Apr 1, 2024, 8:53 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

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Information kindly collated by SleepySynapse

Group 0 called before Group 1? (To post 1221)

AGP - mixed
No: 31st March (1059)
Yes: 2nd April (1166)

ALC - no
No: 1st April (1096)

AMS - mostly yes
Yes: 28th March (1038), 1st April (1106), 2nd April (1139)
No: 28th March (996)

ARN - yes
Yes: 27th March (923), 3rd April (1168)

ATH - no
No: 2nd April (1178)

ATL - yes
Yes: 28th March (1141)

BHD - no
No: 30th March (1044), 31st March (1082), 2nd April (1152)

BOM - no
No: 6th April (1216)

BOS - yes
Yes: 1st April (1084)

BRU - mixed
No: 1st April (1083)
Yes: 10th April (1312)

BSL - no
No: 30th March

BUD - mixed
Yes: 30th March (1043)
No: 30th March (1050)

CDG - mixed
No: 26th March (887), 2nd April (1175)
Yes: 28th March (987)

CUN - yes
Yes: 27th March (1030)

DOH - no
No: 3rd April (1164)

DUB - yes
Yes: 26th March (908), 27th March (951), 27th March (964), 29th March (1028), early April (1213)

EDI - yes
Yes: 26th March (919),27th March (912), 4th April (1185)

FNC - no
No: 31st March (1134)

GLA - yes
Yes: 26th March (895), 28th March (1035), 2nd April (1122), 2nd April (1139)

GOT - mixed
Yes: 28th March (975)
No: 1st April (1136)

GVA - yes
Yes: 28th March, 31st March (1137), 2nd April (1135)

HKG - yes
Yes: 2nd April (1163)

INN - no at bus gates
No: 28th March *bus gate* (968)

IST - no
No: 5th April (1197)

JER - mixed
No: (1039)
Yes: 3rd April (1174)

JFK - yes
Yes: 31st March (1087)

LAS - yes
Yes: 22nd April (1495)

LCY - yes
Yes: 27th March (916), 27th March (970), 2nd April (1171) 26th April

LGW - mostly yes
Yes: 26th March (905), 27th March (917), 28th March (965), 28th March (989), 28th March (1016), 28th March (1106), 31st March (1052), late March (1132)
No: 28th March (1166), 29th March (1010), 30th March (1042), early April (1182)

LHR - mostly yes
Yes: 26th March (883), 26th March (884), 27th March (913), 27th March (942),27th March (960), 28th March (1027), 29th March (1030), 29th March (1031), 30th March *bus gate* (1040),31st March (1074), 31st March (1082), 31st March (1082), 31st March *T3* (1136), 1st April (1107), 2nd April *T3* (1126), 2nd April *bus* (1139), 2nd April (1175), 4th April *T3* (1186), 4th April (1191), early April (1192), early April *T3* (1210), 4th April *bus* (1212), 6th April (1211), 6th April (1219), 8th April 2024 (1312)
No: 26th March (857), 26th March (861), 26th March (873), 26th March (895), 26th March (904), 27th March (959), 28th March *bus gate* (990), 29th March *T3* (1026), 30th March (1044), 30th March (1044), 31st March (1061), 1st April (1088), early April (1192), 12th April *T3* (1334), 24 April JFK

LPA - no
No: 3rd April (1183)

MAD - no
No: 1st April (1086)

MAN - yes
Yes: 27th March (937), 27th March (952), 29th March (1032), 11th April (1315)

MLA - no
No: 29th March (1036)

MLE - no
No: 28th March *bus* (1170)

MUC - no
No: 26th March (892)
Yes: 17 April (949)

NCE - mixed
No: 24 April
Yes: 30th April

NCL - not really, but generally straight on board
Not really: 1st April (1088), early April (1192)
No, when waiting in gate area: 3rd April (1211)

ORD - yes
Yes: 28th March (999), 28th March (1000)

OSL - yes
Yes: 3rd April (1160)

OTP - no
No: early April (1167)

POS - no
No: 2nd April (1184)

PRG - yes
Yes: 5th April (1198)

