DYKWIA

Good to see the usual BA consistency levels returning after a promising start.

Stormbel

With 481 posts, mainly citing how the new system is operated in a random way, most seeing that Groups 2 and 3 are queueing in one line with problems ensuing when 2 is called as 3 often tumble in along with them, little staff checking of BPS, and signs are hidden behind the masses boarding so many can't even see where to queue.
What's the next step? How many complain to b a about this shambles? Is there any way that they will learn and move on?

DYKWIA

To be fair to BA, they've tried their best. It seems to boil down the "laziness" of some of the gate agents. They want an easy life, and don't care who boards when, as it'll be somebody else's problem once everybody is through the gate. The same thing has happened when they've tried other ways of formalising the boarding process.

rapidex

LGW-OPO last Monday just a complete shambles.No signs no tensa barriers just an together and everybody rushed forward.agent sitting behind the desk. Called groups 1 and 2 together and everybody rushed forward. The gate agents made no effort to enforce groups. The LGW agents seem to find this too hard and have decided not to bother.

Misco60

London City, last Friday. Two young gate agents, seemingly more concerned with checking their Facebook profiles and gossiping than doing any work. Just one announcement - "Your flight is now ready for boarding". That was it.

thebigben

So far it worked alright for me on my last 4 segments where this was implemented. The only funny mistake I noticed happening several time is the gate agents mistaking their right and left for the passengers'

FlyingScientist

You should consider yourself lucky that they did not make the announcement on Facebook only...

PETER01

Bit shambolic at Edinburgh, Gate 11 which is a good sized gate area. Grp 1,2 and 3 sign with a separate Grp 4&5 sign. A poor experience which for me and Edinburgh regulars is unusual and even before group boarding started it was always fairly well organised.

BA agent was tagging everyone's small item even though they only had 1 item. I thought it was the case only 2nd items the smaller of two which were supposed to be tagged?

I was Group 1 travelling with a Group 4 but the sole gate agent manning the entrance, surly with a condescending tone, was not allowing those travelling together in different groups to board together. There were quite a few cross people and I was told, wrongly in my view and of what BA have stated, quote " you are in different seats and can't go on together"

Only one person at a time allowed through ONE single entry point and the whole of the penned/tensa area was not used/filled. I spoke to the other BA agent at the BP desk who seemed genuinely surprised and also stated that was wrong and she would speak to her apologising for the mistake. Training issue I think!

'Feedback' sent on ba.com!

Otherwise and onwards at LHR, no issues and a great flight in WTP, my first on the 86J, a really little cosy cabin indeed!

Fab CSD and crew, nice genuine Gold greeting by the CSD a few hours into the flight, and 2 glasses of Champers given, served discreetly. Food was very nice too. A really polished WW crew who worked well throughout the flight. ^

rumbataz

I've been group boarding for the past few weeks now on the LHR-CDG route. It is fairly strictly enforced but could do with a bit of improvement. I'm in Group 4 so tend to board last. At LHR T5 there is a "tradesmen's entrance" for groups 4 and 5 at the gate, whilst groups 1, 2 and 3 have their dedicated line(s). Group 1 is called first, then groups 1 and 2, then groups 1, 2 and 3, and lastly groups 4 and 5. It's roughly the same at CDG on my return flights back to LHR.

However, a few people have spotted a flaw and jump the groups 4/5 queue. As the queue for groups 4 and 5 grows and boarding is called for those groups, a lot of group 4 and 5 passengers switch to the groups 1-3 lines so jump the queue for 4-5 boarding. The gate staff don't seem to care most of the time. This should be addressed by BA.

The bottleneck, as always, is the queue on the jetway and the aircraft itself, with most of the passengers carrying the dreaded wheelie suitcases on board and an assortment of other bags that take an absolute age to store. The cabin baggage allowance is usually completely ignored by BA gate staff in my experience.

Mildly going off-topic, BA should take a leaf out of the excellent SAS boarding procedures and TELL passengers who are stowing bags and removing several layers of clothing in the aisle to MOVE to the side to allow those passengers behind to move through the aircraft cabin more quickly. I've heard such an announcement only a couple of times in recent weeks but there are always passengers who are in a world of their own and unaware of passengers patiently queued up behind them waiting to get to their seats.

crowe

Done pretty well for last nights LHR-LBA, group 1 called first agent stood in front of the a slightly twitchy group 2 queue until all of group 1 had gone through.

Fitch

In my business, people have objectives against which they are measured, don't BA's !!??

We have supervisors and managers whose annual income varies in direct relation to how well they ensure their staff are doing what they're supposed to be doing...!

The absence of visible management enforcement of the new boarding policy at BA's home bases with BA's own staff strongly suggests to me that compliance with the policy is only a soft requirement which is not going to affect anyone's pay packet... while in contrast, failing at on-time dispatch is an absolutely no-no.

Otherwise, local management would be out and about in T5, T3 and LGW S ensuring their bonuses were safe

mauzac

Boarding at Kyiv yesterday. Two queues set up. One marked Groups 1,2,3. One marked Groups 4 & 5. Boarding starts, and the gate agents call forward groups 4 & 5 to start boarding, leaving all of those waiting in the Group 1 etc. line waiting...

LHRagain

It is so frustrating! BA have found a process that seems to work well when enforced, but through lack of execution, it is going to fall back into the shambolic system that it replaced!! Come on BA...There is no feedback on here that says the process is wrong...it is just the way it is being implemented and embedded.

andrelux

Can't argue with that. Delays cost money.

GlasgowCyclops

So I tried something different at LGW last night. 19:00 flight LGW to GLA.

To BA GA. Hi there, how are you and nice 10 sec chat. Then, oh, is it group boarding tonight?

5 mins later, announcement of group boarding and for people to look at boarding pass. Then group 1 gp 2 etc separated by time to prevent the usual LGW-GLA stampede.
WOW!!! What a difference, no pushing, no barging etc.

I wonder if my smiley chat and friendly question at the gate prompted this or are they now boarding by group in general? If the former, perhaps this could be the answer. All of us ask at the gate at LGW.