oxtailsoup

What actually happened is that the green boarding text appeared on the TV screens and on the BA app. So the fast track lane filled up at 20:40. They then took 30 mins calling families forwards to board first.... It took ages and those in the fast track lane were just left standing there and becoming more and more cheesed off as it was clear they were not just letting very young kids on, anyone with children could board and as this was a holiday flight you can imagine.

So for premium passengers/customers the experience was not good at all. It should have been managed properly. You should not have Boarding messages displayed and then leave people standing for half an hour.

CKBA

Last flight from FCO yesterday: a pretty stern announcement at boarding - although the CW/Gold/Silver/Bronze were all called at the same time, so about half the gate lined up at once! They did enforce it though when two suited gentlemen insisted they could priority board since the colleague had (who appeared to be silver) were asked (told) to wait their turn!

flashware

I wonder if she's the lady I had on my LHR-JFK.... very strict. So much so that when the boarding started it was F & CW only, not even GCH flying WT/WT+ were allowed to board. She was very scary!

Depends on how they do it. If it's pre-boarding as in it's actually done well ahead of the scheduled boarding time.... then fine, but as others have said, they should actually let them on the plane and do it properly rather than just have them clog up the walkway to the plane. That benefits no one and creates more of a bottleneck if anything.....

bermyandy

Back from Zurich yesterday afternoon on the 3.45, called Club and ALL status holders, so of course half the plane is line (but to be fair I get the feeling on the that route, 90% of status holders are gold or above anyway).

One couple naturally decide they don't need to join the back, so walk forward and kind of join a 1/3 from the front, as there was a small gap left by a guy on the phone.

I wanted to say something, but I am too british.. but boy did I have some stern thoughts! Interestingly, they did the same thing at passport control at LHR. Guess it is just their 'thing'

PETER01

That's not my experiences on countless trips with Jnr P when he was young nor my observations. It definitely works better on long haul but maybe not so much with short haul but not that much less. It's all about the timings I suppose and giving those who need a little extra time to board first rather than 2 minutes later announce fast Track etc.

Personally, I think there are far too many people who think just because they have a Gold/Silver card they should board before anyone else such as less fortunate people who have mobility issues or those who are travelling with young children which is stressful enough without the added pressures of people being huffy about it.

I've seen it in their faces, heard comments about it quite a few times, sadly.

Wozza2404

Me too.

In fact, flying with my family (3yr old and 3 month old) to the US a couple of years ago there was real douche of a bloke travelling with his wife. He was behind us at security, huffing and puffing at the audacity of "some people" bringing huge push chairs through Fast Track security. Then he was behind us as we went into the lounge (GF - so the kids could eat from the buffet), again huffing and puffing that they were allowing "so many guests" (an assumption that I was a sole GCH, I imagine).

Ordinarily I'd have been toe to toe with him by this point, but I'd been expressly warned by the wife that I was not to lose my temper in the airport "this time".

To my astonishment, once again he was huffing and puffing at Fast Track boarding as we walked past for pre boarding; so he was on our flight.

What was beautiful is that he caught up with us as we were handing over the push chair to ground staff, and it was all totally worth putting up with to see his face as we were escorted to our seats in F and he turned right.

But back on topic, when I used to travel with my kids when they were very young, that extra time that pre-boarding gave us was useful. Though I do think it should be under 5s. I don't think that 15yr old, 16st prop needs to preboard with his Dad, as they often try and do.

PETER01

Thanks for that story Wozza2404

People, in general terms, are definitely far less patient nowadays in my opinion.

It is just a seatride on a plane and I really can't see the issue with some folks objecting to pre-boarding, which is practical being a parent also, but as you say some folks do appear to take the mickey boarding with thier kids who are teenagers and 6 feet tall!

Saying that I am always mindful, maybe due to my profession, that there may be medical (or other) reasons and which are not visible that adults/older kids might have and find it easier to pre-board.

fiona

Yesterday the boarding announcement was for gold and business UK. I had the latter. When I handed over my ticket he told me that I was not gold and this was not a theatre queue!! I have no idea how I managed to calmly point out I had a business UK ticket and I am pretty sure although he allowed me through, he still thought I was wrong.

Can I help you

Discusting, that need reporting fiona.

hcuk94

Which bucket are you in, just out of interest?
Before I had status I sometimes had Business UK tickets but they wouldn't let me in the lounges because although it was a business UK ticket, it wasn't J. I was told it had to be a J-class business Uk ticket to be valid for lounge access. Just wondered if it was a similar sort of thing here.

fiona

I was so taken aback by the rudeness that I have to admit I am pleased I didn't react in the same manner as his.
I am silver. Business UK was because the long haul segment was wt+.
Edit to add- also had someone behind me in the outbound sector telling me I had no right to be in the queue as I was silver. Not having much success am I ?

rpjs

Were you using the app boarding pass? I've noticed they only display the domestic leg of a WTP booking as "Domestic" whereas a paper BP should say "Business UK"

fiona

No I was using the paper ticket. I am pretty sure he thought it was only gold first. But even so, there isn't really any good excuse with the manner he spoke to me.
If staff in t5 can't get the order right , what hope is there?
Staff at Aberdeen seem to have got it right, from the start

fransknorge

Very little hope, frankly. Staff at DUB this morning called all status holder at once, and everybody else 10 seconds later. Full flight. And again, no yellow tagging.
LHR staff yesterday were not exactly great either.
BA seriously needs to look at the implementation of this policy at LHR and everywhere, quickly. And I agree, they could set ABZ as an example of how it should be done.

KeaneJohn

Outbound flight to Prague on Wed 21 Oct. CE called first together with Gold Silver and Bronze and OW Emerald and Sapphire.

Flight hadly busy so boarding completed within about 10 mins.

Different story on the way home. Flight delayed 20 mins or so but Prague has gate room security and this started processing passengers about an hour before original take off time/

Long line at Fast Track. Guy in CE was almost pushed out of the way when he moved to the front and bellowed at by a DYKWIA Gold and his companion who in ET.

Boarding seemed to take an age as flight was full took an age to arrange cabin baggage.. Some people had 3 or 4 items.

CSM went ballistic at ground crew and the lack of checking excess bags into the hold delayed flight by about 20 mins and this is after having passengers sitting in the gate room for up to an hour.

I really don't know why have a policy and then not enforce it causing angst and stress for all and why not have the boarding goup 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc and purely call for boarding by group number.