HarryHolden68

The General public have worked out that the inability to police its' own policy has created a reverse cause and effect at the boarding gate. A growing number of passengers arrive at the gate with every larger and more numerous bags where they are invited to check them into the hold for free in return for priority boarding. This was a cute incentive when a couple of passengers came forward. Last nights BA 1492 to GLA was running around 60 minutes late. A relatively patient queue had formed around the entrance to the boarding lanes but a gate announcement of baggage resulted in over 40 passengers coming forward (it took me a while to realise the scale of the take up, so I didn't count the first few). Boarding was delayed as the gate staff were so busy processing all these extra bags. When boarding did commence, a gate agent stood at the entrance to the lane checking people were eligible for boarding at that time. However, the bag volunteers and the assistance passengers meant that the first person in Group 1 to board was actually closer to the 50th person to board the aircraft.

I was about 55th. Personally, I liked it. Nobody in front of me was delaying boarding standing in the aisle as they had no bags to store. There were a lot of disgruntled Group 1-3 passengers though. And I saw at least one bag tag on the floor of jetty where someone had taken up the offer and then taken their bag onto the aircraft anyhow. Not sure if this would have messed up the hold bag reconciliation.

The gate agents speeded up the boarding process. But this is treating the symptom not the cause and is going to escalate until the point that boarding groups become meaningless and gate agents replace check in agents. BA really need to stop all these silly reactionary measures and get a blank sheet of paper to solve the problem. I'll give them a starter: Employ someone on commission to supervise the boarding gates and pay them for every bag that has to be checked because it is out of policy. This is funded by making the customer pay. If they do not pay, they do not travel. Explicit communication prior to travel will be key.

But really BA, it is not on to let the riff raff board before me.

Workie Ticket

It's the not publicised Group 0!

bisonrav

You could always offer to check your bag at the gate too?

I can't really get excited about this. They're at the back, they're quick on. I'm much more concerned about the other b*ggers in Group 1 grabbing overhead space in row 1.

flyerkit

Buy a suitably sized bag for �1 at a charity shop. Or bring an old box.
Fill with rubbish.
Use as your "GROUP0" early boarding token.
Abandon it after the flight.

Nimrod1965

Great idea, as I�m soon to be �Blue�, I�ll use this wheeze on any further BA trips 👻

(Spoiler alert: I don�t intend taking many BA flights in future unless I can get a Club flight using Avios).

SxMan

On last Friday lunchtimes flight to Milan LIN there was the same sort of commotion. It was at gate A10d and people were asked to check in their hand luggage which was then tagged and given to them to leave at the door as they exited towards the buses.�


� except that, when we deplaned and started boarding the Italian buses towards the terminal I noticed quite a few people carrying cases with an LIN luggage tag / could this be because they took on board the plane luggage that was supposed to go in the hold? Surely not!

South London Bon Viveur

Agree with the OP- it's rubbish for those that have priority boarding, but at the same time I can understand why it is done, as otherwise there would be no incentive. I think the design of larger bins is the single most important part of an aircraft's design these days. Personally I try to take hand luggage that will slide under the seat in front, as that saves the headache of having to try and find space if the space above your seat has already been snaffled. There is too much stress caused this particular subject, so the best way to deal with it is make sure that you have an easy plan b.

cbyrne92

Ah the mythical overhead space above row 1.... Can't say I've ever seen it myself personally Even when 1st on board with 1A/C the bin is usually full.

CB

SWISSBOBBY

There has always been an easy solution to this problem... Tag bags that are the correct size for the bins before boarding commences... you either do this at the gate before boarding starts or you pass a customer service point to get a "green" overhead bin tag.
Only "green" tagged luggage is allowed onboard. Therefore, it has to conform to rules.
Install a self-tag machine at the gates so those who have not complied can tag their own luggage for the hold.
If bags are not tagged, they do not travel!!!
Then consistency. No exceptions, and gate staff, while checking stuff correct group... passport... whatever... as we enter the boarding queues, direct those with excess hand baggage to sort it out rather than letting it through.

Staff who do not comply and do their jobs will have questions to answer.

I would have it sorted in less than 2 weeks

LondonAussie

I don't really care if people board before me, I would actually prefer to board last and spend less time in the plane on the ground. The only reason I have to board first is because if I don't someone will have put their bags above my seat and I'll have to walk half way down the plane to where they're seated to put mine above theirs!

Geordie405

The thing is, if you're gate checking your bag then there's no need for you to have priority boarding as you no longer have a bag to go in the overhead bin. Ergo you can board with your normal group. I have made this point before, both on here and to BA.

When I was last flying up to NCL we had the added bonus of those gate checking bags blocking access to the boarding gates themselves, and the staff were still tagging bags so anyone with an issue using the e-gates couldn't get it resolved because there were no staff to assist. It was an utter shambles.

VSLover

i called this specific issue out in the survey sent to me yesterday as i have been caught out with zero space above row 1 when i have been the first person to board from group 1!

they need to make the call to check bags for free but NOT provide priority boarding. people will still take it up because its a free checked bag, but will have fewer takers because some seek the priority again, to game the system.

Fatdickie

This would also stop the idiots who selfishly bring on more than one bag as only one of them would be tagged
I've seen people with 3 or 4 and no one checks....

CT-UK

The BA system of tagging bags is backward... Tag the ones that need to go under the seat. So many people just take the tags off and put them up.
Just make the bags that go up have the tag.

Fatdickie

Or as SWISSBOBBY mentioned above,
Tag the bags that need to go on board and will be placed in the overhead bin, no tag then it doesn't go on board and the passenger pays for it to go in the hold...
Certainly there is then no incentive to pull the tags off your bag.