Same in XMN, but gate agent will check every boarding pass and separate each group.

Did PVG-HKG last week. While only 1 line for Group 1-3, staff did ask for and board G1 first.

Nope, nothing like that for my flight. And, as far as I could see, the boarding pass scanner was not screening for Group eligibility either (I assume there is such a function?).

I'll be going to Shanghai again on Thursday for a few days, and then another trip the week after. I will report what the situations are like during those boardings.

But, overall, Group Boarding seems to be very inconsistent application in Shanghai.

SIN has the dragons enforcing. They did a good job at holding off group 3s, checking each and every pax in the priority queue.

Took CX 381 tonight from PVG-HKG. It was originally a full flight, but the aircraft was delayed and switched from a 33K to 77J. I was in Premium Econ this time, and that section looked quite empty, with the more-than-doubling of available seats. As far as I could tell, there were no operational upgrades from Y to PEY.

Boarding was via two lines: Groups 1/2/3 and Groups 4/5/6/7. Cathay staff were on hand to single out the Group 1's, and move them to a separate line to board first. Groups 4/5/6/7s' boarding passes were checked, and then passengers separated into two lines (I could not tell how they were separated).

Boarding was handled in an orderly manner. Since the flight was two hours delayed, I suspect that all passengers (and the Cathay staff) wanted to complete boarding ASAP. I think there were already some missed connections when the plane arrived in HKG.

BKK now has a roped off area. Each group not allowed into the area until called. Sort of works (I didn’t see how it worked for Economy, and my plane was a small 32Q (is this going to work for a 77P?)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but just recently found out there is a group 0...

Noticed this last month. I believe it belongs to parents with infants / little kids? / elder / and peoples with disability.

While the group boarding is generally well managed IMHO, the biggest issue for pax is to know which boarding group is being boarded. I often arrive at the gate after boarding commenced, and it’s not that easy to know which group is being allowed to board. The small (A3 sized?) sign in HKG boarding gate is not really helping. So perhaps if CX intended to make it permanent, they should use / make proper display at airport gates.

I always thought that this was a courtesy for such passengers to board ahead of the normal queue. I did not know that this has been formalized as a “Group 0”. But, two observations:

On my recent flights over the past month, indeed “Group 0” have been allowed to scan their boarding passes and “board” first. However, in almost all instances, the passengers are then allowed to go down the ramp, but then must still wait in the holding area before the jet bridges. Only when the plane can actually accept passengers are Group 0 then allowed to board the plane. The problem then arises that Group 1 are eligible for boarding right at that time, and a line up quickly ensues at the jet bridges (usually at the door 2 bridge), as the Group 0 passengers need time to board and get settled down into their seats. (For example, children, wheelchair users, etc. need the extra time to get down the aisle and get settled in.) I am all for Group 0 passengers having the courtesy to board first, but I wish that they are given a proper amount of time to actually find their seats and sit down before the masses come on board.

Second, on a flight to Singapore awhile ago, I witnessed “Group 0” boarding first as a group of 100+ school kids. These kids boarded even before the Group 1/2/3 line. I asked the gate supervisor what was going on, and she replied that they were “adults with children”, and were allowed to board first. That explanation was a bit of a stretch…. But, I could also imagine this group boarding at the same time with the other passengers, and that might have been a challenge to manage such a large group of excited kids.

Last month, a red-eye flight ex-Jakarta, I think group 0 people well handled and then start group 1 boarding. Maybe not that consistent with handling the group 0 passenger.

For a group of 100+ school kids, witness once at Singapore last May, but on a SQ flight, a huge mess too.

A WhatsApp CS agent just now insisted otherwise :rolleyes:

For a particular flight next month I'll be in J with my party & I'll have two plebs in Y.
I kindly asked a WhatsApp agent to link the bookings, which he did, but after checking something he insisted that the guys in Y won't be boarding with me in group 2. We won't be checking in together but it shouldn't matter?
People's experiences here don't support the agent's statement!

Hard to find an agent to confirm 2+2=4

Might be a policy change, but I genuinely doubt it.

Whatapp CS agents are apparently luck based, which some are informed and some are just confused. I personally don't have a data point, since my whole family owns status, but could see if anyone else here has a reference data point for you.

Just took a flight from PVG-TPE tonight. EVA also boarded by groups, with four lines: 1, 2, 3, and 4/5. Very well managed with gate agents checking all boarding passes and directing passengers to the correct line. One agent was also holding a sign clearly showing which group was boarding. From my experience tonight (and comparing that with my previous evening flights on CX 381 and CX 369), BR’s agents handle the group boarding procedures better than CX. And, tonight’s flight was quite full.

I was on a redemption ticket using SQ KrisFlyer miles, and only KrisFlyer Silver (which does not mean much), so I was delegated into Group 4. I must say that I have been quite spoiled boarding as Group 1 on CX. :)