 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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More the fools that pay more to board early. The plane only goes when the last person is on.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Most carriers board in a certain order like this already.
Ive been on flights where they board business/first first, then people with young children.
Ive been on budget flights where they board based on row numbers.
Ive been on flights that a free for all.
TBH none of them work. There are always passengers who are unable to get a case in the overhead locker & take to their seat easily & quickly as they should & blocking the isle in the process so people cannot pass or someone having to stand/move so someone can squeeze past them into their window seat.
So all BA is doing, is trying it differently.
I am just waiting for an airline to say all those sitting in Seat A & F can board, followed by B & E - finally C & D.
Anyway.. what this will actually do is fill the onboard carryon space first. So those carrying hand luggage only, will board last with nowhere to store their bag.. which means it ends up in the hold as hold luggage & prob at some point charge for it.
Thank you for choosing to fly with British Airways today.
Your flight is full and we would like to invite you to check-in your hand baggage free of charge at desks B15 and B16, prior to security.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in Terminal 5.
If you don’t bring your bag forward within the next 5 minutes, if the cabin storage is full when you get on board, your bag will not travel this evening.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Never happened to me...yet.
If cabin full hand luggage has indeed been put in hold but was then available plane side on a truck to grab as you go by on into terminal.
But of course BA may choose not to.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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That's brilliant - what a way to show off - "hey hey suckers I'm last on - I've got the cheapest seat!"
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Seems like non-news to me. Business and first will still board first. I have little doubt that exec club members will get some sort of priority. These are the last people that BA would want to pi$$ off with any new policy, so all they are doing is boarding economy in what will probably be a fairly random order.
BA have a new and slightly different policy already. On busy flights they invite people with hand luggage to check that in free of charge. Those people then wait on the airside of the check-in desk until boarding begins and they are often first on.
@Mr.Egg,
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Anyway.. what this will actually do is fill the onboard carryon space first. So those carrying hand luggage only, will board last with nowhere to store their bag.. which means it ends up in the hold as hold luggage & prob at some point charge for it.
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I suspect they will board in order of fare price rather than total price including add-ons. Surely the 'onboard carryon space' will just get filled in the usual way? People fill it up as it's needed. IME it's very rare that bags taken onboard actually have to be subsequently put in the hold. Stewardesses are pretty good at shuffling space and getting everything in. Maybe it's worse on the holiday routes?
@suec,
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| More the fools that pay more to board early. The plane only goes when the last person is on. |
You don't pay extra for priority boarding on BA. You pay extra to be in business. Whether one likes to board first or last is just a matter of personal preference. I much prefer to board early. I don't have to stand in a long queue shuffling forward and when I get on the aircraft I have plenty of space to put my hand luggage where I like. I can then sit down in far greater comfort than in the departure lounge and relax while watching a film / reading a book while everyone else boards. The only drawback is that you have to suffer the idiots who forget they are wearing rucsacks while walking down the aisle and smacking everyone else in the face as they do so.
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@suec,
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If cabin full hand luggage has indeed been put in hold but was then available plane side on a truck to grab as you go by on into terminal.
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I agree it's pretty rare, but your scenario only holds true on the increasingly few routes where they don't use a jetway.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It'll be like the current system but in reverse. Instead of trying to blag it and get on ahead of your allocated group those who paid a bit too much will be trying to blag it to get into the last group on!
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It's not ticket price, it's based on type of ticket. It's entirely possible to pay £300 for a last minute hand-baggage-only fare (thus board last) when someone in club paid £150 and gets to board first.
Normal exec club priorities will apply. It actually looks remarkably like the status quo, just with group numbers to help the hard of thinking.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sounds very similar to the American Airlines system, they have 5 boarding groups in economy. Starting at group 5 for some tier status, certain credit card holders, etc and going to group 9 for the discount fares.
The group number is printed on the boarding pass and each group is called in turn.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just another thing to make the airline travel experience less pleasant and more of a ballache. At least at present you can usually guarantee your cabin bag gets on by being early and alert at the gate. May just start booking higher fares for work to avoid hassle however.
As always the suspicion is that this is just another step toward charging for carry-ons as well.
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People with oversize or too many carry on bags, and those people who stick their carry on bags into overheads at the front of the aircraft before walking to their seat at the back, are a curse. I would love BA to do something about them. Maybe this will help, as the carry on only brigade are more likely to be exceeding their carry on allowance and might now have to put their bags in the hold.
Apart from the carry on thing, I never understood why people want to board early. I always wait until the last possible moment before consigning myself to a tin tube for a few hours.
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You know it makes sense.
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Makes sense to me. The one thing they could all do is be stricter with the cabin bags being the right size. Everybody but Ryanair seems to be really lax about this. I was on a day trip to London last week on Easyjet. On both legs there were bags in the cabin that were obviously much bigger than was supposed to be permitted. On the way home they were asking for volunteers to put their bags in the hold as they knew they had too many cabin bags, nobody seemed to volunteer so they just tagged the first 20 bags in the boarding queue regardless of size and yet again people with outside bags weren't even challenged?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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What a fuss about absolutely nothing. Someone in the paper said it is about financial segregation, its not it is just common sense to board people in a reasonable order, it is so annoying trying to get on board an aircraft with earlier boarders standing in the aisles fussing about their coats, their overhead luggage, do they want their cardigan now or later, do they want their book now, are they in the right seat? And........ so it goes on.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@doddles,
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I never understood why people want to board early. I always wait until the last possible moment before consigning myself to a tin tube for a few hours.
