[Reeferman]

Just checked-in on-line for a BA flight to Central America. I’m a Gold card holder, the other passenger (on same booking) is Blue. We are both in Club. The boarding pass has the new “Group” boarding numbers on it. While I’m shown as Group 1 , amazingly, the other passenger is Group 2!
I rang BA to let them know of the IT programming error – the lady said she’d pass it on.
Within 5 mins I had a call back (full marks for service, btw) saying that this is BA’s policy – it is not an error!
We both agreed it was ridiculous that 2 passengers travelling together on the same booking can not board together – unless one “downgrades”. She said to “have a word” with the boarding gate personnel. .
Another piece of BA ‘logic”, I guess!

[FDOS_UK]

I don’t see that there is any change to policy, here, let me explain.

Boarding privileges (unless special needs, kid etc) arise from either the BAEC tier level or cabin class and are individual.

Under the old system, your GC would entitle you to board with F pax on long haul and the other passenger’s BC would entitle them to board with the masses; however, as the other passenger had booked in CW, they would then be entitled to board in that group, after F and GC.

As a GC holder, I have never had a problem with my wife (BC holder) boarding with me, so the gate agents unofficially extend the higher tier level privileges.

If this practice continues, there will be no impact on people like you or me, but if BA mandates that privileges will be enforced strictly, then we will lose out.

As an example of this, my wife and I flew back from Lisbon in economy, last week and the check in agent directed us to use the fastrack security channel, but when we got there, the operator denied my wife access – whilst mildly irritating, I could not argue as this was exactly per BA policy.

As BA is looking to introduce electronic boarding gates, the interesting question will be whether they choose to code them to admit only the group being called at the time and if so. whether gate operators will be able to override this (i.e. turn a blind eye, as they do now).

Time will tell.

As someone who has complained about shambolic BA boarding, I could not really criticise them for following the policy, but would cry blue murder if they continue to ‘pre-board’ pax willing to check in hand luggage, which lead in one case to me boarding as pax #30 odd, when first in the priority queue and travelling in Business UK.

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

I thought this nonsense was only for Economy? They seriously applying this to Club?….. If I was in Club, I would be boarding whenever I want. I would not care less what “group” is on the boarding pass.

[navnov11]

[quote quote=846156]Just checked-in on-line for a BA flight to Central America. I’m a Gold card holder, the other passenger (on same booking) is Blue. We are both in Club. The boarding pass has the new “Group” boarding numbers on it. While I’m shown as Group 1 , amazingly, the other passenger is Group 2! I rang BA to let them know of the IT programming error – the lady said she’d pass it on. Within 5 mins I had a call back (full marks for service, btw) saying that this is BA’s policy – it is not an error! We both agreed it was ridiculous that 2 passengers travelling together on the same booking can not board together – unless one “downgrades”. She said to “have a word” with the boarding gate personnel. . Another piece of BA ‘logic”, I guess!
[/quote]

Here is the new BA boarding policy :
===
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/checking-in-and-boarding/boarding
===

There is a big thread of discussion on flyertalk about this. In the one of the posts, an OP has mentioned that if you are travelling in a Group and you belong to separate groups, the boarding agents will allow the group to board based on the higher Group number. Also, it mentions that an IT update is scheduled sometime later this year where a booking on the same PNR will generate the same Group number for all the passengers (i.e Group number of the Highest Tier Executive club member)

[FDOS_UK]

It’s always worth remembering that Flyertalk, whilst having some well connected posters, is neither an endorsed nor authorative voice for BA.

[K1ngston]

A question if I may, does this extend also to you getting your wives and loved ones into the lounges when you travel or this is unaffected?

I sort of buy the need for countering the chaos at check in but would be well ticked off if I couldn’t bring a colleague or god forbid hubby into the lounge when we travel together??

[openfly]

Group 1 goes from First Class Premier to the lowest Gold in economy…hey some priority system! Bun fight at the gate. The only ones that are happy are Economy Nothings who know their place…unless they have slipped through with Group 1 unnoticed! Oh BA…..

[Cloud-9]

I experienced another layer to the new BA boarding policy last week at DFW

My son and I had spent 2 weeks in Texas over the Xmas/New year holidays. I am Gold, he is Silver, we were travelling in J.

The first group to be called was F and Gold. They allowed said son to board with no problem

The second group to be called was only seats 60 to 64. Not Silver. They were in the third group, along with the rest of J.

Makes good sense, but is it part of official BA policy?

[Gold-2K]

No changes to the existing policy on bringing a guest into the lounge for gold and silver card holders.

[quote quote=846284]Group 1 goes from First Class Premier to the lowest Gold in economy…hey some priority system! Bun fight at the gate. The only ones that are happy are Economy Nothings who know their place…unless they have slipped through with Group 1 unnoticed! Oh BA…..
[/quote]

This is the biggest issue that needs to be resolved, travelling in first and boarding in group 1 with 75 others, many of whom are in Y does not feel like a priority experience.

United have Group 1 as first class and Global Services which I think in BA language would mean First, Permier and Gold Guest List. One World Emerald would be Group 2 with business class.

Alternatively allow first to “pre board” with those “needing extra time”.

[Reeferman]

[quote quote=846165]I don’t see that there is any change to policy, here, let me explain.

@FDOS_UK You are probably correct – it’s just that, like you, I’ve never had any issue with my travelling partner boarding first if we are both on the same ticket – so assumed it was standard policy and that this new system was, genuinely, an IT error (an easy assumption to make given BA’s IT history, of course!).
It will be interesting to see how it develops as the new system “beds-in” – and also how it is implemented at overseas airports on the return leg!
That said, I still think it’s a rather odd policy.

[openfly]

Obviously, from the press, bed-bugs are allowed to board first so that they are settled and comfortable awaiting their meal!!!

[Derek1948]

We were flying F on a BA 380 last week to Jberg and the worst thing when the 1 boarders were called was managing to push our way through the rest of the pasengers milling around the gate. At least tickets were checked at the gate and F had theirown entrance to the plane. Will be interesting tosee what happens in 2 weeks time flying back in an old BA 747, again in F.

[Author]

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