bhbloke

On Friday evening (26th Jan) on the BA522 operated by an IB A340 so C gates, group boarding was in full effect.

Works quite well on an aircraft this size, although having the groups 3-5 milling around trying to cram themselves into the correct lanes before they were called did make the gate area seem quite congested.

I was in Group 1, which all worked well. BA Staffer came down the line and turfed out a few people and the remainder boarded fairly quickly without any of the uisual "I'm Bronze, make way" type barging taking place.

Wozza2404

I'd imagine with the new Tensa set up, gate agents may feel more empowered to do this. It certainly seemed more difficult to police properly when they updated the announcement from "Gold, Silver, Bronze, OW members, Costco Card holders and anyone wearing underwear" to the "First and Gold only" because there was still just the one queue and people were used to the old one - hard to send someone back through a rugby scrum.

I'm cautiously hopeful about this new system.

jwhite9185

Mapman

780 to ARN today: strolled from GF to A10 where boarding was underway. Ambled to the front of empty G1 line and was called across immediately one of the two gate agents was free from previous passenger. Nearly collided with someone from G3 who believed they were next in line (which they were, had a pesky G1 not taken preference).

Gate agent said the new system working well for SH but still challenges for long haul.

Stez

Flight to TLL this morning from gate 13. Agent at front of tensor belts enforcing group 1 entitlement and turning pax away for those not entitled.

I strolled up just as the the last of the group 1 went through so that enforcing agent walked me to the desk and processed my BP before starting the other groups, whatever that might be, did not pay attention to behind me.

Seems to me it's working well on this occasion.

ThatT1Feeling

Looks like the old system today as well at ARN. No Group number on my BP so I would imagine that it's pretty unlikely that Group boarding could be undertaken! [edit] yes, and old signage at the gate too. No sign of the new system yet.

Filthy Monkey

Nimrod1965

Was on the BA 904 to FRA today, first time I have seen this new set-up in action. It seemed to work really well, I was in Group 2 boarding from A1. Group 1 processed really quickly by 2 staff and then I was through, much better than the usual scrum. Wonder if it will be in use at FRA on Thursday?

antichef

EDI-LHR today from Gate 11. Called from lounge and by the time I got to gate boarding had begun and no queue in G1-3. Seemed to be G1-3 and G4-5 according to signs, with a person check BP before letting you into the tensa barrier. I walked straight through as I was G1 and was about third from last before I heard G4-5 called.

Having tried it now a few times I am happy that it seems to be going well.

Mutu

LHR-JFK last Friday 26th: 744 full load, B36 gate departure. Boarding by group not implemented BUT strict enforcement of priority for F/Gold then F/J/Gold/Silver and so on. This is a tight gate area so inevitably lots of people just standing around the access points meaning it was quite hard to determine whether there was a formal line or not, but strict enforcement seemed to make it efficient enough (despite appearances)

PETER01

My first experience of group boarding and also at EDI this morning (to LHR). Enforced at Gate 10 with orderly lines, staff in the queues checking BP's and a very clear gate as the groups were held to leave a clear floor area. I tagged onto the end of the Group 1 as I walked towards the gate so good timing from the Angels there. In the lounge they also announced Group 2 passengers a minute or two after Group 1 passengers and this was evident in other flights to LCY etc.

I am sure there will be teething issues here and there, smaller gates and outstations?, but in the main this is a very positive step forward. I like it.

EsherFlyer

LHR-EDI earlier this week invited the sparsely populated G1 line forwards, but did not check for eligibility. There were sufficiently few to make it look like are obeying, amybe from being turfed out last week?

emma69

Jan 20 LHR to DXB they boarded the flight by status and then groups (pre boardings, first class, gold, etc) - but before anything was announced, every man and his dog were in the priority lane, meaning there was some shuffling, muttering and moaning going on, while 75% of the available gate boarding space was empty. They did send people over to the side if they were not yet eligible for boarding, one particular two girls were sent to the side 3 separate times. It seemed to take a lot longer than boarding normally takes tbh.

Jan 27 LHR to YYZ, priority boarding lane as normal, groups on boarding passes, but it was just a 'everyone else' call - boarded much more quickly and smoothly.

YYZ-LHR no real method to the madness, they didn't even call status priority boarding, just wheelchairs then everyone else.

DXB to LHR - boarding passes pre scanned and held in a holding pen, with half the pen reserved for status passengers, first and business. Once boarding was called the entire herd in the priority pen lunged for the doors, no differentiation between them.

MPH1980

LHR to MAD this morning - about 8 people in the group 1 line - I was number 4 - and the first two were turned back for being a group 3 and a group 4 and stood in front of the tensa barrier holding group 2/3 back.

They were doing a good job of pretending not to understand the gate agent (I'd heard them conversing in english with another agent a few minutes before).

Announcements were all very clear and easy to understand IMHO.

Telecasterman

BA1387 MAN - LHR 1/2/18
Gate 141
No signs etc....
Gate agent called groups 1-3 to board. I was group 1 with my son. A lady and husband in front of us had group 4 on their large printed BP (no status) They proceeded through in front of us no issues.

A light load so didn’t make much difference TBH