British Airways passengers in cheap seats to board last

Passengers who pay the least for their flights will be made to board last.

British Airways plan to board passengers according to how much they paid for their flights is likely to irritate many customers.

British Airways is to introduce the aeronautical equivalent of the poor doors, with passengers who pay the least being made to board last.

From December 12 the airline will introduce a “group boarding” system that will mean people who bought the cheapest tickets will be kept back at the departure gate until everyone else is on board.

Under the new system, passengers will be assigned a number between one and five when they check in. “This number will then be displayed prominently on the boarding pass, printed or mobile,” British Airways wrote in an internal newsletter.

The lower the number, the earlier the passenger will be allowed to board. The highest priority will be given to first-class and business-class passengers and gold class Executive Club members. Silver members and Club World passengers will board next.

Passengers in BA’s premium economy section and lower-tier executive club members will go after them, followed by economy class passengers. The final boarders will consist of people travelling on the cheapest, hand-baggage-only fares. British Airways’ internal document said: “Group boarding simplifies the process, making it easier for customers to understand the boarding sequence at the gate.”

The plan is likely to irritate many customers, particularly economy-class passengers with hand baggage only because they are most in need of overhead locker space, which could be in shorter supply if they board last.

Some are already expressing their displeasure. A member of the lowest Executive Club tier, Blue, said: “In a society which we’re trying to make more equal, British Airways is doing the opposite. Everyone will know how much money you’ve got based on where you are in the line,” he told The Independent.

A spokesman for British Airways said: “We are always looking at ways to improve the airport experience for our customers. Next month we are looking at introducing new boarding procedures to further improve the customer journey by creating a number of groups to speed up the process.

“This method has been used by airlines around the world for a number of years, including by our partners American Airlines, Iberia and Qatar.”

The airline added that passengers travelling with young children and those with mobility issues would still be able to board first.

The Times