cvision

Boarding by rows or groups on short haul flights isn't really decreasing the boarding time from my experience. When comparing AB and LH on short haul flights it doesn't really matter. AB does their stupid group boarding while LH just has preboard+boarding. The queue on the jetway is just as long as is the queue of people waiting to pass the BP control. Always takes about 10-20 minutes, with the bigger number mostly on AB flights...
Longer flights probably do in fact board faster, since people are more inclined to "get settled" for the flight, taking stuff out of their carry ons etc. pp. thus blocking the aisles.

And on my last AA flight from DCA to JFK I was given the worst boarding group number although I was seated 2 rows from the back, not exactly useful.

Msshortie

I flew to EDI on Friday and experienced this trial. I was in row 1 and by the time I got to my seat there was no space above for my coat or bag. To say I wasn't happy was an understatement, as I had a dinner to get to upon arrival. I swapped seats with some one in row 2, so all good for me, but many people who boarded after me had their bags moved further dowm the plane. They were rightly not happy. The result of the trial on that flight were a lot of annoyed frequent fliers and we departed late because boarding took longer than expected, as explained by the Captain. I hope this trial is not for show and that BA has already decided to implement it. Only time will tell.

Paralytic

Hi Msshortie, its interesting (but not really surprising) that you experience was similar to mine.

paul4040

Were staff being insistent on the carry-on limits? Because that's the key. Filling up from the back is by far the most efficient process (assuming only an airbridge at 1L and no rear steps), it's how any right minded person would fill any other vehicle where time was a factor.

Unfortunately I suspect some people just had too many bags, or were stowing coats in the overhead bins (there are hooks on the seats for a reason).

I keep saying this but BA need an icy cold Nurse Ratched on the gate. None shall pass unless you're within the published limits. Then, if there's still a problem, do what Easyjet do and only guarantee that smaller rollaboards will go up top.

corporate-wage-slave

You have a point, however those at the back tend to be less frequent travellers, and may not be so adept at packing their gear in an efficient way (e.g. putting the rollonboards sideways on, laying a shopping bag flat rather than standing, not stacking items on top of each other, not folding coats and jackets, not using the rear curvature of the bin for smaller items. So if they've scattered their possessions like that then the more experienced traveller will have their work cut out to find gaps. The other way around - making the massive generalisation that frequent flyers are better at storage - then the last passengers to arrive are obliged to make use of the remaining gaps in the overhead bins.

wemyss

Totally agree!
Sat aft flight LHR-EDI boarded by rows, from the back, including one of the gate agents, during the boarding process, shouting across to colleague 'Which rows are we on now?' This typified the whole shambles. Many frequent flyers complaining to a chap in blue suit (ID badge not visible) but claims he is one of the BA Managers there to take feedback. He was approached by a number of us but then insisted he could only speak to one person at a time. Thus his log will not show the 10 folk who did not have time to register their views! No overhead space left by time I boarded. Cabin crew stating they had already given negative feedback about the 'trial'. Captain apologised about ' boarding issues'. Left late, arrived late! Well done BA. Soon no competition on the EDI route, even better!

cristo

I've heard this said often, but I don't think it's true. In fact, there was a study (probably this has been posted before) which sought an optimum boarding pattern - http://www.washingtonpost.com/postev...n-an-airplane/ (see http://arxiv.org/pdf/0802.0733.pdf for the scientifically inclined).

The optimum method is one which likely will never be implemented because it's too complicated. But it did show that random boarding performs better than back-to-front. This makes sense, really, because you don't board people at the same time who are trying to put their bags in the same bins.

paul4040

True of course and one can't argue with science (though the ideal solution is just too complex!). I would counter that boarding from the back is more logical than boarding from the front - row 1 and 2 taking time to stow their bags means there's no chance any other rows are getting seated, as they're blocking the entire aircraft, not just the back rows.

It is still more sensible than boarding people by card colour IMO.

LTN Phobia

Thank you for the detailed report.

It sounds like it was not very well-executed to be honest, e.g. hand luggage stowage slowing things down because they were not strictly controlled.

In the absence of hand luggage issues, boarding by seat rows should save time, but it doesn't sound like it did because of the 'faff factors' with hand luggage. Theoretically the fastest way to board would be the rear row A and F, rear row B and E, rear row C and D, the the 2nd row from the back, etc etc, but that is far too complicated.

If you get row 18-to right at the back to board at once, and there are 3 people each side in row 18 all faffing with their bags, you can see it being rather slow to board as it blocks everyone behind row 18, blocking the aisle by queuing down it.

The trials in the past were generally done, I believe, without a lot of luggage like people are carrying now, and also being cooperative with each other so as to speed up the boarding process.

