Joely

I was on a flight from Berlin today and we parked up at a bus gate, nothing unusual about that but what was really ridiculous was the use of the buses to ferry people to the terminal, namely club Europe pax having a bus to themselves. Now I'm all for business class pax getting more benefits and realise that is what you pay for, I know that is part of the deal but in this instance we had about 15 pax having a bus to themselves with the rest of the plane waiting for the next to turn up. To me it just seems ludicrously inefficient to drive off with a quarter full bus, not only in terms of time but also environmentally. I assume BA are attempting to make it all a bit more premium (hardly the same as a Porsche/Bmw that LH offer though) but wouldn't they be better served investing in things that make a proper different to J passengers like seats with legroom, and not wasting time and money burning through fuel driving quarter full buses around?

Schiehallion

I've been on a bus with two others before (and I'm sure I read here about someone being bussed on their own) - 15 pax is positively cramped!

It did feel good walking out T5 with luggage before the others had even reached the terminal... but I don't disagree with your views.

Lucanesque

I thought this was standard procedure (discussed at length in another thread I can't lay my hands on right now)? Personally, if I was in CE then I'd be happy not to wait for the plane to deplane sufficiently to fill the bus as it'll mean I stand more of a chance of getting through borders control without queueing.

atmorris

This should be SOP for BA.

I am always happy to beat the crowds behind to the Terminal, and be on my way home, it adds to the Premium service that BA should be operating for not just CE but CW and F pax.

revan

Makes sense to me - generally first on the bus = last of the bus, as you have to move inside if they are trying to fit everyone on board. Certainly nothing premium about being sardined in someone's armpit.

missdimeaner

Same here ! MrD, myself and one other.

It is inefficient, but I suppose something needs to be 'premium' in CE.

:D!

If anything is inefficient, it is HAL for not having 2 (3?) buses ready and waiting for the plane doors to open.

For comparison, experienced a decidedly non-premium arrival recently on SK (which only has Y+, not J on shorthaul anyway) at an LHR T2 bus gate where the back doors were opened... though this meant the Y+ pax were last on and first off the 2nd bus

WouldLoveToFlyFirst

Quite simply, no. It's a benefit of J and should stay that way. What is inefficient is that everyone else should not be waiting for another bus to turn up - one or more buses should already be waiting behind that one for everyone else to de-plane and get on to.

gms

For the same reason you don't want to wait for the next bus to turn up, why would the Club Europe passengers want to wait for Y passengers to fill their bus?

I travel in both ET and CE. As much as I would like to jump on the first bus when in ET, I can completely see the logic behind having a separate bus for CE passengers when on a remote stand. Otherwise they end up at the end of the queue upon arrival at the terminal. Seems fair enough to pay the premium and expect premium service before, during and after the flight.

henkybaby

Smaller busses for sh CE pax ?

MPH1980

I have also had the ludicrously annoying version of efficient bus usage arriving at FCO recently with two buses to greet a full A321.

The first bus (containing myself) quickly filled up (to the usual crush level capacity). The second buses' doors remained closed until we were completely full. However, even once the second bus began filling - our bus remained completely stationary occasionally cramming one more person in.

We remained there waiting all the passengers to have completely disembarked, all of them to have boarded a bus and then (and only then) did both buses close their doors and depart. Very efficient on bus capacity. Less efficient on people's time.

papyPiHi

What about using a minibus for J passengers instead? That would be maximising the efficiency, wouldn't it?

Lucanesque

Only if the airport had a fleet of them already, otherwise it would be massively inefficient from a cost perspective (not to mention not very environmentally friendly with much of the impact being in the manufacture of the vehicle)

Joely

That's kinda what I was getting at. I don't begrudge providing a premium serivce for a premium price, and a bus makes sense if you are unloading a wide body but such a huge vehicle for so few people is just ludicrous.

elitetraveler

might just have been there was no minibus available. At LIN I've had full size busses used for business class only.

also - the idea of using a big bus on such a short mission is somehow environmentally unfriendly is a real stretch - impact = 0