Jan 9, 2018, 5:44 am
Last edit by: KARFA
Please use this thread for discussion, conjecture and speculation about the Group Boarding Process.
Experiences of the actual process in airports should be made in the dedicated thread:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...periences.html
Group Boarding Summary (courtesy chris1979)
NB. Customers with additional needs will be offered pre-boarding ahead of all the groups listed above.
Boarding priority for Executive Club Gold, Silver or Bronze Members or oneworld equivalents, will automatically be reflected in the group number given on their boarding pass. If they arrive after their group has been called, they can use the priority boarding lane to go through before the flight closes.
Please note that priority boarding will not be reflected for any other people travelling with an Executive Club Member on the same booking at the moment, but will be introduced in the coming months. In the meantime, the whole party can use the priority boarding lane and our staff will endeavour to board everyone together.
Pre-boarding
Families with small children
We invite families with infants under two and young children in pushchairs to board first, so that the whole family can settle in. Customers must arrive by the time specified on their boarding pass so that they are ready to board and we have enough time
to load their pushchair into the hold.
Customers requiring disability or mobility assistance
We will assist customers on to the aircraft ahead of other passengers so that they have time to settle in and get comfortable. Please contact us at least 48 hours before their flight so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Experiences of the actual process in airports should be made in the dedicated thread:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...periences.html
Group Boarding Summary (courtesy chris1979)
NB. Customers with additional needs will be offered pre-boarding ahead of all the groups listed above.
Boarding priority for Executive Club Gold, Silver or Bronze Members or oneworld equivalents, will automatically be reflected in the group number given on their boarding pass. If they arrive after their group has been called, they can use the priority boarding lane to go through before the flight closes.
Please note that priority boarding will not be reflected for any other people travelling with an Executive Club Member on the same booking at the moment, but will be introduced in the coming months. In the meantime, the whole party can use the priority boarding lane and our staff will endeavour to board everyone together.
Pre-boarding
Families with small children
We invite families with infants under two and young children in pushchairs to board first, so that the whole family can settle in. Customers must arrive by the time specified on their boarding pass so that they are ready to board and we have enough time
to load their pushchair into the hold.
Customers requiring disability or mobility assistance
We will assist customers on to the aircraft ahead of other passengers so that they have time to settle in and get comfortable. Please contact us at least 48 hours before their flight so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
Boarding by group to be introduced [general discussion]
Nov 23, 2017, 7:58 am
#331
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,129
What they should be doing instead of standing waiting is to start making announcements about how they’ll be boarding the aircraft, filling up the general boarding line from the back row of the aircraft to the front of the aircraft and going down the priority line ensuring those who are eligible to board first are actually standing at the front of the priority line. It really is not rocket science and they do waste a heck of a lot of time standing there doing absolutely nothing
Nov 23, 2017, 7:59 am
#332
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Aberdeenshire
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 153
The so-called WILMA method is supposedly the only method that can board an aircraft faster than totally random (and random is faster than Groups but that's for another day's discussion). However it is impractical since few couples are prepared to be split up, with one spouse/partner going on perhaps well before the other.
Nov 23, 2017, 8:42 am
#333
Suspended
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Programs: *A G, OW S.
Posts: 996
I really wish a airline would do this. I really don't understand why no-one has, it can still use group numbers so is perfectly straightforward for passengers. Obviously passengers sat next to each other would have to be allowed to board together and be placed in the same group or it would never be accepted, but as they wouldn't need to get past each other that shouldn't significantly slow it down.
The elephant in the room is of course, do too many people get priority boarding for any efficient process to work? And when so many people have it, is it even priority, or just a fig leaf airlines throw to make people feel special? Would it not be better to limit it to fewer people and make the whole process more efficient?
The elephant in the room is of course, do too many people get priority boarding for any efficient process to work? And when so many people have it, is it even priority, or just a fig leaf airlines throw to make people feel special? Would it not be better to limit it to fewer people and make the whole process more efficient?
Nov 23, 2017, 8:50 am
#334
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
Isn't enforcement more important than system? The reason BA struggle is they don't enforce in a consistent manner. Ryanair's (previous?) very tough line deterred most chancers. Until BA enforce the stated policy, they'll always be problems. The Gold, wait 3 seconds, Silver and Bronze PA call, the ridiculous number and size of some bags that are boarded, it all contributes to failure.
Nov 23, 2017, 10:08 am
#335
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Mexico City
Programs: Life Miles, Miles and more
Posts: 518
It can't be rocket science for airlines to come up with an easy way for people to follow the group system. Colour coding?
Nov 23, 2017, 12:14 pm
#336
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
The German character definitely has more than a dash of "Devil take the hindmost" 
Nov 23, 2017, 12:37 pm
#337
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Cambridgeshire
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 233
Flight from CDG -> LHR ... chaos - CE Gold Silver Bronze all called together so mobbed and then watched one pax stroll onto the plane with one pullalong, one gladstone bag, two large shopping bags - think suit carrier size - and a ‘man purse’ at least A4 size - so - no enforcement of boarding sequence and no enforcement of baggage policy by gate agents. While I appreciate the thought on group boarding, I echo others sentiments. Its not the policy, simply enforcement ...
