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]
Feb 3, 2018, 2:10 pm
#676
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador
Posts: 77
Feb 6, 2018, 7:02 am
#677
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Over on the Group Boarding Experiences thread, poster florens asked (with what seemed total bemusement !) why it should take “several months” for the BP of a non-status pax travelling with say, a GCH, to reflect guest privileges in terms of group number alignment.
(am conscious that the other thread is intended for live / current experiences of the new system, hence my response here).
It can take “several months” because BA still moves at a much slower pace than other large airlines where any change is concerned - whether it be (something as basic as) new linen, a new way of presenting business class catering, a decision on new seating - or an improved boarding process.
This is not just my view, based on personal experience of many different carriers around the world. It’s the strongly-held view of CEO Alex Cruz ; a guy whose particular area of interest and expertise (or so we’re told) just happens to be IT systems / digital technology ......and all that surrounds it.
In his lengthy ‘Skift’ interview - which is now already over a year old - Cruz was very open in identifying what he saw as the problem where implementation of change is concerned :
“I’ve also found that we are very slow at managing our business. Slow and really not agile. That’s one of the big things that I’m doing at the moment.”
...............
“Make sure everybody understands why we need to actually take decisions quickly and actually take them to market quickly. There are a lot of people around us that are doing that, including some really large airlines that are doing that much better than us.”
.................
“We’re prisoners, in a way, of really old technology which is very difficult to change. We [did] a little check-in system change this summer and it was torturous for 12 days
How do you reconcile it? Focus, focus, focus. Quick, quick, quick, quick — no ........, just get things done.”
In short - and this goes to the very heart of things - Cruz seems clear as to what the problem is. He also seems to think he has identified how it should be solved. What we have yet to see is tangible evidence that he knows how to make things happen more effectively, and more speedily.
(am conscious that the other thread is intended for live / current experiences of the new system, hence my response here).
It can take “several months” because BA still moves at a much slower pace than other large airlines where any change is concerned - whether it be (something as basic as) new linen, a new way of presenting business class catering, a decision on new seating - or an improved boarding process.
This is not just my view, based on personal experience of many different carriers around the world. It’s the strongly-held view of CEO Alex Cruz ; a guy whose particular area of interest and expertise (or so we’re told) just happens to be IT systems / digital technology ......and all that surrounds it.
In his lengthy ‘Skift’ interview - which is now already over a year old - Cruz was very open in identifying what he saw as the problem where implementation of change is concerned :
“I’ve also found that we are very slow at managing our business. Slow and really not agile. That’s one of the big things that I’m doing at the moment.”
...............
“Make sure everybody understands why we need to actually take decisions quickly and actually take them to market quickly. There are a lot of people around us that are doing that, including some really large airlines that are doing that much better than us.”
.................
“We’re prisoners, in a way, of really old technology which is very difficult to change. We [did] a little check-in system change this summer and it was torturous for 12 days
How do you reconcile it? Focus, focus, focus. Quick, quick, quick, quick — no ........, just get things done.”
In short - and this goes to the very heart of things - Cruz seems clear as to what the problem is. He also seems to think he has identified how it should be solved. What we have yet to see is tangible evidence that he knows how to make things happen more effectively, and more speedily.
Feb 12, 2018, 12:19 pm
#678
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 561
Ok the usual disclaimer, I haven't scoured the whole thread so apologies in advance if this has been raised earlier.
What are people's thoughts about commenting to gate agents when the new boarding procedure hasn't been correctly followed? I'm not talking about having a DYKWIA moment, but I feel that indirect feedback will take longer and perhaps be less effective than a quiet word at the time.
Good idea or wrong approach?
What are people's thoughts about commenting to gate agents when the new boarding procedure hasn't been correctly followed? I'm not talking about having a DYKWIA moment, but I feel that indirect feedback will take longer and perhaps be less effective than a quiet word at the time.
Good idea or wrong approach?
Feb 12, 2018, 1:04 pm
#679
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
Ok the usual disclaimer, I haven't scoured the whole thread so apologies in advance if this has been raised earlier.
What are people's thoughts about commenting to gate agents when the new boarding procedure hasn't been correctly followed? I'm not talking about having a DYKWIA moment, but I feel that indirect feedback will take longer and perhaps be less effective than a quiet word at the time.
Good idea or wrong approach?
What are people's thoughts about commenting to gate agents when the new boarding procedure hasn't been correctly followed? I'm not talking about having a DYKWIA moment, but I feel that indirect feedback will take longer and perhaps be less effective than a quiet word at the time.
Good idea or wrong approach?
The fact that (for example) group 1 and 2 were called forward together? Don't bother - get on the plane - and just flag it to CS later. You are just going to annoy them by holding up boarding while you say something.
The fact that someone decides to call group 5 first and work backwards? Sure! Bring it up!
The fact that the process doesn't happen at all? Well - it's not going to change now ... so feel free to say "I thought the new group process was rolled out here" as your boarding pass is scanned and see what response you get.
