aktchi

They could be on standby, waitlisted for something, etc. Many possibilities. Why does it bother you?

headingwest

This has to be the one thing that I hate the most about flying. Usually the boarding process in Vienna descends into complete chaos because as soon as the agents make an announcement the whole 'herd' heads for the front of the gate area. By then no matter what the agent announces regarding the boarding process, it is completely pointless because business and status passengers don't have a chance to get on first. Boarding with BA in London often ends up the same way, and I wish they'd tell tell people to just sit down (as they did for my last flight!) instead of hovering by the desk. I reckon that about 20% of the lingerers are asking geniune questions and the others are just being a bloody nuisance.

In Bratislava they have the answer to this boarding problem which works a treat. They have 2 separate waiting areas, one for priority passengers and the other for the rest. They won't won't open the door for standard passengers to board until all priority passengers have gone. It's so simple but works very well.

simons1

Don't they have phone connections to the plane now? 😉

South London Bon Viveur

I too always wonder what people are talking about. I suppose this is because I consider myself to be a low maintenance flyer who just gets on with it and only speaks/seeks assistance if absolutely necessary or if there is a problem, but I imagine others are more sociable .

Similarly I also often wonder what people at check in are doing. When I check in bags it usually takes me two minutes, but I often see persons spending ages at the check in desk seemingly engaged in lengthy and sometimes animated conversation and it makes me speculate what on earth they are talking about. Checking in should be a quick and straightforward process.

stewaran

I was un-aware BA sell upgrades at the gate.

I was actually talking about the comp / waitlist type upgrades on flights within the US.

temppa

When doing separate ticket connections, you have to ask gate agent to verify and/or enter luggage tag numbers to BA system. I rather do this before boarding not to hold the line at boarding stage.

This is "mandatory" step at least when connecting from CX or AY to BA. My luggage has been left behind several times if the linking is done at boarding time, they just not have sufficient time to load the luggage when boarding begins.

Foltan

I was once given an Op-Up that was obviously going to beep at the gate (I had seen it on the app but was using a paper boarding pass) so I went up and asked about it so that I could use priority boarding since I was only a bronze at the time.

It was a family-packed LGW-MCO so definitely helped the boarding process

bealine

BA sells upgrades on selected flights only at check in - not at the gate. Certainly, at Heathrow, by the time the Gate Team have arrived, it is probably too late to order extra Club or First catering.

corporate-wage-slave

My perception/experience is that the two most common queries on BA are:

1) Can I move my seat? Particularly on full flights, which seems to be most of them, and it seems to affect older people more, who I suspect didn't do OLCI and found their group split up.

2) Do I have time to go to the bathroom before boarding starts? The answer to this is always "yes" incidentally! In that last one is often an anxiety among some passengers that somehow the service will board in seconds and they will somehow miss their flight, so any unexplained delays causes anxious moments and questions. Sometimes the passenger information monitors will say something like "Gate info will be displayed at 10:20", or "Boarding will commence at 10:20", by 10:23 people will be queuing up to ask about it!

ckx2

Then it must have been magic that I was able to purchase WT > CW upgrades at the gate at LAX and LAS? Plus the latest one at LHR approx. 20 minutes before boarding was announced?

bealine

Sorry, I am talking LHR. The outstations sometimes do their own thing, although they are not supposed to, because we are all supposed to be consistent!

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, some outstations are different, particularly when the main corps of ground agents don't have the skills to do it, but typically those operating the gate have been trained up. So depending on the airport, you may find it necessary/easier to arrange at the gate. Won't work in most places though, and certainly not LHR, LGW, LCY. LHR has customer service desks airside which can do it, but the LGW and LCY can't do upgrades airside. Nor can any domestic location (maybe excepting EDI lounge unofficially).

ckx2

That makes sense!

Genius1

If I am connecting with checked bags, I will ask at the boarding desk whether my bags have made the flight.

DYKWIA

Hmmm. Did you pay cash?