FlightDetective

This is how EI board all their flights.

When I flew transatlantic with them in October, it was exactly the same. Priority, then back to front.

gw76

another hairbrain scheme that will make zero difference unless consistently enforced (which it won’t be). How much did they all cost?

Ned1968

AA has two boarding channels and they generally do a great job of boarding strictly by group number

This 1-3 malarkey has been in place for at least the last month at Heathrow and abroad and if you're in Group 1 you are now generally queuing and boarding with half the plane.

I've had 12 international BA flights this month and only once has Group 1 been invited to board before Groups 2 & 3

The gate staff were complaining about it at LHR this morning

Idiocy - what is the point of groups if BA is going to board in two phases?

etiene

...from which point of view?

corporate-wage-slave

Not much, but here is an example of where they work:



The queue to this gate is largely on the left side of this photo, and there are complaints in this forum about no Priority Boarding at NCL. This isn't so, the regulars know about the sign on the door area such their queue is on the right. The new pillars now make this clear since it's over head height. They were rolled out at the beginning of October 2022 withiin the UK, and in other places more recently.

marcopizzaiuolo

In my experience/from what I have observed, it is a simply a way to form two separate queue as people invariably tend to stand in front of the gate even if they held a groups 9 boarding pass (I blame the rise of budget airlines for this &#128517. So a Priority queue may form separately from the other groups, but then they tend to still call by group number once the boarding commence.

The other benefit is that if you are late at the gate as a group 1-2-3 BP holder and there is a long queue for the remaining group, you can still go via the dedicated queue without having to join the main one (done it few times recently after overstaying in the lounge)

HarryHolden68

It's those in group 2 and 3 that are the worst. They stand across the entrance to the priority lane and when group 1 is called, stand large to make sure "None shall Pass".

fotographer

this type of this is happening across quite a few airlines...
remember we must now include everyone in group boarding.. otherwise we will offend groups after us that need to feel loved..

Simonp27

I had this recently at EDI. A proper effort by the gate agent for Group 1s with a few turned away who tried to chance it from other Groups.

chriswiles

When I reached the gate for my flight from LHR to ARL on Monday I found there must have been 30 people queuing for 'groups 1-3' boarding before anything was called.

Why do people feel the need to create an orderly queue before any groups are called, ready to pounce when they are eventually called? As soon as they announce group 1, I simply ignore that queue and go to the front anyhow.

subject2load

Very much inclined to agree.

What has always bemused me about BA’s Boarding by Groups ‘policy’ is the plethora of different ways in which it has been applied by gate agents ever since the day of its introduction. The sheer inconsistency - ranging from rigorous enforcement (a rarity IME) to total free-for-all (perfectly common) - is something to behold ; whilst regularly causing frustration and / or needless chaos.

Can recall a particular sector back from LJU earlier this year when two agents were sat side-by-side at the gate desk. One of them made a very clear, courteous announcement : “Welcome to today’s flight number xx to London Heathrow. We shall shortly be ready to board, and please note that this will be strictly by Group number”

Around five minutes pass. Passengers are very calm and mostly seated. The same agent by now had become engaged in discussion (about which I know nothing, nor should I) with one of the waiting pax. Her colleague suddenly speaks into the PA microphone : “Ladies & gentlemen, we are now ready to board” …..and then …… er ….. no more words emerged from her mouth at all.

So, a minor scrum ensues, although in fairness it so happened that everyone on the day was surprisingly restrained with no barging or pushing as we all progressed as a single group, so to speak, through the gate scanner. But it was very clear that Group Five got you the exact same ‘priority’ as Group One. Just a different number printed on your BP …… it’s there ….. but quite often, as in this case, to no particular effect. Bit like the shiny new signage.

Ned1968

negatively

EuropeanPete

You should try the Thursday evening ZRH - LCY. I'm sure there's someone who's not priority on the flight, but I've never met them.

ianwall

deleted

zarp

Unless I've got a bag to go in the overhead locker I'm quite happy to be the last on, never really understood the rush.