The fact the wording of the announcement isn't precisely what it should be? Ignore it and move on.
Keep in mind there's 100+ people behind you who would also like to get on the plane :-)
Feb 13, 2018, 2:25 am
#680
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 561
I mainly mean either the lump-em-all-together approach, (golds, silvers and anyone who walks on two legs) or not enforcing the priority lanes and letting people through because they can't be bothered to send them back.
My thinking is the idea and the process is a good one, but only if followed correctly and enforced. If gate agents see that we are invested in making this work then perhaps, just perhaps, they will make more of an effort themselves if they haven't previously.
Of course it's a fine line between a constructive comment and coming off like an ....
My thinking is the idea and the process is a good one, but only if followed correctly and enforced. If gate agents see that we are invested in making this work then perhaps, just perhaps, they will make more of an effort themselves if they haven't previously.
Of course it's a fine line between a constructive comment and coming off like an ....
Feb 15, 2018, 8:30 am
#682
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: West Sussex
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 897
Boarding by group was used.
I was group 1 and it seemed more streamlined than before, in the sense that there was not a rush to the boarding door. LGW South gates are those gates with the holding area which ends up bunching up all passengers and typically used to become a bit of a free for all when boarding was announced. I didn't see the same rush as the announcements were quite specific about which groups would be boarded.
Groups 1 & 2 boarded first, not sure on the order after that.
Feb 15, 2018, 11:10 am
#683
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,918
Went through this at Gate 5 at LHR today
Despite being 5 groups there were only 3 queues
Group 1
Group 2&3
Group 4&5
I was in group 2. Loads of people in group 1. Nobody appeared to check that they were really group 1 people
Despite being 5 groups there were only 3 queues
Group 1
Group 2&3
Group 4&5
I was in group 2. Loads of people in group 1. Nobody appeared to check that they were really group 1 people
Feb 15, 2018, 11:34 am
#685
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
There can be as many as 30 GCH/Emeralds on a simple european flight ... add into that that (say) 40% might bring a guest ... add on top of that those in CE who aren't a GCH ... and you could be at 60 people in group 1.
My experience so far has been that the BPs are being checked as people go through - so rejections tend to happen at the desk rather than prior to that.
Feb 15, 2018, 11:59 am
#686
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,918
I appreciate that many of the people in group 1 were supposed to be there
It was the self boarding machines (or whatever they are called) at gate 5, nobody was checking boarding passes unless the machine can check what group is being boarded and only let those people through
It was the self boarding machines (or whatever they are called) at gate 5, nobody was checking boarding passes unless the machine can check what group is being boarded and only let those people through
Feb 15, 2018, 12:37 pm
#687
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,803
The machines don't do that, though I guess it can't be tricky to programme that in. Their core purpose is the biometric validation and that's the focus of their design. Ideally one of the two staff operating Group Boarding should have come forward during the announcements and glanced at the BPs in Group 1.
Feb 15, 2018, 12:58 pm
#688
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Sounds great. Until you read reports from other FT-ers, such as HFHFFlyer, who has just posted over on the ‘experiences’ thread about his ZRH departure - where a) nobody was checked, and b) nobody was rejected.
Feb 15, 2018, 2:10 pm
#689
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
I appreciate that many of the people in group 1 were supposed to be there
It was the self boarding machines (or whatever they are called) at gate 5, nobody was checking boarding passes unless the machine can check what group is being boarded and only let those people through
It was the self boarding machines (or whatever they are called) at gate 5, nobody was checking boarding passes unless the machine can check what group is being boarded and only let those people through
Now in the two cases we've got here - it looks like checks should have been done - and that's a failure.
But equally - I've gone through this process ~10 times now and I've seen rejections and BP checks almost every time, but then I don't fly domestic generally so I don't use the automatic machines!
I've also seen (as you'll note from the experience thread) - a complete mess at CDG where group boarding was announced, but with no indication where to queue or what to do.
Feb 15, 2018, 2:27 pm
#690
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
@MPH1980 - Thanks for coming back with additional context and your perspective is totally sensible/valid.
The (essential, IMO) point I was making is that we continue to see dramatic levels of inconsistency in both monitoring and processing, and that’s obviously far from good.
The (essential, IMO) point I was making is that we continue to see dramatic levels of inconsistency in both monitoring and processing, and that’s obviously far from good.
All gate staff know precisely what the new Group numbers are there for ; and yet some of them - for whatever reason - see fit to make either a half-baked effort, or sometimes no effort whatever, to apply them.
The consensus from day one was always that this will only be a worthwhile change IF it is effectively policed and implemented. Otherwise, we could end up with a system that mirrors the way in which BoB is currently handled : such that, on many/most flights, those pax wanting to buy a sandwich can do so - but it’s still not something you can rely on happening.
The consensus from day one was always that this will only be a worthwhile change IF it is effectively policed and implemented. Otherwise, we could end up with a system that mirrors the way in which BoB is currently handled : such that, on many/most flights, those pax wanting to buy a sandwich can do so - but it’s still not something you can rely on happening.