined up, a further announcement invites OWS and co.
As so on.
It worked seemlessly every time, both on AA and US. Everyone stood back until their group's call (which is also stated on the Boarding Pass).
So ... if the BA experiment at DUB is a pre-curser to this I'm all for it
I've just done half a dozen domestic F sectors within the USofA. Each time I know I want to get to the Gate at t-35.
Each time, within a couple of minutes a clear announcement invites First passengers and OWE to board. Typically 10 or so would step forward and we'd be down the jetway pronto.
As soon as the last of that group is lined up, a further announcement invites OWS and co.
As so on.
It worked seemlessly every time, both on AA and US. Everyone stood back until their group's call (which is also stated on the Boarding Pass).
So ... if the BA experiment at DUB is a pre-curser to this I'm all for it
Nov 7, 2014, 1:55 am
#38
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: 09/27
Programs: BA, TK, EK
Posts: 766
DUB very busy this morning... Interesting that the gate used for LCY services had a banner showing fast track for Gold only, whereas the LHR gate had an older standard banner inviting Silvers and Bronzes.
Good policing of the fast track queue for boarding, but check in queues were a bit chaotic, more desks would have been useful.
Good policing of the fast track queue for boarding, but check in queues were a bit chaotic, more desks would have been useful.
Nov 7, 2014, 5:28 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ABZ
Programs: BA Bronze, A3*G, TK*S
Posts: 764
Could BA not do something similar? Make First/Club/Gold, etc, group 1, Silver group 2, Bronze group 3, and then subdivide the rest into further groups. Then instead of having massive queues you would just wait** for your group to be called and board then.
* Possibly they still do now, I've not flown the "new" United.
** In an ideal world, of course. In practice, I'm sure the concept would prove too difficult for some!
Nov 7, 2014, 7:42 am
#40
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
United, before their merger with Continental, used to* print a large boarding group number on their boarding passes. First/business/Star Golds could board at any time (and were called forward explicitly at the start of boarding), then Silvers were group 1, with the rest of the groups arranged by whatever order they used to fill the aircraft. It seemed to work quite well.
* Possibly they still do now, I've not flown the "new" United.
* Possibly they still do now, I've not flown the "new" United.
Nov 7, 2014, 8:35 am
#41
Formerly known as ahoban
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dublin
Programs: BA Silver, Star Alliance Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus
Posts: 56
I'm hoping they don't now restrict priority boarding to Golds & CE.. Looking at silver shortly and will be increasing my trips into LHR to 2-3 times per month. Most of which I plan on making in ET. Will be happily jumping back to EI if they start "enhancing" benefits.
Nov 7, 2014, 8:47 am
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong
Programs: BA, Singapore
Posts: 75
After all the scrums I have had in Singapore to board BA F it was refreshing on CAthay yesterday that they had 2 queues and the entire priority queue went first using both sides, then the economy queue went after.
I do have to smile though at Singapore' queuing wher they advertise their PPS frequent flyers, business and first in one queue and the other has economy and star alliance gold. Presumably star alliance silver have to board last???
I do have to smile though at Singapore' queuing wher they advertise their PPS frequent flyers, business and first in one queue and the other has economy and star alliance gold. Presumably star alliance silver have to board last???
Nov 7, 2014, 9:30 am
#43
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I can't remember the last time they didn't call for Fist first at Singapore.
Nov 7, 2014, 10:14 am
#44
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold | Hilton Honors Platinum
Posts: 205
One of the best systems I have seen is at STR, where priority boarding is through a completely separated seating area (in fact a difference gate number! 344 vs 343).
All CE and OW status passengers board through this gate, then and only then is the 343 gate opened. I think after any tiny kids / families / extra assistance have gone through 343.
Obviously not feasible everywhere, but very efficient. Have also seen the (local German) BA ground staff rooting passengers who shouldn't be there out of the 344 gate area as well.
Last time I flew STR-LHR (Sunday last week) there were probably 10-12 pax in the area, on an almost full flight (only 3 rows of CE however).
All CE and OW status passengers board through this gate, then and only then is the 343 gate opened. I think after any tiny kids / families / extra assistance have gone through 343.
Obviously not feasible everywhere, but very efficient. Have also seen the (local German) BA ground staff rooting passengers who shouldn't be there out of the 344 gate area as well.
Last time I flew STR-LHR (Sunday last week) there were probably 10-12 pax in the area, on an almost full flight (only 3 rows of CE however).
Nov 7, 2014, 1:46 pm
#45
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 411
This seems to suggest that the Gold/Emerald only fast track just applies on the new Dublin route to/from London City rather than there being any change to the current arrangements on the Heathrow route.