[Gold-2K]

Travelling BOS/LHR tomorrow and boarding pass shows Group 0. I didn’t get anything from BA about this but apparently a trial to allow Gold Guest List members to board even before First Class, who I believe are still in Group 1.

Nice touch I guess but obvious question, especially out of T5, would a GGL member be able to make it though the usual chaos of Group boarding to take advantage of it, and will the gate agents know what a Group 0 traveller actually is?

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WilliamRead

[Swissdiver]

It would be a bit surprising, I think. Another possibility would be group 0 to be an equivalent to group PRE at Lufti: Pre-boarding. I got this as I was seating on the exit row earlier this month.

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WilliamRead

[Gold-2K]

No it’s definitely a status thing. Similar to what AA does for Concierge Key or United does with Global Services.

I read on another site, that because the number of GGL holders is reducing post Covid, BA can ‘afford’ to do more for the few thousand GGL holders globally?

Currently a trial on a small number of long-haul routes.

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WilliamRead

[CAI]

There is already Group 0 boarding in another guise. On Tuesday I flew CE LHR to ATH so was in group 1. The flight was very full so we had the inevitable announcement about checking in cabin bags at the gate. Everyone who was happy to check-in their cabin bag was ushered past the passport check to an area behind the desk so that baggage tags could be attached. This meant that they all got to board before Group 1 which makes a mockery of being in Group 1. Anyone else come across this scenario?

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WilliamRead, Wells, Johnnyg, CheerUp

[JFTraveller]

Yes CAI, all the time at T5

[Cargoman]

@CAI
I also experienced this twice in the last week.

[FDOS]

I have to say, that in my past experience, BA couldn’t make groups 1-9 work, so I am skeptical that they will be any better with 0-9.

Fortunately, I won’t be in a position to observe, as I have made other choices.

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WilliamRead, DerekVH, esselle

[CheerUp]

Yes, ironically to the same destination – In response to CAI’s reply, ATH.

Estimate 35% of pax dropped off their bags – some of which looked suspiciously large and had they have been asked if they fit the requirements may have been struggling.

As somebody who travels incredibly lightly/ if I do need luggage I will check in, my Group 1 boarding turned out to be about Group 6.

May be fighting my own personal campagin on this, but wish BA/others would introduce the EasyJet policy of paying for the seocnd larger piece of checked lugagge, with Bronze Exec (or equivalent) allowed as standard – Club Europe 2 pieces as standard.

Would speed up boarding, disembarkation etc., may not like them, but always found boarding process with LCC’s to be much more efficient – providing you stick to the clear, enforced guidelines.

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WilliamRead, Wells

[FlyingScotsman]

Yes I fly to Glasgow and Edinburgh a lot from LHR and it is a well known “hack” to get early boarding to bring a carryon through that you want to check in. Been happening for years. Very frustrating they then get to board first. I have seen groups of 10/15 do it regularly.

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WilliamRead

[SwissExPat]

Sometimes being in the very first group to “board” is significantly disadvantaged by the process starting before the aircraft is ready.

Consequently, those lucky to board first are caught on an often non airconditioned airbridge for (in my experience) up to 7-8 minutes.

Great for the check in staff to speed things up but terrible for those trapped in a scrum on the airbridge.

This has happened to me quite often recently in LHR and DUB but only once in ZRH.

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WilliamRead

[ViajeroUK]

Not BA, but on a recent KLM flight from AMS, well before boarding time, announcement was made that full flight expected so hand baggage could be checked in at the gate, gate staff walked around and tagged several trolley bags which were then stacked near the door after the desk. Then announced that ALL pax in Group 5 would need to check their bags, this was done at the side of the gate area, and pax returned to the waiting area. This was still happening when boarding for Sky Priority commenced with no ‘bag droppers’ jumping the queue as far as I know, certainly none in front of my group, gate agent checked that boarding cards complied. The gate area was quite spacious which perhaps made it easy to operate the bag drop operation.

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WilliamRead

[ASK1945]

ViajeroUK wrote: [They]”Then announced that ALL pax in Group 5 would need to check their bags, this was done at the side of the gate area”

I am never in Group 5 but nevertheless am very concerned about this. I carry all my essential medication for the length of my trip, with a few extra days’ worth, in my on-board bag, together with my electronics. I would never take the chance of having this bag put into the hold and would refuse to fly.

Given that when I book I check the restrictions on the size of the on-board bag that is permitted, and ensure that my own bag complies. So as “forcibly” removing my bag is – in my opinion – a breach of contract, I would sue the airline for preventing my journey. I can’t see why a full plane is relevant, as presumably that is what all airlines must plan for when deciding the type of aircraft they put on a route.

Am I correct?

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WilliamRead, Junaed

[ViajeroUK]

I believe that Sky Priority pax are always able to board with their permitted carry on allowance, I also carry all my essentials in my carry on trolley bag and have never been asked to check it.

I think Group 5 is the last boarding group on KLM flights.

My view is that if the flight is busy they try to get as many bags in the hold as they can to avoid the scrum on board when people disregard the guidelines and try to carry everything on board and expect that they will have an empty bin over their seat, inevitably the cabin crew end up going up and down the aisle trying to find spaces which often leads to delayed departure.

In an ideal world all pax would adhere to the stated cabin bag sizes, mainline carriers seem reluctant to enforce their cabin bag rules at the gate, possibly because of the extra time required to get the bags in the hold. In the KLM case I commented on the staff acted in advance of the boarding time to get as many trolley bags as they could in the hold without dealing boarding, the flight left more or less on time.

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WilliamRead

[ASK1945]

“In an ideal world all pax would adhere to the stated cabin bag sizes” – of course if you flout the rules, there is no comeback; you have to accept that your bag might have to go into the hold.

However, if I have complied with everything in the contract, for which I am paying the relevant cost, then if the airline has mismanaged the pax situation, I believe I have a case for compensation and reimbursement of my addional costs.

1 user thanked author for this post.

WilliamRead

[MartynSinclair]

“My view is that if the flight is busy they try to get as many bags in the hold as they can to avoid the scrum on board when people disregard the guidelines and try to carry everything on board”

“In an ideal world all pax would adhere to the stated cabin bag sizes, mainline carriers seem reluctant to enforce their cabin bag rules at the gate,”

My experience is AMS is one of the very few airports, I have seen, where 3rd party gate personnel frequently enforce cabin baggage rules. Airlines appear reluctant to enforce the rules so as not to upset passengers!!

In my ideal world, cabin baggage rules should be enforced. I have not checked any bags in for many years and will always check my ticket to ensure I do not go over the stated allowance for bags in the cabin.

I have always remembered Cedric Statherbys idea to control hand/cabin baggage – checked bags free, charge for all cabin bags! I bet that would sort the problem out….

7 users thanked author for this post.

WilliamRead, Wells, ASK1945, CathayLoyalist2, CheerUp, DerekVH, cwoodward

[Author]

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