Priority Boarding at LGW

According to seatexpert there are 320 seats on an LHR 747. Of which 116 are in PE or UC thus qualifying (lets ignore any Y flying gold card holders) for priority boarding.

That means that 36% of passengers qualify for priority boarding.

So it's really not very exclusive at all is it??

I thought there was more than that on a 747. Is it not around the 450 mark in the Gatwick fleet ?|


David

I noticed last time I flew (October) when there were 2 airbridges attached that one was used for UC only and everyone including GC holders had to use the other one. Would GC / PE pax be able to board first? (I was first on board after the gates opened so didn't hear any announcements.

I get the impression from some of the posts that priority boarding is not a priority, if this is the case what is ?

That's why I qualified my comments by saying that they related to VS flights. Given that generally where I fly to/from there are decent lounges, I have no real interest in trying to be first on board by moving past other people. But on a recent trip around Asia, and specifically some of the less developed airports in China and India, the lounge facilities were pretty poor and frankly it was a relief to get on the plane as quickly as possible. So I definitely get the value of priority boarding as a concept... I've just never felt much need to use it with Virgin...

Thanks for all the great comments, my take on priority boarding is that you board the aircraft before other passengers irrespective of what time you get to the gate, and that should be to the door of the aircraft because that is the point you board, if it just at the gate this can be a problem at LGW getting to the front of the queue, I don't think this service should be offered by VA or any other airline for that matter if it cannot be fulfil it.

How would you make that work and have the plane leave on time?

[honey lamb]

Thanks for all the great comments, my take on priority boarding is that you board the aircraft before other passengers irrespective of what time you get to the gate, and that should be to the door of the aircraft because that is the point you board, if it just at the gate this can be a problem at LGW getting to the front of the queue, I don't think this service should be offered by VA or any other airline for that matter if it cannot be fulfil it.

It depends on you definition of priority boarding. Most airlines invite their premium passengers to board first but after that it depends on many variables. I f those passengers are not in the gate area when that call comes then it becomes impossible to implement unless there are two doors for boarding but again that can depend on the aircraft, and what the airport can offer. For example, the jetbridges in EWR cannot reach door L2 on the A346 so on that aircraft everyone has to enter through door L1 and trudge through the UC cabin. What does VS, and indeed any airline that uses EWR with a 346 do? That would be a case in point where in fact having premium passengers held back in the lounge could be the preferential option.

What about boarding a flight on a remote stand? The last time that happened was in JNB and when I arrived at the door for the bus I was held back because the bus was ready to depart and had to wait. No amount of demanding priority boarding was going to alter that as the bus had reached maximum capacity. Safety trumps priority boarding in that case.

What I do object to, though, are situations which have happened to me twice where, on leaving the CH we have been told to go to the head of the queue only to get there to be met by a member of the LHR staff as opposed to the VS staff who have refused to let me go through and have insisted that I go to the end of the queue. On one occasion I was told that "these people" (indicating the queue) had been here for a long time. At that stage I had probably been in the airport longer than most of them because of an early connecting flight, albeit in the comfort of the CH (but he wasn't to know that) but that didn't cut any ice with him either! :w

[mitchja]

I dont know if they still do this, but Qatar Airways do their boarding back to front compared to other airlines, which actually works very well.

When I flew with them in J a few years ago to MLE via DOH, they boarded Economy first at all airports. They time the call in the lounge, so that by the time J & F pax arrive at the gate, economy have already boarded so you are straight on with no messing at the gate.

It is different now at Doha airport anyway, as they have a completely separate terminal for premium pax but I guess they board in a similar way. F pax where also driven to the aircraft in a limo They are (or where) all remote stands at DOH.

Mitchja
That sounds like a good idea actually because the J passengers can enjoy more time in the lounge and by the time they get to the gate no problems boarding
Like it.

[honey lamb]

Mitchja
That sounds like a good idea actually because the J passengers can enjoy more time in the lounge and by the time they get to the gate no problems boarding
Like it.

That's why those in the know don't leave until the second call!!

A couple of years ago I was in the company of a V-flyer for the same flight in the CH and we were in the area where the PA system was a "mumble, mumble, mumble" to the extent that I couldn't hear when I was being paged and a staff member came over to me. Anyway, to cut a long story short we heard the LAX flight being paged but never heard that they called the SFO one at the same time. We noticed that the CH had mysteriously been emptied and I began to wonder and on my visit to the Ladies looked at the board to see that the flight was posted at "Closed" :0 On my return, the second call was made and the two of made our way to the gate to find it deserted and walked straight on to the plane! y)

That's why those in the know don't leave until the second call!!

Thanks HL.
That sounds like a plan. Seems to be the consensus as to boarding strategy. Well providing the gate isnt too far away lol