When you think about it, how many times are you seated in D, and the passenger in F (or E) turn up, tell you they are in F (or E), you try to stand up for them but they're standing right between the seat back and the armrest, so you can't get out. When they eventually move, they want to get up to put their coat in the overhead locker because they find they don't have enough legroom. So you end up standing up to let the person out, and in the meantime, the aisle traffic is stopped, forming an even longer queue...

It's sadly a sketch I see a lot. Until people are more organised and use their brain a bit more, I suspect no amount of trial and approaches will resolve the issue.

Stez

That is the key to pretty much everything in public, not just boarding/flying.

BA0197

I'd like to bring some perspective to this statement about staff. I feel they are not being treated fairly in this whole matter of this new trial boarding procedure.

We all know that pax can bring 1x cabin bag and 1x personal bag onboard. If every person does this- there WILL NOT be enough room in the lockers for everyone's bag. So the argument that staff are somehow not policing this policy is invalid. Working at AA- we executed a policy of VERY strict baggage monitoring, but inevitably on most flights that are full (and indeed even more so on elite heavy routes on elite heavy days), there was cabin baggage to be put in the hold. I cannot emphasis enough that FFs are the partial cause of the cabin baggage issue because FF seem to be reluctant to check in anything.

The pax are doing nothing wrong by taking their permitted allowance onboard and the GA are doing nothing wrong either. On a full flight with a majority of people taking their full allowance onboard- bags will have to be checked. It just so happens that the last people to board in this new trial are the status pax at row 1 who have to board last.

HBO fares are to blame exclusively- or shall BA switch to a one personal item only policy? I'm confused as to what people want. We have the HBO fares- they are not going away. With that comes along the gate checking of cabin baggage that cannot fit in the aircraft. The fact that this policy makes people in row 1 suffer (the status pax) is the only reason it has been brought up on this board. This is something that non-status people have been dealing with for years!

BA0197

I would also add that, if pax are getting frustrated to the point of becoming upset- check in your luggage and utilise the allowance you are entitled to in the hold. If you bring your cabin baggage onboard with you, one must accept that it has the possibility to be checked into the hold.

Of course- that is not what the majority of people on this board would think to do.

Paralytic

You're right. IF every passenger brings 1 x cabin bag and 1 x personal bag there will not be enough room. But, that does not happen. What does happen is that some passengers do bring too much on board (ground staff could help here) and others put their coats into overhead locker space and/or do not optimally use the space available.

The simple fact is that if cabin crew were asked to be more pro-active in managing how/where bags are stored, it would undoubtedly make boarding run smoother. However, it is not their fault if they have not been asked to do so.

One thing I just remembered about my flight - shortly before departure, I looked back up through the cabin at the still open and jam-packed overhead lockers, and I didn't see one yellow "second bag" sticker item in the lockers. So, either a lot of people had taken them off (as people here admit to) or that is one area where the cabin crew did excel.

The is already a relatively simple solution to the issue that HBO fares has exacerbated. There is usually enough space in the cabin for the aggregate amount of what people do take on board, but the overhead locker space is not used efficiently. Cabin Crew should be asked to assist in educating people in how to store their bags and ensure that coats are hung on the seat hooks.

Paralytic

I had a checked bag and had my laptop bag with me, which contained items I would not want treated the way I see checked bags treated.

So, I guess what we have is a lose-lose if BA did decide to go with the board from the back process: Chose row 2 and endure the new squashed cabin, including having to put your laptop bag at your feet, or choose row 1 and endure having to wait until the end of the flight to get your laptop bag back, as its at the rear of the cabin.

I think the point is moot, however; I can't believe they'd implement the board from the back process.

I'd be interested in seeing any figures behind this. I suspect the majority of this board do check bags in, and a significant majority of BA passengers will do likewise.

BA0197

I agree with many of your sentiments that you have stated. I personally think that GAs should strictly enforce BA's stated regulations (good example is a duty free bag- that counts as an item).

I would, from my experience, happily say however, that the routes that are elite heavy suffer the most from these baggage problems (again, interesting that they chose LHR-EDI, one of BA's elite heavy routes I'm sure). There is also a mentality of certain nationalities that seem to believe that they can get away with murder when it comes to carry-on luggage. The GA's best friend is a non-status pax who is off on their once a year holiday. They check everything in and board when they are instructed so to do because these, of all people, are the people that want their experience to go as smoothly as possible.

Rightfully business, FF pax carry most everything with them if they can get away with it, because hold luggage takes time to collect- something I sympathise with. However, they, by far take the most luggage onboard when compared to other demographics IMHO.

I also very much agree with the inefficiency of people and where/how they place their luggage. I am continuously surprised by their disregard to other people.