[capetonianm]

Lufthansa used to do this years ago, now some bright spark, no doubt an overpaid team of ‘consultants’ in cheap suits and gaudy ties have come up with the same magic bullet :

BBC News – Gatwick trial cuts plane boarding time by 10%
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50214631

It won’t work with families or groups, and it is normally on leisure flights that you have ditherers delaying the process. Regular travellers know the drill and get on with it.

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traveldoc1

[Sal1986]

Agree. And what about priorities/speedy boarding? No more ancillary revenue?

[MartynSinclair]

If there was as much effort in creating and enforcing a cabin baggage policy (i.e. reducing the amount being carried aboard) boarding would be completed far more efficiently and quicker…

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Frederic, Polly, MarcusGB, traveldoc1, cwoodward, Swissdiver, SimonS1, BPP, Jacob, LondonViking, simeoncox, DerekVH, openfly, Gin&Tonic, canucklad

[Gin&Tonic]

Agree with Martin, it drives me to distraction watching the performances of some with too much hand luggage. But now this is also a revenue earner for some carriers it’s never going to change.

[canucklad]

Spot on Martyn.

LCC’s are now getting their knickers in a twist as they try and squeeze us with nonsensical ancillary fees related to boarding and cabin baggage entitlement , and at the same time trying to manage turn around times.

Ryanscare’s new policy is mind boggling in its confusion.

As for BA’s HBO fares , well enough said !!

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Polly

[LuganoPirate]

There was a time when they would board all passengers in rows 12 – 24 (for example) first. This was rarely checked by the gate agent so pax in rows 1 – 11 would just board anyway. Very silly idea. What would be better, and more easily controlled is (after Business and Gold of course):

First to board: Those with no hand baggage
Second: Those with a small bag
Third: With one normal sized cabin bag
Forth: Everyone else.

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Marc_ACB, TupeloKid, BPP, canucklad

[capetonianm]

What is needed is proper control over hand baggage size, and preventing selfish morons from stuffing their bags into the bins at the front and then walking to their seats at the back, meaning that people at the front have to stow their bags further back, causing aggravation and wasted time.

Very few airlines seem to monitor this.

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MarcusGB, ASK1945, Jacob, simeoncox, openfly

[Johnhighlander]

Agreed!

[Inquisitive]

SQ long haul flights manage to get 80-90% economy class seat full in A380, A350, B777.
Most other Asian airlines also manages the boarding process very well.

They follow strict group boarding policy (back to front), and it is always smooth.

Even US airlines (United for example) do this very efficiently.

It seems most European airlines can’t make this work efficiently.

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Polly

[AircraftLover]

Boarding is a very stressful situation for all passengers.
Narrower aisles and densified airplanes make it more difficult.
Finding a place to stow your luggage, is not easy, even in Business Class.
Some of the passengers are, pregnant women, elders, handicapped passengers, and people with reduced mobility.

[MartynSinclair]

The best suggestion I read on these threads about this subject was from Cedric Statherby who suggested increase weight allowance for checked bags and charge for every piece of cabin baggage.

Bet that would stop a lot of hand baggage & shopping bags..and make boarding far quicker…

And yes, I would have no issue being charged, even in business or first…. virtually guarantee locker space above seat.

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DerekVH

[canucklad]

The answer can be found somewhere between LP’s excellent idea and Martyn’s idea of charging.
Yesterday, I was almost tempted to book a very good HBO deal with BA from EDI to HKG. My travelling companions (used to flying FR et al) were worried about lack of luggage space for a weeks stay !
After I pointed out BA’s allowance they were all swayed until it was realised what a pain in the ass it is to traipse through airports /security with that amount of bags. Plus risking the farce of BA’s policy and how it impacts you at EDI .
A small overnight bag (just in case) should be allowed on , with a defined space in the locker.
Duty Free bags under the seat , and then any space left over can be charged to those people who feel the need to travel with the kitchen sink beside them .

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Jacob, LuganoPirate

[JCB2]

surely the best option ( and from memory the way it used to be done) would be to board economy in blocks of seat nos from the back coming forward

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Polly

[Swissdiver]

CGP Grey made a few videos about it, including https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAHbLRjF0vo

On a side note, he also made this great one about UK and the Empire… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

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Ahmad

[cwoodward]

When I lived in Australia for a period back in the early 1980s the Qantas (and Ansett) method of controlling domestic cabin baggage that worked 100% and was splendidly simple.
At the boarding desk there was size frame and if your (1) bag fitted on you went if not into the hold it went no ifs no buts.
Also allowed was a small hand bag of up to a certain size.
The system was rigidly applied and all passengers were aware of it thus it worked very well.
Perhaps I am missing something but it seems to me that the present chaos is caused by what-ever system is being used not being rigidly applied.

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Polly, Jacob

[Author]

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