Virgin priority boarding fail

[MEL_Traveller]

VA does have a pre-recorded announcement to this effect - on most of my flights (when I have boarded early) the CM usually presses the button on it a couple of times during boarding... it says exactly what you are suggesting. On QF however, the CSM usually gets on the PA and mentions the same things using their own voice.

So, perhaps you mean that a personal announcement from the in-flight cabin leader over the PA, is more effective than a pre-recorded PA announcement?

I think all it says is something along the lines of ‘to help us get away on time, store large bags overhead and small bags underneath’?

There is no clear instruction to please be seated as quickly as possible, to step out of the aisles, and to not block aisles?

Agree when the messages are spoken rather than pre-recorded they seem to work better. Perhaps a sense of urgency and meaning?

 

[Harrison_133]

I don't really understand the logic of this, if they rope off the general boarding lane then people start congregating and forming a queue in the priority lane, so then when priority boarding is called they either have to send all the non-priority and non-status people away?

I don't really have a problem with it. It allows the priority passengers to be processed through both scanners at the start of boarding and stops the general passengers from sneaking through early. People congregate around the gate lounge anyway and there is nothing stopping them lining up in the general lane, the rope stops them from trying to board before the general boarding call.

The other theme seems to be at airports and gates without sufficient room and space in departures areas i.e. HBA, TSV, OOL etc people pretty much expect priority boarding to fail.

I do agree with you here. I would add though that the Gold Coast have been much improved on my flights through there this year. Quite strict with priority first, and the new gate holding areas seem to help space wise.

On the whole, I agree with @flyingfan, they have reverted back to the old way of boarding priority first. Obviously some slip ups are still happening, but it's much better than when they were experimenting with that simultaneous priority/general nonsense.

So, perhaps you mean that a personal announcement from the in-flight cabin leader over the PA, is more effective than a pre-recorded PA announcement?

They've started doing this. On full flights, in addition to the pre-recorded announcement which does exactly what @MEL_Traveller is suggesting, the CMs have a spiel to read out that stresses it's a full flight and to properly stow cabin baggage, specifically about stowing backpacks, handbags, jackets and laptops under the seat.

There is no clear instruction to please be seated as quickly as possible, to step out of the aisles, and to not block aisles?

"To keep the aisles and exits clear, your smaller bags go under the seat in front of you.... larger bags can go in the lockers.... once they’re put away, take your allocated seat...." Agree with you that spoken announcements help, but the pre-recorded ones are already clear in their messaging.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

"To keep the aisles and exits clear, your smaller bags go under the seat in front of you.... larger bags can go in the lockers.... once they’re put away, take your allocated seat...." Agree with you that spoken announcements help, but the pre-recorded ones are already clear in their messaging.

Yes! That’s the wording. But it’s never stuck a chord with me in terms of being a call to action to not physically block the aisles, or to let other pax past.

That recording is a pretty generic ‘you can’t block the aisles or exits by leaving your hand luggage [in either of those places]’. Which I think everyone knows anyway.

 

[jakeseven7]

Flew out yesterday from Brisbane and Priority passengers got a head start of 45 seconds this time before the general lane started boarding… sigh. About 5 priority people managed to board before the masses joined.

I did ask the ground crew as I passed and they said ‘we are trying to get the plane away as quickly as we can’ which seems to be the line for the whole change…

 

[QF WP]

In the last couple of weeks, PB done as it’s supposed to be in CNS, BNE, SYD, MEL and PER.

Always nice to have a dedicated Priority lane.

 

[Ade]

‘we are trying to get the plane away as quickly as we can’

Which is fine ... then start PB earlier than 45 sec before the general queue. No offence to anyone in the general queue, but the PB queue is called PB for a reason. Sounds to me like the airline is trying to dilute the benefit of PB.