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See my comment above. I'd much rather be in a comfortable seat in an a/c than sitting in the departure lounge (or more likely shuffling along in the queue). I'm lucky enough to travel business for most flights so when I board early I can just settle down in my own little world and pretend nobody else exists. I don't mind aeroplanes and I don't mind flying. The one thing I really don't is loads of other people. Occasionally I come across an airline and an airport where you find that you wander down to the gate and just wander on as and when you please. V relaxed, no queuing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm lucky enough to travel business for most flights
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That does make a difference and I can see why boarding early in that case makes sense.
But when in the back of the airplane, boarding early simply means dealing with all the other passengers, having to get out of your seat if the person at the window boards late, etc. etc.
I also hate being in crowds or lines. So I really wait until the boarding line has disappeared and then stroll on as last or second last passenger. Never holding up the flight, as I am quick to be seated (aisle seat) without a fuss.
But each to their own, I guess.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I was on a flight recently (KLM) and I boarded the flight (economy but was one of the first onboard) with a small backpack.
The flight filled up & the overhead bins filled up. The last passengers could not get their large carry on cases in the bins.
The flight attendant asked me to put my bag under my seat because someone had a bigger bag .
I asked her (attendant) to ask the late boarding passenger how much he paid for his ticket because I knewe I has paid quite a lot more than normal & had the receipt to prove it so believed I had a better right for carry on luggage than him & be able to enjoy legroom .
She did not ask the other passenger but did show him my ticket receipt & asked him if would mind putting his hand luggage (max size & weight) under the seat in front or they will put in down in the hold.
They placed it in the hold.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boarding should be done in this order
Windows
Middle
Aisle
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| FFIRMIN wrote: |
| it is so annoying trying to get on board an aircraft with earlier boarders standing in the aisles fussing about their coats, their overhead luggage, do they want their cardigan now or later, do they want their book now, are they in the right seat? And........ so it goes on. |
Yep, I never understand why people will queue for ages and not consider what they might need. I'll always be in a position that everything I want is in my hand, so I just throw bag and coat into locker and sit down. And even if I do want something out of my bag then there's loads of time to do it after most people have boarded.
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We can't be far from the point where cabin crew grab you as you get on the plane and stick your bags in the overhead locker for you. Simple stuff - is there anything in your bag you can't live without for the next 20 minutes while the plane takes off? No? Good. Give me that bag. Sit down, do up your seatbelt.
The sheer faffing about on my flight on Sat meant we left 30 mins late. Literally people who couldn't get their back in an overhead locker, take their jacket off, and sit down. I'd quite happily threaten them with the United Airlines treatment after 2 minutes. If you can't do that in 2 minutes you have demonstrated yourself to be a risk to other passengers in the event of evacuation.
BA and every other airline would be much better off just going down the queue with a contactless machine and a cardboard size gauge. Bag goes in, fine. Bag doesn't go in, here is how much, credit card please. Big sign at check in, £100 per bag or you don't board, and people suddenly get really compliant. The check in staff don't stop the giant carry on bag problem, they don't want the trouble of arguing about the cost of additional checked bags, the gate staff don't want it either, so the staff on board get screwed with it.
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Actually, the theoretical optimum boarding sequence is not that described. Using real time-to-get-seated times it broadly is 'from the rear' but alternates left/right sides and rows i.e.
R50F,A - R48F,A - R46F,A - R44F,A ...
then after a few minutes in which the window seated A and F are now in their seats, you start filling-up the seats next to them
R50E,B - R48E,B ....
There are various variants of this, but they're all based on 'consuming' a line of passengers with no stalling because the queue is waiting for someone to get seated.
The problem with this approach is that it relies on pre-sequencing of people in a way that's probably not practical, even without the vagaries of local accents:
"Vill pusenges en rews vivty to verty-vor please go to the broading grate but only doze en zeats eff end ayah, nert bee toe eeh."
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mythbusters tested airline boarding methods. Can’t remember exactly, but I think just letting people sit where they like may have won for speed.
@Digger the dinosaur, exactly the same on EasyJet to Munich last week. Their one bag on board unless you’ve paid for special treatment policy seemed to cause much consternation among passengers who appear unable to count  This resulted in a hazardous assault course of random repacking at the gate for those of us who possessed basic understanding.
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Once upon time it was much easier because you could only take on one small shoulder-bag, briefcase or small rucksack and everything else went in the hold. Almost everyone had hold luggage and an allocated seat and it was all relatively relaxed and easy. Then along came the budget airlines and started to offer roll-on/roll-off 'cabin luggage', so everyone else started to follow. And of course, passengers pushed the boundaries. And airlines realised they could claw back some of their lost margins by charging for extras - like food, luggage, boarding and seats. I do wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with 'zero wheelie-bin' flights whose main attraction is specifically only a very small carry-on allowance?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My perception is that the problem started exactly with the introduction of hold baggage charges. Whereas previously all but overnight business travellers would quite happily check a bag and board with only a small carry on there was a clear incentive to also max out on carry on for leisure travel.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I always wait to the last. I do try and be one of the first off.