PSA - yes
Yes: 15th April

RTM - no
No: 5th April (1201)

RUH - yes
Yes: 27th March (939)

SOF - no
No: 14th April (1359)

SCL - yes
Yes: 4th Apil (1187)

SIN - mixed
No: 31st March (1073)
Yes: 6th April (1221)

SYD - mixed
No: 31st March (1049)
Yes: 7th April (1217)

TFS - no
No: early April (1182)

VIE - no
No: 6th April (1200)

ZRH - mixed
Yes: 26th March (958),31st March (1060), 1st April (1105)
No: 26th March (963), 5th April (1211)

__PRESENT

Group 0 boarding for GGL

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Mar 15, 2024, 9:55 am

#706

subject2load

Join Date: Sep 2013

Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold

Posts: 6,412

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaro

I made a complaint about this for ZRH-LHR and got 10k points. For ZRH they always board 1-3 together or most of the times it’s 1 and everyone 😄

Nice result

Now I regret not putting in a complaint each & every time I’ve experienced similar hapless efforts at implementation of group boarding. Certainly a far better avios earn rate than anything offered on credit card deals ……. not to mention actual flying !

crazy8534, becks1 and Ramos like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 10:06 am

#707

Tim330

Join Date: Apr 2019

Programs: British Airways

Posts: 50

At Dusseldorf this morning for the 10:15 to Heathrow the recorded announcement asked passengers in groups 0,1,2&3 to come forward for advance boarding. It was most of the passengers.

crazy8534 and becks1 like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 10:10 am

#708

TabTraveller

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: London, UK

Programs: BAEC

Posts: 2,344

Quote:

Originally Posted by subject2load

Nice result

Yup it’s the standard comp for boarding cock ups. Doesn’t take many group 0-3s for it to start adding up!

crazy8534 and subject2load like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 10:20 am

#709

David_Doyle

Join Date: Aug 2004

Location: London, UK

Programs: BA GGL, HHonors Diamond

Posts: 910

Quote:

Originally Posted by TabTraveller

Please do email GGL to lodge a complaint - it is as frustrating for BA management as it is for passengers when trials such as this, intended to improve recognition and service for BA’s top customers, are stymied by gate agents deciding they know best.

I'm baffled why BA can't get boarding right. It makes not a jot of difference whether it's outsourced or not. If BA introduced a new element of inflight service and some crew ignored it all the time it would be picked up somewhere. Boarding by group is supposed to be part of the overall service, so it should be delivered.

Perhaps if there was a penalty in the contract with ground service companies for non-compliance with boarding processes it might sharpen compliance.

Thomathy, crazy8534, subject2load and 3 others like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 10:30 am

#710

jaro

Join Date: Aug 2019

Programs: BAEC Gold (1w Emerald), United Platinum (*G), Marriott Plat Elite

Posts: 384

Quote:

Originally Posted by subject2load

Nice result

For disclaimer I put in the complaint worded as feedback (I'm myself Group 2 these days) and mentioned that 1. the group boarding is never respected and 2. check-in staff asks too aggressively for checking in hand luggage when you are in Club Europe or Groups 0/1/2. I did not expect any points so it was a nice surprise

crazy8534, subject2load, LCSinTexas and 1 others like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 12:19 pm

#711

subject2load

Join Date: Sep 2013

Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold

Posts: 6,412

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Doyle

I'm baffled why BA can't get boarding right. It makes not a jot of difference whether it's outsourced or not. ……………………………

Perhaps if there was a penalty in the contract with ground service companies for non-compliance with boarding processes it might sharpen compliance.

It’s been consistently inconsistent from the day it was first launched - over six years ago - amidst great fanfare (and endless lively discussion here on FT).

If BA management were serious about wanting it to operate as intended, at all gates & all airports, they would have taken the necessary firm action long ago.

Prepare to be baffled for years to come ………

EuropeanPete, TabTraveller and becks1 like this.

Mar 15, 2024, 1:58 pm

#712

alexwuk

Join Date: Feb 2002

Location: London. Or a plane.

