FlyerTalker6245

Deleted

BLHD

It's nice that the Agent on First Check in, knew all the rules...!

Yes you are entitled to F Check in as a Gold.

You only need Photo ID if checking a bag in on Domestics, if HBO officially nothing is required, but courtesy to give something with your Surname on. For instance Tomorrow I will be travelling MAN-LHR-MAN with my NHS Staff ID.

Thankfully 99.9% of BA Ground staff are utterly charming and more than happy to help.

Banana4321

Yes you are entitled to use the First check-in a LHR T5.

At the entrance they often alternate with
"Are you travelling First with us today"
and
"Are you a Gold Card holder sir/madam"

Apparently it breaks-up the monotony

FlyerTalker6245

And I'd agree with this.

At security, I came across the guy from To Fly To Serve (the TV show) and he was even more personable in real life than on the show. I told him I thought he was a celebrity and he was a bit taken aback.

At the lounge, whilst one agent was distracted by two people trying to blag access, the agent serving a growing queue was absolutely charming and welcomed us with "Yes of course you can bring a guest. Gold card holders are extremely welcome, and as is their guest. Enjoy."

At boarding, one agent was doing a superb of turning away non eligible customers. She turned a Silver away ahead of me ^ The Silver could have just used one of the other agents who wasn't interested in checking eligibility though.

But overall, it's the check in I go home remembering.

And neither of us was checking a bag, just wanting a seat change flying HBO.

Engineering Travel

One assumes that this would be LCY as even OWR (BA Bronze) has equal rights to priority boarding.


So its 99.8%..

BA6501

There's a new boarding procedure - no F check-in (or cabin) from LCY. Golds and F first, then Silvers etc

HIDDY

HBO Dometic and you use the First Class check-in?

That's what you get for showing off to your mate!!! ^

I knew if I bided my time I'd get you back.

wjm457

It has been my experience that First check-in isn't worth the time it takes to walk down there.

paulwuk

What difference does the destination make? If you're dropping off a bag, use the desk with the shortest queue. Sometimes that's the F desk, doesn't matter if you'd hopping up to MAN or flying to Wales

Anecdotally the F desks will spend more effort on your checkin too. When I flew LHR-MAN with a couple of 35kg box they phoned up the baggage people to ask if they'd take a heavy load.

Moz

I agree 100%.

KARFA

This is pretty disappointing and I suspect I would not have acted as calmly as you in response to that agent. On both points you were right and the agent was wrong and out of order with the attitude.

BHDATC

No, LHR. The new rules that golds will board before silvers then bronze in a priority system.

Flexible preferences

According to the rules, strictly speaking the agent may have been correct. For instance, if your work colleague wasn't a Gold member and you were expecting her to check your colleague in. Or, if you had both checked in already so that the check in function was completed, and you were only requesting the seat change help.

corporate-wage-slave

I'm sure this aspersive slur against the noble, good and honourable character of andset1191 is well off the mark. Having said that, I also was around T5 South yesterday and to get to the First check in area one would have had to walk past any number of check in agents who had nothing to do. I guess there was some sort of flash mob that popped in just as our intrepid and often disappointed traveller pulled through.

There are easier ways to switch seats: use the SSCI machines (if not App'd/Printed etc), use the rarely overworked customer service desk in Flounge and elsewhere, or the customer service desk by gate 13. Or ask the SCCM at boarding.

mikebg

I don't always bother with the First checkin, but was recently flying from LHR with my wife and daughter. Neither are Golds and our daughter was in economy with us in CW. The queues at ALL the checkin desks were horrendous (this was at about 5:30am) and the only place where I reckoned we could get through checkin in a sensible time was the First checkin. I was not sure if they would let all 3 of us through, but they made no problems at all and we were indeed through very quickly.