New Boarding Process- has anyone noticed an improvement?
Aug 18, 2015, 4:46 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 411
Last Sunday they had the new signs at the gate for my domestic flight which listed the groups in order.
The process they used didn't follow this though. The called Business UK first, shortly followed by Gold/Emerald. They then called all passengers seated in the rear part of the plane.
It seems there was no priority for Silver or Bronze.
The process they used didn't follow this though. The called Business UK first, shortly followed by Gold/Emerald. They then called all passengers seated in the rear part of the plane.
It seems there was no priority for Silver or Bronze.
Aug 18, 2015, 5:21 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,539
I helped out an Indian pax standing in the Fast Track line who answered (correctly) to the negative when he was asked if he was a cardholder by the "staffer". She looked at his BP and I spotted his BP was endorsed with 'Business UK' and only that. While she had moved him to the side and came to inspect my credentials I pointed out he was a Business UK pax to which she proclaimed she didn't have her glasses on to see it. Justice was restored forthwith.
Aug 18, 2015, 8:50 pm
#33
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,075
I boarded at Heathrow for CPH yesterday.
Whilst the agent did do a Club Europe announcement, she immediately went in to Gold Card holders so the people in front of me travelling in EuroTraveller never moved!
These signs were at the gates:
Whilst the agent did do a Club Europe announcement, she immediately went in to Gold Card holders so the people in front of me travelling in EuroTraveller never moved!
These signs were at the gates:
Aug 19, 2015, 2:07 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: DWC
Programs: OWS, *A G
Posts: 626
Flying back to LHR from CDG yesterday, boarding was called in the following order:
Club Europe
BAEC Gold / OWE
BAEC Silver / OWS
BAEC Bronze / OWR
Economy seats in the back
Economy seats in the front
Whilst it was only an A319, and I suspect it wasn't full either, boarding appeared to be really quick. In no time after sitting down I heard the door being closed. ^
Outbound trip from LHR had the "old" boarding system.
Club Europe
BAEC Gold / OWE
BAEC Silver / OWS
BAEC Bronze / OWR
Economy seats in the back
Economy seats in the front
Whilst it was only an A319, and I suspect it wasn't full either, boarding appeared to be really quick. In no time after sitting down I heard the door being closed. ^
Outbound trip from LHR had the "old" boarding system.
Aug 19, 2015, 2:41 am
#35
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,878
Aug 19, 2015, 2:57 am
#36
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, België
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,512
I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out in practice on Sunday afternoon, when I fly out of T5 in CE. Under the old system I'd expect a fair chunk of the aircraft to be entitled to priority boarding.
Aug 19, 2015, 3:17 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 122
On a Ryanair flight my smallish roller bag didn't quite fit (but fits easily into the lockers), I merely took out a Jumper and my coat put them on put my bag in the gauge and said to the guy checking I'm going to put them straight back in my bag once I walk past you.
He didn't care his job was to make sure your 1 bag fits in the gauge, they made a women check a hat in a box as it didn't fit.
It will be interesting how well BA enforce these rules
Aug 19, 2015, 3:23 am
#38
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
Aug 19, 2015, 3:28 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,833
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 8_4_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/600.1.4 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/8.0 Mobile/12H321 Safari/600.1.4)
There's a sign a few posts up that might prove helpful.
Originally Posted by windowontheAside
Aug 19, 2015, 3:33 am
#40
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, België
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,512
I was trying (but failed) to find a picture of the new sign that - if I remember correctly - includes a reference to boarding being in the order listed. It's not evident in the photo a few posts up.
Aug 19, 2015, 3:38 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,418
That has been my experience so far at T5: Gold and Business UK called together on domestic, Gold and CE called together on SH, F and CW called at the same time on LH. Despite what the signs say.
I think it is fair to say a sizeable proportion of people on Business UK tickets don't have a clue that's what they have.
I think it is fair to say a sizeable proportion of people on Business UK tickets don't have a clue that's what they have.
Aug 19, 2015, 3:42 am
#42
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
Those signs have been at T5 for well over a month.
Aug 19, 2015, 3:57 am
#43
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,075
Aug 19, 2015, 4:02 am
#44
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,418
Thanks for posting the original photo, KARFA.
I noticed that even after those signs went up, BA posted this (about the trial):
I'm thinking that either they had no interest in what the trial showed and were just planning on boarding in the order of the signs anyway or the signs were designed to be generic and actual boarding would involve some combinations of those groups in descending order.
I noticed that even after those signs went up, BA posted this (about the trial):
Just to let you all know that the following airports have been added to the boarding trials up until the 22nd of July.
Short Haul – Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hanover, Berlin, Vienna, Basel, Budapest, Prague, Milan Linate, Athens
Mid Haul - Beirut
Long haul – Dubai, Houston, Washington and Dallas
The priority in which we will board will be as follows
Group 1: Club Europe / Gold
Group 2: Silver
Group 3: Bronze & back to front
If you do happen to be travelling through any of these airports during this time we would very much welcome your feedback.
Warm regards
Louise
Short Haul – Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hanover, Berlin, Vienna, Basel, Budapest, Prague, Milan Linate, Athens
Mid Haul - Beirut
Long haul – Dubai, Houston, Washington and Dallas
The priority in which we will board will be as follows
Group 1: Club Europe / Gold
Group 2: Silver
Group 3: Bronze & back to front
If you do happen to be travelling through any of these airports during this time we would very much welcome your feedback.
Warm regards
Louise
Aug 19, 2015, 4:12 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, België
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,512
Thanks KARFA, and no problem Markie.
Maybe the alternative expectations around Golds and CE boarding at the same time arose as a result of the previous trials when various things seem to have been tried out, or slightly different interpretations are still being used by individual gate agents whilst the new system beds in.
I think the point about what happens when people are already queueing and waiting their turn is an unknown right now (and that queue invariably seems to form) - will it be necessary to run the gauntlet of muttering golds when CE boarding is called?
Maybe the alternative expectations around Golds and CE boarding at the same time arose as a result of the previous trials when various things seem to have been tried out, or slightly different interpretations are still being used by individual gate agents whilst the new system beds in.
I think the point about what happens when people are already queueing and waiting their turn is an unknown right now (and that queue invariably seems to form) - will it be necessary to run the gauntlet of muttering golds when CE boarding is called?
