Skywards silver priority boarding
 

Hey guys, I know this is a small matter, but I am just curious about the workings. Flew DUB - DXB - BAH return this week and on boarding at DUB and BAH, the priority queue said first, business, platinum, gold and silver.

Prioiryy boarding is a listed benefit of silver and I had no issues using it in the above airports.

However, I am currently sitting at the gate in DXB in concourse B, and at the gate both the entrance to the gate area and the separate seating area list first, business, platinum and gold.

Why is there priority boarding for silvers at outstations and not at DXB?

I didn't experience this on the outbound as boarded directly from concourse A business lounge, so not sure what the sign said there.

Thanks!

Silver tier do get priority boarding fullstop , I would be shocked to learn that it has been stripped in DXB ! I think it must be a typo unles I am misinformed , maybe double check with staff 👍🏼

Quick update, they just made announcement over the intercom that all first, business, plat, gold and silver can board at their leisure. Strange that the signs are different here than elsewhere though.....

It's always been this way (well, for the last 2 years for sure) in DXB, it's just omitted, but you can still use the benefit AFAIK

Well, yes and no. In GVA (twice now) when it's been a bus gate, they call for (1) First and Business (I guess so it's easier to get them on their own bus), then (2) passengers with children*, and only then (3) Silver/Gold/Platinum. I assume if there's anyone left after that, they get called last.

My flight last week coincided with the beginning of school holidays, so I stood there with the handful of Silver/Gold/Plat watching the hordes of families go ahead of us. The (very few) seats on the Y bus were fully occupied by 4 year olds and their parents. So much for "priority."

(*They actually said "children under 3 years old" but everyone with kids up to about 12 years old joined the line at that point.)

I think I mentioned this on another thread quite some time ago but the same was confirmed by some of our more regular flyers. It is strange that the signage in DXB doesn't reflect the benefit, but same as you heard, they did announce it for boarding.

S

I've seen this at some outstations too. They're not consistent in the signage and even miss silvers in the announcements from time to time. When I was a silver I always boarded with First/Business and they never gave me any trouble.

If that's in response to my comment above, in both my experiences at GVA, Silver/Gold passengers tried to board with F/J and were told to wait to one side. (The first time it was me. They were rather rude about it. Despite a sign which listed F/J/S/G/P all together.)

This last time, someone was roaming the gate area prior to boarding to check passports and scribble on the BP; she explicitly told me "they'll call First and Business first, then Silver/Gold/Plat after that." Which was strictly true, although she neglected to mention that "anyone with children" was in between F/J and S/G/P. :(

You should try EY J priority boarding in JNB. Bus gate, call J (no F on this flight), we get on the bus, then have to stand and wait 15 mins while the call Y and fill up the bus with Y. So we're crammed into the bus standing 15 mins and then last out of the bus and up the stairs because of that. Utterly ridiculous

Ugh only one of my biggest pet hates , BA( Comair ) / SAA do this for domestic flights .... :mad:

Wow! Never had that situation myself, but also never flown out of GVA. In fact for a bus gate at DXB they were once waiting for an F/J bus and started to board Y first. When I joined the other Y pax they told me I should wait for the F/J bus. I politely declined and boarded with the first Y bus.

Once again we learn that all outstation are not identical!

I haven't had a remote stand in DXB for quite a while now , when flying Y. So if you are silver/gold you get J bus and Plat First bus or is is Y all the way. I should know this but every time i get remote stand i am in F/J

Not all airports are the same and some lack even the most basic facilities. In airports which lack facilities and have large volumes of Skywards members, some benefits have to be withdrawn as if you can only rent three check in counters during your check in period - and have an aircraft with 1st, J and Y config (like EK does), your 1st and J class counter will not be very premium if you have hoardes of Golds and Silvers trying to check in at them along with the revenue pax.

I was waiting to board a BA flight out of DXB last year where the line to board for F, J and exec club members was longer than the one for pax in Y...

That is why you might have to make a local decision to change policy due to local constraints. If you only have three check in counters and hoardes of FFs, you might have one counter for 1st and Plats, one for J and Golds and one for Y and Silver. If you have 20 plats, 50 golds and 75 silvers you can't have them all clogging up the premium counters.

Likewise, you may have to rearrange boarding if you have a limited number of buses as some outstations do.