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@LaForet,
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I do wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with 'zero wheelie-bin' flights whose main attraction is specifically only a very small carry-on allowance?
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I doubt it will happen for a couple of reasons:
1. The #1 users of wheelie bags are business travellers and they are precisely the ones the airlines want most. The average traveller on business, let alone in a premier cabin, pays far more than the average leisure traveller.
2. Airlines much prefer you to take hand luggage rather than check it into the hold. One of the biggest reasons they implemented charges was not to raise revenues, but to discourage hold baggage. Hold baggage costs money to load and unload and substantially slows down turnaround times.
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You know it makes sense.
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So while the bottom half of the internet runs around helping Dave Gorman write a Found Poem for his next series of Modern Life Is Goodish anyone who actually flies BA and has read what they've actually announced realises they are just simplifying life for the gate staff. Rather than saying:
"...passengers in First and gold Executive Club and Emerald OneWorld members" they can just say "...passengers in Tier 1"
"Club World/Europe" becomes "Tier 2"
"Silver Executive Club and Sapphire OneWorld" becomes "Tier 3"
"Bronze Executive Club and Ruby OneWorld" becomes "Tier 4"
"Tier 5" is everyone else - just like now.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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The flight attendant asked me to put my bag under my seat because someone had a bigger bag .
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That is why you should always take the largest allowed cabin bag on board
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I do wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with 'zero wheelie-bin' flights whose main attraction is specifically only a very small carry-on allowance?
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Which is why I think hold luggage should be free and you should have to pay for carry on bags
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Poster: A snowHead
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Some airlines when they know they have a full flight will ask if the person wants hand luggage checked for free.
This has happened to me several times.
If I am travelling with checked luggage anyway, I will do that. If I am travelling with hand luggage, then I wont - as its quicker to get out the airport if I dont need to wait for my baggage.
Cant recall budget airlines doing this - as I guess they would have to pay the airport baggage handlers based on weight?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mr.Egg, I’ve seen Jet2 do that, and EasyJet forcibly removing cabin baggage when the flight is full and putting it in the hold. No charge.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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[quote="johnE"]
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I do wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with 'zero wheelie-bin' flights whose main attraction is specifically only a very small carry-on allowance?
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Already exists in the US - there are deeply discounted economy fares on United and American that don't allow for overhead bin space, and you have to board after everybody else.
The reality is that whilst people get very exorcised about this, I can't recall any of the 60+ flights I've taken in the past year where the overheads were totally full.
Southwest, which popularised the low lost model, does give free hold baggage (2 pieces!) partly in order to speed the turnaround times.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mr.Egg, Easyjet seem to do it on every flight.
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The reality is that whilst people get very exorcised about this, I can't recall any of the 60+ flights I've taken in the past year where the overheads were totally full.
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Not sure if the bins were full but have encountered bags being taken off people at the gate and put in the hold quite a bit - perhaps 1/2 of flights. TBH having my bag put in the hold is usually no problem. A couple times recently I have been held up for over 30 mins at the passport control so the bag might be on the belt anyway.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Mr.Egg wrote: |
Some airlines when they know they have a full flight will ask if the person wants hand luggage checked for free.
This has happened to me several times.
If I am travelling with checked luggage anyway, I will do that. If I am travelling with hand luggage, then I wont - as its quicker to get out the airport if I dont need to wait for my baggage.
Cant recall budget airlines doing this - as I guess they would have to pay the airport baggage handlers based on weight? |
My cabin bag always has a pair of ski boots in it. Whenever I pitch up, I volunteer to help out by having it checked, 'if it helps' (ie for free!). They get the message and always agree. As with Mr Egg, if we have checked luggage anyway, it's no odds to dump a heavy bag and avoid the bun fight for lockers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Charliegolf: That's a great tip - I'd never thought of it!
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@snowdave, and Southwest also does the "take any seat you want" boarding method described by a couple of posters as the most rapid method. Again, mostly about turnaround times. Theirs are the lowest in the industry.
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"Passport Control"
If you live in Schengen Zone you do not get any of that garbage ..
Do not even take my passport.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Always good to keep some basics with you in carry on - in case your hold baggage is put on the wrong plane and ends up in Cape Town instead of Geneva. It can be handy to have a change of underwear and some toiletries, especially if you could end up at your destination after shops have closed.
Schengen? We'll not have any of that remainer talk here, stanton... 
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@stanton, Yes it is a pity that the UK didn't join. I thought it was all about the UK not having an ID card system and beleive it or not some people in the UK do not have passports.
@mr. mike, I thought it was shown that the "free for all" does not have the fastest loading times (the first one on takes the front seats and blocks the aisles) which is why the likes of Ryanair abandoned it.
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FAQ
