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]
Dec 29, 2017, 11:58 pm
#511
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: UK
Programs: MUCCI du gingembre cinquant, CAMRA
Posts: 1,275
9.25 to INN at his morning.
About 20 people who surrendered their roll on boarded before everyone else - and took their time.
Then children under two and those needing special assistance - which parents of any chldren of any age took to mean them.
Then they announced CE, Gold, Silver, bronze, etc all at once. There were only a handful of status pax, but I guess some may have been swept up in the pre m-boarding calls.
About 20 people who surrendered their roll on boarded before everyone else - and took their time.
Then children under two and those needing special assistance - which parents of any chldren of any age took to mean them.
Then they announced CE, Gold, Silver, bronze, etc all at once. There were only a handful of status pax, but I guess some may have been swept up in the pre m-boarding calls.
Even with a group number and groups being called I can't see this working unless the gate staff give a fig.
Dec 30, 2017, 4:54 am
#513
Moderator, Emirates
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Where My Heart Is
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Platinum, KQ Asante Gold, Shebamiles Blue, Emirates Blue
Posts: 3,385
One thing that may be a slight barrier to proceedings and for a smooth transition of boarding procedures is going to be language if my observations last night are anything to go by.
On the DME flight and preboarding call went out—>Mad rush to the desk—>All sent back apart from 1set of parents with infant
Call for Business, Golds & Emeralds—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Call for Silvers & Sapphires—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Didn’t witness the rest of boarding but wasn’t a full aircraft and everyone on board with 5 minutes to spare.
I know BA have Russian speakers that could help ease this but am sure there are other flights that are going to suffer the same.
On on a side note: No visa checks by G4S either landside or at the gate.
S
On the DME flight and preboarding call went out—>Mad rush to the desk—>All sent back apart from 1set of parents with infant
Call for Business, Golds & Emeralds—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Call for Silvers & Sapphires—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Didn’t witness the rest of boarding but wasn’t a full aircraft and everyone on board with 5 minutes to spare.
I know BA have Russian speakers that could help ease this but am sure there are other flights that are going to suffer the same.
On on a side note: No visa checks by G4S either landside or at the gate.
S
Dec 30, 2017, 5:10 am
#514
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 114
The same thing happened on my last flight to Naples from Gatwick, the gate design is pretty terrible too as people tend to congregate by the entrance to the airbridge and block those behind. They called Priority boarding etc but it was useless, no one could get through the crowd!
Dec 30, 2017, 5:25 am
#515
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold / Hilton Diamond / IHG Diamond Ambassador / Marriot Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,532
So the boarding farce continues unabated.
BA1440 today up to EDI boarding priority as follows
1. Hand baggage only passengers who can’t be bothered to now carry their overweight bags into the cabin and who now get to board first as they now choose to checkin the bags for free which would have cost Ł65 to do so 30 minutes earlier
Brilliant strategy BA
2. Those travelling with kids under 5. Don’t have an issue here but the 15 clingons who followed the single buggy was taking the piss.
3 club and Gold cards but only via automated gates that don’t work and create frustration. The boarding staff did not help by simply moving people between the errant gates and then making crass remarks about hand baggage. #Clueless
4. No idea what happened next but the procedures are farcical and if this the new standard at LHR then it stinks......
BA1440 today up to EDI boarding priority as follows
1. Hand baggage only passengers who can’t be bothered to now carry their overweight bags into the cabin and who now get to board first as they now choose to checkin the bags for free which would have cost Ł65 to do so 30 minutes earlier
Brilliant strategy BA
2. Those travelling with kids under 5. Don’t have an issue here but the 15 clingons who followed the single buggy was taking the piss.
3 club and Gold cards but only via automated gates that don’t work and create frustration. The boarding staff did not help by simply moving people between the errant gates and then making crass remarks about hand baggage. #Clueless
4. No idea what happened next but the procedures are farcical and if this the new standard at LHR then it stinks......
Dec 30, 2017, 6:50 am
#516
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,374
One thing that may be a slight barrier to proceedings and for a smooth transition of boarding procedures is going to be language if my observations last night are anything to go by.
On the DME flight and preboarding call went out—>Mad rush to the desk—>All sent back apart from 1set of parents with infant
Call for Business, Golds & Emeralds—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Call for Silvers & Sapphires—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Didn’t witness the rest of boarding but wasn’t a full aircraft and everyone on board with 5 minutes to spare.