Programs: "Only" 50,000 TPs until BA GGLfL

Posts: 2,779

For LCY-ZRH today they didn't bother with Group 0 and skipped straight to Group 1. Old skool.

Mar 16, 2024, 1:53 am

#713

Finland Station

Join Date: Nov 2023

Programs: BAEC GGLfL

Posts: 521

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexwuk

For LCY-ZRH today they didn't bother with Group 0 and skipped straight to Group 1. Old skool.

At potentially 10K Avios per complaint, don't hold back.

Mar 16, 2024, 4:14 am

#714

chriswiles

Join Date: Aug 2017

Posts: 1,432

Group 0 called this morning for the BA175 to JFK. Made me chuckle though, it was simply to board the bus at A10....which then waited for it to fill before leaving. I think I counted a single Group 0 on a Saturday morning flight.

Mar 16, 2024, 4:31 am

#715

lost_in_translation

Join Date: Apr 2015

Programs: Some

Posts: 5,313

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriswiles

For a long haul flight, I am certainly in no rush to board (especially for a bus gate) so typically hang back in the lounge until as close as possible to the end of boarding. Highly likely there would be more than one GGL/Prem onboard but just they didn't bother with the Group 0 boarding process (or they were important enough not to be part of the general bus boarding process, etc). In contrast, the three times Group 0 has been successfully called on my flights between LCY and ZRH so far I have not been alone in each case. I think only one GGL onboard is pretty rare on the most status heavy short haul routes, let alone somewhere like JFK.

HFHFFlyer likes this.

Mar 16, 2024, 4:47 am

#716

PUCCI GALORE

Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk

Join Date: Jul 2001

Location: Morbihan, France

Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)

Posts: 19,241

They scarcely cover themselves covered in glory trying to board the present groups without another thrown into the mix. Why don't they make a Group of 0 plus who are flying CE or First and who are GGL? This gets sillier as it goes on. It's bad enough at London - I can just see some Iberia Matron concerning herself with such matter as she arrives at the gate 5 mins before the pandemonium that calls itself boarding commences.

Mar 16, 2024, 5:37 am

#717

PlungeTEX

Join Date: Mar 2023

Posts: 222

Quote:

Originally Posted by PUCCI GALORE

on long haul I have no objection to a GGL/Prem/F being combined. Not going to be a lot of people plus no fight for bin space.

but in short haul group 0 is hugely valuable given the bin space fight. Sure group 1 will have space but as someone who wants to be in 1A or 1F, getting space directly above is much easier if you are elated of most in CE.

Tocsin likes this.

Mar 16, 2024, 5:40 am

#718

Flying Doctor

Join Date: Nov 2006

Programs: MUCCI

Posts: 1,928

I just don't understand why they cannot do this another way. Why not just tell us that if you are GGL you are welcome to come up with the pre-boards. There will be no announcements just show your boarding pass (which will your GGL status loaded) and you will be let through....
Then there is really nothing too complex about this at all......
FD.,

Football Fan, crazy8534, Gastrocnemius and 2 others like this.

Mar 16, 2024, 5:47 am

#719

crazy8534

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2013

Location: UK

Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci

Posts: 4,522

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlungeTEX

I might be wrong but I think PUCCI was suggesting the -1 Group for GGL actually flying in First class or CE (i.e. the highest cabin available on the route).

I think the idea of just not mentioning it at all and telling staff to allow GGL to board with the pre-boarding is a good plan. Although how many of the gate staff would read the memo, who knows? I still like my plan of putting CE in Group 2 and giving Group 1 status to Gold and OWE alone on SH would solve a lot of the perceived problems for us ‘FTerati’….!

Last edited by crazy8534; Mar 16, 2024 at 5:55 am

Mar 16, 2024, 5:52 am

#720

rugby23

Join Date: Jul 2023

Posts: 87

Quote:

Originally Posted by PUCCI GALORE

We had the displeasure of flying Iberia on 3 sectors over the past month. I’ve never seen a such a consistently work shy and apathetic group of people, it was borderline comical until we remembered we were paying money for it.

Something like 30 touch points with 15-20 people, not a one-off. How they are still in business I have no idea - I’ve never been so glad to fly BA again!