The new BiTB dodge - gatechecking and carrying on
May 25, 2018, 5:05 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Blue, BAEC Gold, Blockbuster Video card
Posts: 1,378
There will now be people buying empty bags specifically to gate check them. Maybe BA should just admit defeat and try and monetise it. On your MMB page if you're a BA Blue could be a link to eBay / Shpock / Gumtree or whatever, with a selection of buy it now options for 'approved used' disposable wheelie bags to sacrifice. All with different amounts of BA commission applied.
When you buy such a bag you also get a one time use certificate from BA with a gate check priority group number on it - the more money BA has siphoned off from the purchase, the earlier you get to board.
These in effect could be the group 2s - 2A/B/C etc - so status pax still retain group 1
By golly I think I've cracked it. AC should hire me as commercial director asap ;-)
When you buy such a bag you also get a one time use certificate from BA with a gate check priority group number on it - the more money BA has siphoned off from the purchase, the earlier you get to board.
These in effect could be the group 2s - 2A/B/C etc - so status pax still retain group 1
By golly I think I've cracked it. AC should hire me as commercial director asap ;-)
May 25, 2018, 6:00 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50k, A3*G, UA*S, MR Titanium, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 3,669
Same but different, I have no qualms about doing this when the GA forces me to gate check my compliant carry-on during priority boarding because it's a "full flight" (hint: that's never been true)
May 25, 2018, 6:01 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,938
Most recent flight, passenger stopped by the FA at the door as the PAX had a gate checked bag still in their possession
FA asked them to return to the "elbow" to leave the bag
PAX stated that they did not speak English and carried on regardless
FA asked them to return to the "elbow" to leave the bag
PAX stated that they did not speak English and carried on regardless
May 25, 2018, 6:03 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 147
Now I am thinking that I should not feel so bad about sneaking my wife on with me in Group 3 when her boarding pass says Group 4... Now that this has been mentioned, I did think that the number of people boarding before group 1 on my list trip to NCE seemed a little larger than one might expect.
May 25, 2018, 2:03 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
bisonrav, thanks for starting a thread that I was too scared to do myself, in case I was classed as a "Gold whinger".
Apart from the tags being removed on the airbridge, I noted another ploy: As an example, a family of five, a lady with four teenagers (all high teens or low 20s) moved forward and checked a tiny (tiny) roller bag - think Hello Kitty size, of which you could get two under the seat in front. Then they all got to board first. I've seen this other times, families/groups checking one bag then everyone boarding ahead of the Group 1s.
I understand BA's logic to reduce carry-ons and give pax an incentive to do so, but why does one checked bag mean five people get to board early?
Rant over.
Signed,
Gold Whinger.
Apart from the tags being removed on the airbridge, I noted another ploy: As an example, a family of five, a lady with four teenagers (all high teens or low 20s) moved forward and checked a tiny (tiny) roller bag - think Hello Kitty size, of which you could get two under the seat in front. Then they all got to board first. I've seen this other times, families/groups checking one bag then everyone boarding ahead of the Group 1s.
I understand BA's logic to reduce carry-ons and give pax an incentive to do so, but why does one checked bag mean five people get to board early?
Rant over.
Signed,
Gold Whinger.
May 25, 2018, 3:27 pm
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
Alex Cruz wanted to compete with LCC, so he gets all kind of people from this broader society. I can tell you I have never seen this sort of thing happening in Ryanair with my limited travel experience on the company. Do Ryanair passengers actually behave better than some of the shamed BA passengers? I don't think so. I think it lies on the execution of the strategy. BA is too naive and too nice while Ryanair is too mean but get the job done without dispute.
May 25, 2018, 3:38 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Yorkshire
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 355
Or is it just not ok to break the rules without asking? Seems like a some rules can be bent and broken by asking nicely and all is well with the world whilst others should be rigidly enforced.....food for thought
May 25, 2018, 4:23 pm
#30
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: The Hague/London
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, BA LTG, Hilton Diamond, FB Platinum, EK Gold
Posts: 366
I was once on a Swiss flight where a passenger had done exactly this. She was in business and had taken her bag on board that should have been gate checked. After boarding complete a discussion started where the crew insisted her bag had to be removed. Passenger resisted. Captain became involed and simply said that there was a discrepancy between what should be in the hold and what actually was in the hold. He then stated we would not depart until this was resolved, Several other passengers started to join the discussion and eventually the women had to release her bag (under very loud protests) and it was put in the hold. Seemed like a straight foreward way of ensuring gate checking is implemented. Don’t mess with the Swiss......