New Boarding Process- has anyone noticed an improvement?
Aug 18, 15, 5:46 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 370
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, 15, 6:21 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,905
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, 15, 9:50 pm
#33
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-CCR/GGL/GfL
Posts: 11,538
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, 15, 3:07 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Near SOU
Programs: OWS, *A G
Posts: 611
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, 15, 3:41 am
#35
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,833
Originally Posted by Ziz
At DUB last week, .........
I suppose you can't expect every gate agent to memorize the exit/bulkhead rows but people could get around the system by claiming they were in an exit row.
I suppose you can't expect every gate agent to memorize the exit/bulkhead rows but people could get around the system by claiming they were in an exit row.
Aug 19, 15, 3:57 am
#36
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgi
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,509
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, 15, 4:17 am
#37
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 122
Originally Posted by ThatT1Feeling
with various travellers forcing their second bag into the gauge and then being unable to get them out again!
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, 15, 4:23 am
#38
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,542
Originally Posted by Markie
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!
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!
Aug 19, 15, 4:28 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,554
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)
I thought the new order was CE and GCH at the same time?
There's a sign a few posts up that might prove helpful.
Originally Posted by windowontheAside
Originally Posted by Markie
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!
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!
Aug 19, 15, 4:33 am
#40
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgi
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,509
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, 15, 4:38 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA Amex Prem, BA Amex Business, Amex Platinum, Coutts Silk, Hilton Diamond etc.
Posts: 2,782
Originally Posted by windowontheAside
I thought the new order was CE and GCH at the same time?
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, 15, 4:42 am
#42
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 38,633
Originally Posted by V10
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.
Those signs have been at T5 for well over a month.
Aug 19, 15, 4:57 am
#43
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-CCR/GGL/GfL
Posts: 11,538
Originally Posted by V10
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, 15, 5:02 am
#44
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA Amex Prem, BA Amex Business, Amex Platinum, Coutts Silk, Hilton Diamond etc.
Posts: 2,782
Originally Posted by KARFA
Those signs have been at T5 for well over a month.
I noticed that even after those signs went up, BA posted this (about the trial):
Originally Posted by BA Executive Club
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, 15, 5:12 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgi
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,509
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?
