Priority Boarding in Bangkok ?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: BKK,SFO
Programs: AA EXP / CX DM
Posts: 16
Priority Boarding in Bangkok ?
I was wondering why it is always crowded in priority boarding queue in Bangkok. I took at least 30+ flights with TG every year. They never check the boarding pass to see that who have the priority boarding or not. They just lets everyone go through. Once I saw a woman who showed AMEX ROP Platinum credit card to the gate agent. She look at it at let her board with Priority Boarding. Why this is a problem in its own hub. In Hong Kong or Tokyo 5 minutes before boarding there will be an agent who check the boarding pass if we had the priority boarding or not. Why this is a problem?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,116
To be fair to THAI, I have had better experiences than yours for some sectors.
Boarding BKK-ICN, usually on red eye, in my experience was usually quite civilised. At the risk of generalising, my observation is that Korean passengers follow instructions well (I found this to be usually true living in Seoul for 4 years as well).
I do agree that THAI staff tend to use ad-hoc signage for first/biz and Gold boarding, which doesn't help. Add in generalised Thai cultural behaviour to avoid causing a fuss or confrontation, and it is not unsurprising that boarding can be a bit chaotic. Other places have been much worse though.....
Boarding BKK-ICN, usually on red eye, in my experience was usually quite civilised. At the risk of generalising, my observation is that Korean passengers follow instructions well (I found this to be usually true living in Seoul for 4 years as well).
I do agree that THAI staff tend to use ad-hoc signage for first/biz and Gold boarding, which doesn't help. Add in generalised Thai cultural behaviour to avoid causing a fuss or confrontation, and it is not unsurprising that boarding can be a bit chaotic. Other places have been much worse though.....
#4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BKK
Programs: TG ROP Platinum, M&M Senator, IHG Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 8,275
Agreed with all 3 contributors…
in BKK experience can be very different. Usually best is, if desk which checks boarding pass and passport is just at the gate (concourse A and B, domestic during day and international during night). For most other gates, the difficulty is, that the desk (where Boarding pass and passport is checked) is at the entrance to the large boarding area. It works well if ground staff try to separate and only let premium passenger into the area between desk and doors and guide all other passengers to the other side. worst experience is usually at the bus gate, but in this case they start boarding usually very early, when premium passengers are still at the lounge or on the way to the lounge. In this case they do not even try to separate.
Agreed with Thai-Kiwi that Thai ground staff do from their cultural and social background not like to enforce such issues nor raise voice, which would sometimes be necessary
in BKK experience can be very different. Usually best is, if desk which checks boarding pass and passport is just at the gate (concourse A and B, domestic during day and international during night). For most other gates, the difficulty is, that the desk (where Boarding pass and passport is checked) is at the entrance to the large boarding area. It works well if ground staff try to separate and only let premium passenger into the area between desk and doors and guide all other passengers to the other side. worst experience is usually at the bus gate, but in this case they start boarding usually very early, when premium passengers are still at the lounge or on the way to the lounge. In this case they do not even try to separate.
Agreed with Thai-Kiwi that Thai ground staff do from their cultural and social background not like to enforce such issues nor raise voice, which would sometimes be necessary
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,399
I guess it's not so much an issue for premium pax - separate air bridges and boarding doors mean there's not too much inconvenience. And you can always jump to the front of the queue with a premium boarding pass.
But for status pax in Y it could be an issue if early boarding and access to overhead bins is required.
But for status pax in Y it could be an issue if early boarding and access to overhead bins is required.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
The last few flights I have taken with SQ out of Singapore for Bangkok I have had the same experience. There's an announcement about priority boarding, but no-one checks that only those entitled are boarding - definitely a change from a few years ago