I know BA have Russian speakers that could help ease this but am sure there are other flights that are going to suffer the same.
On on a side note: No visa checks by G4S either landside or at the gate.
S
On the DME flight and preboarding call went out—>Mad rush to the desk—>All sent back apart from 1set of parents with infant
Call for Business, Golds & Emeralds—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Call for Silvers & Sapphires—>Mad rush to the desk—>Most sent back
Didn’t witness the rest of boarding but wasn’t a full aircraft and everyone on board with 5 minutes to spare.
I know BA have Russian speakers that could help ease this but am sure there are other flights that are going to suffer the same.
On on a side note: No visa checks by G4S either landside or at the gate.
S
So how many times were you sent back then...? ;o) .. interesting. AA seem to do it so well.. glad that you got there on time and hope the rest of your journey was trouble free.
Dec 30, 2017, 6:53 am
#517
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 1,587
So ... Merry Christmas from a Silver and Happy New Year from a human Bronzie.
Dec 30, 2017, 7:16 am
#519
Moderator, Emirates
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Where My Heart Is
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Platinum, KQ Asante Gold, Shebamiles Blue, Emirates Blue
Posts: 3,385
. Maybe good Juju because I waited to board when Silver was called 
S
Dec 30, 2017, 11:25 am
#520
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,922
So the boarding farce continues unabated.
BA1440 today up to EDI boarding priority as follows
1. Hand baggage only passengers who can’t be bothered to now carry their overweight bags into the cabin and who now get to board first as they now choose to checkin the bags for free which would have cost Ł65 to do so 30 minutes earlier
Brilliant strategy BA
2. Those travelling with kids under 5. Don’t have an issue here but the 15 clingons who followed the single buggy was taking the piss.
3 club and Gold cards but only via automated gates that don’t work and create frustration. The boarding staff did not help by simply moving people between the errant gates and then making crass remarks about hand baggage. #Clueless
4. No idea what happened next but the procedures are farcical and if this the new standard at LHR then it stinks......
BA1440 today up to EDI boarding priority as follows
1. Hand baggage only passengers who can’t be bothered to now carry their overweight bags into the cabin and who now get to board first as they now choose to checkin the bags for free which would have cost Ł65 to do so 30 minutes earlier
Brilliant strategy BA
2. Those travelling with kids under 5. Don’t have an issue here but the 15 clingons who followed the single buggy was taking the piss.
3 club and Gold cards but only via automated gates that don’t work and create frustration. The boarding staff did not help by simply moving people between the errant gates and then making crass remarks about hand baggage. #Clueless
4. No idea what happened next but the procedures are farcical and if this the new standard at LHR then it stinks......
Dec 30, 2017, 1:15 pm
#521
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 325
1. It's Christmas: not a good time to introduce new concepts. We already know there was a hiccup earlier in December and not even BA is stupid enough to do this over the festive period.
2. Trust CWS. Seriously, he always knows what he's talking about.
(Subject to further hiccups of course)
2. Trust CWS. Seriously, he always knows what he's talking about.
(Subject to further hiccups of course)
Dec 30, 2017, 6:57 pm
#522
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 166
Had an interesting one on DFW-LHR (High J 744) on Wednesday. After assistance and families, First called, they waited a few minutes for about 10 people to board, then Club World Upper Deck only called (they specified rows 60-64). Very shortly after the rest of Club World was called. There was a gate agent at the entrance to the priority queue checking boarding passes before allowing people to proceed to the scanners. I didn't see him turn anyone away, but they could all have been eligible.
No mention of BA or Oneworld status this entire time.
I didn't see any more as I was boarding by now.
No mention of BA or Oneworld status this entire time.
I didn't see any more as I was boarding by now.
Dec 31, 2017, 12:33 am
#523
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Club Carlson Gold, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond Select, BA Blue
Posts: 1,335
No boarding by group for me on LHR-DME a few days ago. There is a space for Group on the boarding pass but it was empty. At boarding it was a free-for-all with both priority boarding and economy boarding taking place at the same time.
Jan 2, 2018, 3:11 am
#525
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,907
of course if you are bussed to the aircraft as I was on the BA901 from fra to lhr today you get to spend more time on the bus!
regards
tbs