Personally, makes no difference - as some have noted above thread, in some instances, PB is just getting to the aerobridge before the general and then waiting en-masse. What would be nice is if PB is called 2 mins or so before general queue and gate agent can wait for a ACK from the door agent that PB is well and truly done. SQ did this nicely last week ex-MAA and ex-SIN.

Noting that when the service is running late - all priorities go out the window and then ‘we are trying to get the plane away as quickly as we can’ makes complete sense.

Just my 2c, I do not work for an airline (although I wish I did - story for another day) and ACK that ADB staff might have more insights into why things are done a certain way and hence a reasoning/explanation as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Which is fine ... then start PB earlier than 45 sec before the general queue. No offence to anyone in the general queue, but the PB queue is called PB for a reason. Sounds to me like the airline is trying to dilute the benefit of PB.

Personally, makes no difference - as some have noted above thread, in some instances, PB is just getting to the aerobridge before the general and then waiting en-masse. What would be nice is if PB is called 2 mins or so before general queue and gate agent can wait for a ACK from the door agent that PB is well and truly done. SQ did this nicely last week ex-MAA and ex-SIN.

Noting that when the service is running late - all priorities go out the window and then ‘we are trying to get the plane away as quickly as we can’ makes complete sense.

Just my 2c, I do not work for an airline (although I wish I did - story for another day) and ACK that ADB staff might have more insights into why things are done a certain way and hence a reasoning/explanation as well.

Don’t understand how dropping PB helps get a plane away earlier? Two lanes of PB, or one of priority and one general delivers the same pax flow.

Unless VA move to a three-pronged boarding approach. PB, general boarding rear door, and general boarding forward door. Clear PB through the forward door and rear door at the same time.

 

[ben95]

Two lanes of PB, or one of priority and one general delivers the same pax flow.

Except the bottleneck is that people need to put their stuff away and get seats to clear the aisle not the number of lanes or scanners.

PB, general boarding rear door, and general boarding forward door.

VA does restrict the front half of regular economy to FF or charge you a fee. Plus business and economy X already uses the priority lane. That does mean the vast majority in the general queue will board from the rear door. So I think it’s a reasonably thing to do to when you are trying to get a flight boarded asap.

 

[twinaisle]

Except the bottleneck is that people need to put their stuff away and get seats to clear the aisle not the number of lanes or scanners.

VA does restrict the front half of regular economy to FF or charge you a fee. Plus business and economy X already uses the priority lane. That does mean the vast majority in the general queue will board from the rear door. So I think it’s a reasonably thing to do to when you are trying to get a flight boarded asap.

Yeah but then you get people who board via the forward door thinking row 31 is the first row

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Except the bottleneck is that people need to put their stuff away and get seats to clear the aisle not the number of lanes or scanners.

Nooooooo

This is the problem! Pax don’t need to put all their stuff ‘away’ before being seated. They don’t need to rummage through their bag to take out their ipad, book, packet of tissues, and bag of boiled sweets. Then sit down.

You can do all of that standing *in* your row… not the aisle!! Or, if you really must stand in the aisle, allow others to slip past!

 

[n7of9]

You can do all of that standing *in* your row… not the aisle!! Or, if you really must stand in the aisle, allow others to slip past!

Seriously, the amount of people who just don't understand this simple courtesy, it blows my mind *shakes fist at clouds*

 

[ben95]

This is the problem! Pax don’t need to put all their stuff ‘away’ before being seated.

It’s the problem but it’s not going away. VA can’t change people’s habit overnight so they have to be practical and do what they can in speeding up the boarding process.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It’s the problem but it’s not going away. VA can’t change people’s habit overnight so they have to be practical and do what they can in speeding up the boarding process.

agree, but this is why they need ‘live’ announcements… ‘do not block the aisles’, ‘take your seat as quickly as possible’ and ‘allow others to pass’.

A recorded message saying you need to keep the aisles and exits clear doesn’t work.

Until they can fix that there is really little value in priority boarding lanes when you just join a massive queue in the air Bridge or at the stairs