Nov 23, 2017, 2:10 pm
#338
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Scotland
Programs: # Neodymium #
Posts: 968
So, we have:
- poor enforcement of boarding sequence
- poor enforcement of cabin baggage
- increasing cabin baggage being brought
- hbo fares adding pressure
- human factors of boarding, personal space, inobservancy, unexpected conflict
- airline loyalty threshold lowering = wider catchment of “priority”
Pax concern:
- board with cabin baggage stowed above seat
Gate staff concern:
- board quickly and on-time
problems with current boarding:
- slow, inefficient
- poor queueing/priority administration/pax perception and experience
- inadequate space for some bags
solution:
board efficiently, enforcing all current rules, whilst incorporating airline-mandated priority illusion but without affecting other pax perception of value and experience.
Some outstations seem to be calling everyone at once, which gets things moving quickly, but fails the pax experience.
The planned group calling boarding of this thread seemingly improves pax experience, but I secretly believe it will slow down boarding.
..This conflict between experience and speed may need a more sophisticated solution.
but whatever that solution is, it MUST be:
transparent, enforced without exception at every location, subject to audit, and yet somehow incorporate the flexibility necessary when dealing with human factors in an environment where the unexpected happens more often than would be expected.
Tricky?
Impossible?
- poor enforcement of boarding sequence
- poor enforcement of cabin baggage
- increasing cabin baggage being brought
- hbo fares adding pressure
- human factors of boarding, personal space, inobservancy, unexpected conflict
- airline loyalty threshold lowering = wider catchment of “priority”
Pax concern:
- board with cabin baggage stowed above seat
Gate staff concern:
- board quickly and on-time
problems with current boarding:
- slow, inefficient
- poor queueing/priority administration/pax perception and experience
- inadequate space for some bags
solution:
board efficiently, enforcing all current rules, whilst incorporating airline-mandated priority illusion but without affecting other pax perception of value and experience.
Some outstations seem to be calling everyone at once, which gets things moving quickly, but fails the pax experience.
The planned group calling boarding of this thread seemingly improves pax experience, but I secretly believe it will slow down boarding.
..This conflict between experience and speed may need a more sophisticated solution.
but whatever that solution is, it MUST be:
transparent, enforced without exception at every location, subject to audit, and yet somehow incorporate the flexibility necessary when dealing with human factors in an environment where the unexpected happens more often than would be expected.
Tricky?
Impossible?
Nov 23, 2017, 5:10 pm
#339
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: NB, Canada
Programs: Fairmont, Amex MR, Marriott
Posts: 2,531
but whatever that solution is, it MUST be:
transparent, enforced without exception at every location, subject to audit, and yet somehow incorporate the flexibility necessary when dealing with human factors in an environment where the unexpected happens more often than would be expected.
Tricky?
Impossible?
transparent, enforced without exception at every location, subject to audit, and yet somehow incorporate the flexibility necessary when dealing with human factors in an environment where the unexpected happens more often than would be expected.
Tricky?
Impossible?
No wonder they struggle to enforce rules...
Nov 23, 2017, 10:00 pm
#341
Join Date: May 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA VS
Posts: 107
I agree with the problem of one of a couple taking the job of placing bags overhead, whilst other sits down and have done this often myself. The key, if I may say, is to keep aware of the folks coming down the aisle behind you. If more pax, then [if available] step into the aisle seat area and wait. Once there is a gap, step back into the aisle and slot remaing bag/s into place and then promptly sit down. Mostly, I see folks, packing the locker slowly, carefully and checking with partner that nothing else has to go up - checking space in neighbouring lockers and greatly extending their time in the aisle.
Which is why, when there is no jetway, it is so much better to walk (briskly) to the rear entrance!
Which is why, when there is no jetway, it is so much better to walk (briskly) to the rear entrance!
Nov 24, 2017, 12:20 am
#342
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
It can be done - 4x LH/LX sectors yesterday where priority boarding was ruthlessly enforced by the gate agent(s) at the respective airports. BA just need to police it properly. All flights left bang on-time (one was even 3 minutes early), so enforcing the rules does not mean that boarding takes longer. Granted, BA have more pax eligible for priority boarding than LH/LX so that does make it quicker.
I was impressed.
I was impressed.
Nov 24, 2017, 1:45 am
#343
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: The Hague/London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA LTG, Hilton Diamond, FB Platinum, EK Gold
Posts: 366
Some outstations seem to be calling everyone at once, which gets things moving quickly, but fails the pax experience.
The planned group calling boarding of this thread seemingly improves pax experience, but I secretly believe it will slow down boarding.
..This conflict between experience and speed may need a more sophisticated solution.
but whatever that solution is, it MUST be:
transparent, enforced without exception at every location, subject to audit, and yet somehow incorporate the flexibility necessary when dealing with human factors in an environment where the unexpected happens more often than would be expected.
Tricky?
Impossible?
Nov 24, 2017, 1:51 am
#344
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,608
The outstations is where the priority stuff becomes irrelevant. Hannover, for instance, tiny little gate area where the people are all the way up the corridor to the gate. Gate staff turns up 20 minutes after the departure time. Strangely just get on, no attempt to make any priority... Not sure if its just late or "can you see where we can make a queue here?"...
Nov 24, 2017, 5:52 am
#345
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,197
I agree with the problem of one of a couple taking the job of placing bags overhead, whilst other sits down and have done this often myself. The key, if I may say, is to keep aware of the folks coming down the aisle behind you. If more pax, then [if available] step into the aisle seat area and wait. Once there is a gap, step back into the aisle and slot remaing bag/s into place and then promptly sit down. Mostly, I see folks, packing the locker slowly, carefully and checking with partner that nothing else has to go up - checking space in neighbouring lockers and greatly extending their time in the aisle.