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Old May 20, 2019, 11:55 pm
  #1  
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Group Boarding and Guests

QQ - my partner and I normally travel on the same booking but for an upcoming trip we have separate bookings due to the fact I’m travelling for work - will he will be able to join me in Group 1 (his BP will be Group 2) ? I’m unsure on the guesting rules since group boarding was introduced.
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Old May 21, 2019, 12:00 am
  #2  
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One guest should be no problem in my experience.
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Old May 21, 2019, 12:01 am
  #3  
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One guest is certainly OK, more information and examples are in the main thread.

Group Boarding 2018 - first hand experiences
corporate-wage-slave is online now  
Old May 21, 2019, 12:13 am
  #4  
 
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Also my own experience is that if you join the bookings via TCP then your partner may well inherit Group 1 directly and it will appear on his BP.

(See post 774 onwards in the thread helpfully referenced by corporate-wage-slave)
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Old May 21, 2019, 1:00 am
  #5  
 
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@ Chris9642 : depending on the route and the mood of the staff involved, your respective “Groups” may very well have no relevance, either to BA or yourselves ; as per my own flight last night, a return from CTA.

I arrived at the gate a minute or so after boarding had commenced, and as I approached the gate check agent, there was a clearly audible PA (from another staffer) saying “ ..... and we now invite any passengers in Group 2 only to board the aircraft”. Immediately in front of me was a (seemingly pleasant enough) couple who presented BP’s both showing Group 4. The agent smiled, said thank you, and wished the couple both a pleasant flight.

Though introduced with something of a fanfare, it’s been apparent for some time that BA staffers / contracted support have little motivation in making the ‘new system’ work - or certainly not with anything resembling consistency.

As an aside, CC on board were notably more efficient than ground staff.

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Old May 21, 2019, 2:45 am
  #6  
 
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I don't think you'll have any real problem with this if it's just one guest and you're just polite about it (and be prepared to concede gracefully and without being a DYKWIA in the unlikely event the gate agent says anything...which they almost certainly won't)

I've done this many times with 1 or 2 guests
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Old May 21, 2019, 10:01 am
  #7  
 
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I have done this at least 50 times and I just say politely that 'the lady is travelling with me' and it was never a problem.
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Old May 21, 2019, 10:03 am
  #8  
 
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I have always presented both BP's together and never had a problem
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Old May 21, 2019, 10:34 am
  #9  
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Given that in my experience they board 1-3 together it won't be a problem

(notice how no one wants to hang around even a couple of minutes (if that) to board in a lower group ...)
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Old May 21, 2019, 11:55 am
  #10  
 
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my wife before she was OW Emerald.. would always board with me in group 1.
I would just let the agent know that we are traveling together... never a problem
( you are assuming you can get past all the other passengers crowding the gate area)
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