Connection dragons??
Mar 2, 2019, 4:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle
Programs: BA GGL & LTG, EK Silver, HHonors Lifetime Diamond; Proudly Mucci Free - total nonsense
Posts: 862
Connection dragons??
Weird experience connecting through LHR today. I was on return leg of an EDI-LHR-LAX with hand baggage, just a regular carry on plus laptop bag.
On approaching the domestic connection area in T5 where you scan your passport, two BA ladies come up to me and tell me I need to check in my carry on. I said no thank you, and one of them said you will be getting on a much smaller plane than you just arrived on and your bag won’t fit. I said I will be on an A320 which is the same plane I got to LHR on three days ago and with this exact same bag. Then she said the flight is full. This is without even checking my boarding pass, so she clearly didn’t know where I was flying. I said I hadn’t got any usual notifications about the flight being full, and in any case I am flying J so will board early and be able to store my carry on. Then she said oh ok then please proceed.
Very weird.
On approaching the domestic connection area in T5 where you scan your passport, two BA ladies come up to me and tell me I need to check in my carry on. I said no thank you, and one of them said you will be getting on a much smaller plane than you just arrived on and your bag won’t fit. I said I will be on an A320 which is the same plane I got to LHR on three days ago and with this exact same bag. Then she said the flight is full. This is without even checking my boarding pass, so she clearly didn’t know where I was flying. I said I hadn’t got any usual notifications about the flight being full, and in any case I am flying J so will board early and be able to store my carry on. Then she said oh ok then please proceed.
Very weird.
Mar 2, 2019, 5:03 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 1,266
Waiting at the gate for a flight from T5 recently, saw an agent point to her screen and say to a colleague "only 10 bags need finding to hold check" and off the colleague went into the group 3, 4 and 5 queue to do just that. Seemingly, a target for them to find.
Mar 2, 2019, 5:12 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,237
Gate 11 LGW yesterday, gate dragon tried to force me to check bag. I was in 1A. I said I’d rather not. She said the flight was full and I had to. I again said I’d paid extra for Business for this exact reason. She reluctantly let me keep bag. Considering I had no second / personal bag I found this very annoying.
Flight was to AGP
Flight was to AGP
Mar 2, 2019, 5:18 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,747
I was sitting at the gate in ZRH the other day, wearing very casual clothing, with my standard rollaboard bag and was targeted whereas various suits with similar bags around me weren't. Told her I was taking it with me, mentioned nothing that could make me a "DYKWIA?" and she moved on. Not sure if she assumed I was status less and/or down the back as I didn't look like I'd just stepped out of my MD/CEO office or suchlike.
Nothing said when I boarded with group 1 and sat down in 1F.
Had a couple of other times recently where they've announced, generally, that "the plane is completely full and would you like to gate check your bag?" After boarding is finished, 1/3rd of the plane is empty.
I just go landside now for connecting flights. After the last time I used airside flight connections, I vowed never again. Staff are ill-mannered dicks at security and it takes longer and is more stringent than anywhere else I've been to so far whilst remaining in a secure area and connecting to say a domestic flight.
Nothing said when I boarded with group 1 and sat down in 1F.
Had a couple of other times recently where they've announced, generally, that "the plane is completely full and would you like to gate check your bag?" After boarding is finished, 1/3rd of the plane is empty.
I just go landside now for connecting flights. After the last time I used airside flight connections, I vowed never again. Staff are ill-mannered dicks at security and it takes longer and is more stringent than anywhere else I've been to so far whilst remaining in a secure area and connecting to say a domestic flight.
Mar 2, 2019, 5:38 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Seattle
Programs: BA GGL & LTG, EK Silver, HHonors Lifetime Diamond; Proudly Mucci Free - total nonsense
Posts: 862
It is weird that they said my bag wouldn’t fit despite it clearly being able to. It is weird that they said my flight was full despite them not knowing what flight I was on. It is weird that some people post so much about flying on BA despite them by own admission hardly ever fly with BA 😀
Mar 2, 2019, 6:00 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,502
OP's experience seems to be unpleasant (I assume that when you say "regular" carry on, you mean that it fits the BA allowed dimensions), and I much prefer gate staff to try and ask for volunteers. That said, for what it's worth, not trying to be a moral police here, but personally, I'm always left puzzled and a bit uneasy with FTers' tendency to refer to various airline personnel in lounges, check points, etc as "dragons". Some are nice, some are not, but I find the term rather gratuitously disparaging. It's just a normal job and most of them try to do it well.
Mar 2, 2019, 6:05 am
#9
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,878
When I read stories like this it makes me sigh. It's not particular to BA, most airlines are doing similar things and really they've bought it on themselves.
They start by charging for checked-in bags.
Many passengers start bring their bags into the cabin, with far too many bringing the proverbial kitchen sink with them.
The airlines are surprised when there's suddenly insufficient room in the cabin for everyone to stow their bags.
Planes leave late because of all the faffing around dealing with all these bags (including the kitchen sinks).
Dragons are sent out into the crowds at the boarding gates to pressgang people to give up their bags.
Wasn't all this so predictable?
They start by charging for checked-in bags.
Many passengers start bring their bags into the cabin, with far too many bringing the proverbial kitchen sink with them.
The airlines are surprised when there's suddenly insufficient room in the cabin for everyone to stow their bags.
Planes leave late because of all the faffing around dealing with all these bags (including the kitchen sinks).
Dragons are sent out into the crowds at the boarding gates to pressgang people to give up their bags.
Wasn't all this so predictable?
Mar 2, 2019, 6:51 am
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,200
It is weird that they said my bag wouldn’t fit despite it clearly being able to. It is weird that they said my flight was full despite them not knowing what flight I was on. It is weird that some people post so much about flying on BA despite them by own admission hardly ever fly with BA 😀
Mar 2, 2019, 9:36 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
Gate 11 LGW yesterday, gate dragon tried to force me to check bag. I was in 1A. I said I’d rather not. She said the flight was full and I had to. I again said I’d paid extra for Business for this exact reason. She reluctantly let me keep bag. Considering I had no second / personal bag I found this very annoying.
Flight was to AGP
Flight was to AGP
Mar 2, 2019, 9:38 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,127
Mar 2, 2019, 9:40 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 466
I just go landside now for connecting flights. After the last time I used airside flight connections, I vowed never again. Staff are ill-mannered dicks at security and it takes longer and is more stringent than anywhere else I've been to so far whilst remaining in a secure area and connecting to say a domestic flight.
I also saw two people that were the row in front of me on my previous flight get to the Flounge 10 mins after me doing this. Maybe it was quicker landside. Maybe they went shopping.
Mar 2, 2019, 9:53 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
If they are going to 'target' anyone, they should first 'target' with those who already have checked baggage, which they must know from the 'system'. Those folk already need to go to the baggage claim it so would be no extra inconvenience to have their carry-ons checked too.