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 17, 2017, 1:40 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,196
The [curiously] disciplined AA pax seem to conform to a simple system with 2 lines ... one Priority and one General Boarding. They both tend to hover, but they don't create a crush: they just wait for their Group to be called. As a 'Group 1' pax, I've never had an issue with crowding. Perhaps the AA Ground Agents are more assertive? Certainly a lack of assertiveness, consistency and indeed clarity of communication is something that bedevils BA at LHR/LGW - outstations IME tend to do it much better than on home turf (LAX, IAD, CPT, assorted Caribbean airports and, indeed, MLA and JER in recent experience.)
"We are about to start boarding please check your boarding pass for your Group as we will be boarding strictly by group"
"We are now boarding Group 2 and only group 2"
"Sorry Ma'am we aren't boarding group 4 yet but if you step aside we will shortly"
I don't think that BA reinforcing the boarding process is a bad thing but the issue is - as mentioned by several others - the consistent implementation of the groups (whatever they may be). Some proper spacing would also help so only calling group 2 when say 75% of group 1 have boarded and sat down leaving clear aisle(s) for the following passengers to move quickly.
Re the Economy groups will one group be for passengers with seats at the rear of the cabin and the other for those more to the front of the cabin? Again that might help speed things up.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:03 pm
#77
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 57
I flew a mix of Transatlantic J, Domestic F and Domestic Y with AA last month. The group numbers were enforced everytime. The lanes were split into Priority for Groups 1-3 and every other Group went through the other lane.
On one occasion boarding was quite far gone when we got to the gate but the Prioirty Lane was kept empty. The gate agents then dealt with us on right away.
Only time they raced through the groups was on an E190. They called 1-3 in under a minute.
In Y, I was Group 2 as a Gold and my Wife was Group 3 as a Silver. Didn’t have any issues with going up at the same time.
My only thought is for example when the Staff in the GLA lounge announce that the flight is boarding. That the call would be the flight is boarding in five, to allow you to take advantage of your group. It’s a small point but not important in the grand scheme.
I think this will be a positive move.
On one occasion boarding was quite far gone when we got to the gate but the Prioirty Lane was kept empty. The gate agents then dealt with us on right away.
Only time they raced through the groups was on an E190. They called 1-3 in under a minute.
In Y, I was Group 2 as a Gold and my Wife was Group 3 as a Silver. Didn’t have any issues with going up at the same time.
My only thought is for example when the Staff in the GLA lounge announce that the flight is boarding. That the call would be the flight is boarding in five, to allow you to take advantage of your group. It’s a small point but not important in the grand scheme.
I think this will be a positive move.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:10 pm
#78
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
I'd bet a reasonable amount this will be the usual BAlls up. Especially with higher pre Christmas loads. "Expectation of enforcement" is really a meaningless concept, as surely Waterside would expect current guidelines to be enforced too? If not why have them?
The best hope here is for the roll out of automated gates to speed up as that is an obvious means of enforcement.
The best hope here is for the roll out of automated gates to speed up as that is an obvious means of enforcement.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:18 pm
#79
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
Why don’t they just charge for early boarding. This would get rid of all the F, Y, Saphire, Bronze etc confusion.
if you want to board immediately the gate opens you pay £50, in a second batch £20 and if you’re prepared to wait then it’s free. Simple.
if you want to board immediately the gate opens you pay £50, in a second batch £20 and if you’re prepared to wait then it’s free. Simple.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:20 pm
#80
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, België
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,512
I'd bet a reasonable amount this will be the usual BAlls up. Especially with higher pre Christmas loads. "Expectation of enforcement" is really a meaningless concept, as surely Waterside would expect current guidelines to be enforced too? If not why have them?
The best hope here is for the roll out of automated gates to speed up as that is an obvious means of enforcement.
The best hope here is for the roll out of automated gates to speed up as that is an obvious means of enforcement.
Nothing better than a bit of "computer says no" and a shrug of the shoulders from any agent present to deal with the chancers.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:38 pm
#81
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
Air Canada also uses a group system and it seems to work well. There are 2 signed queues at each gate in different colours. Group 1&2, *G and *S in the first, and groups 3 and lower in the other line. The gate agents are good at policing it and sending people to the right queue before boarding starts.
In the case of a J passenger wanting to board late after the other J passengers have boarded, they use the (now empty) priority line for groups 1&2 and board. Meanwhile the rest of the plebs in zone 3 and lower are still being processed.
In the case of a J passenger wanting to board late after the other J passengers have boarded, they use the (now empty) priority line for groups 1&2 and board. Meanwhile the rest of the plebs in zone 3 and lower are still being processed.
Nov 17, 2017, 2:38 pm
#82
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,235
Nov 17, 2017, 2:45 pm
#83
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, EK Gold, GF Silver, IC Royal Ambass, Marriott Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 902
Provided the gate agents enforce this, this should be a welcome change and pretty easy to implement. Ive no experience with AA but plenty with EK who have been doing this for as long as I can remember. 5 mins before boarding a gate announcement is made explaining the boarding order. Gate agents then strictly but politely enforce the boarding order
Nov 17, 2017, 3:11 pm
#84
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 220
On shorthaul/Domestic turns, the staff are given approx 12mins to board all pax from the point of cabin release. This new method may sound appealing to 'status' passengers, but from a punctuality perspective (which is BA's main motivation in this) the idea seems cumbersome and is likely to extend the boarding process.
Nov 17, 2017, 3:45 pm
#85
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 325
ICBW, but isn't CK the equivalent of Prem? Who are normally boarded last (with SS escort) anyway?
There are BA 777s with 17 F seats.
There are BA 777s with 17 F seats.
Nov 17, 2017, 3:55 pm
#86
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 466
On another note, why Gold in Y get priority above CW passengers on long haul, I have no idea.
Nov 17, 2017, 4:40 pm
#88
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,436
Can some please shed light on the First vs Gold scenario? Surely and always First class passengers come first, regardless of status. Gold would be 2nd to those. But in this new boarding format, F & Gold are in Group 1 together, therefore no real difference between the 2 in terms of boarding, whether turning left or right! This is my understanding. So if you are Gold on an economy fare you are in Group 1 alongside F passengers? If correct, then this seems fair and reasonable. Providing the Gold in Y doesn't have a 'DYKWIA" moment in front of F passengers and Group 1! 
Nov 17, 2017, 4:44 pm
#89
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, Mucci
Posts: 2,068
Can some please shed light on the First vs Gold scenario? Surely and always First class passengers come first, regardless of status. Gold would be 2nd to those. But in this new boarding format, F & Gold are in Group 1 together, therefore no real difference between the 2 in terms of boarding, whether turning left or right! This is my understanding. So if you are Gold on an economy fare you are in Group 1 alongside F passengers? If correct, then this seems fair and reasonable. Providing the Gold in Y doesn't have a 'DYKWIA" moment in front of F passengers and Group 1!
Nov 17, 2017, 4:45 pm
#90
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
? The Golds in Y will soon be out of the way of CW aisle space, not taking up the overheads. etc. If you did CW then Gold or Gold then CW the outcome would be the same I think. Both at the same time also gets the same outcome a little quicker.