Article: When Priority Isn’t Really Priority

[sqrt()]

One of the few things US airlines get right (more often) Still can have the big crowd, but definitely works better.

 

[Mr H]

It is always difficult to know where the cut off should be for priority for those who have really earned it and opening the floodgates to the masses. Generally the answer seems to be the cut off should be "just below me".

 

[BD1959]

I rarely fly JQ so perhaps this wasn't standard procedure, but on a recent 787 SYD-MEL flight, those who'd paid for upfront seats in economy were given priority boarding at the same time as 'Business' class.

Despite the priority, all passengers arrived at their destination two hours late

Only 2 hrs? Must have caught them on a "good day" .. !!

Regards,

BD

 

[Rono]

Qantas 'priority bags' has never worked as far as I can recall even well before Covid.

I have long pondered this - you used to get an orange (?) coloured tag etc attached to your luggage indicating 'priority' when checking in.
I used on occasions, having finished interstate meetings earlier than planned, make my way to the airport and try to get some work done in the Qantas lounge.
At the destination, it always seemed to me that my luggage almost always came out last??

Not sure what the experience with priority luggage is like with Virgin.

Rono

 

[ChrisGibbs]

The ‘priority for all’ observation applies equally to some hotel loyalty programs as it does for airlines. In addition to Covid status extensions some hotel loyalty programs are status matching and/or offering status based on credit card spend on their branded cards. This makes the breakfast or evening drinks experience in the hotel lounge look very much like feeding time at the zoo. I’ve recently seen examples were some hotels in Asia are displaying the number of elites staying in the hotel on a particular day as a way of managing guest’s expectations on lounge availability.

AA and other US based airlines seem to get the elite or priority boarding right more often than not.

 

[jase05]

I have long pondered this - you used to get an orange (?) coloured tag etc attached to your luggage indicating 'priority' when checking in.
I used on occasions, having finished interstate meetings earlier than planned, make my way to the airport and try to get some work done in the Qantas lounge.
At the destination, it always seemed to me that my luggage almost always came out last??

Not sure what the experience with priority luggage is like with Virgin.

Rono

VA are generally very good with priority luggage mind you QF domestic haven’t ever been too bad for me either, International is another story.
Luck of the draw but last trip with QR our two bags were the first two bags out at AKL and ADL which is something in itself. Just a pity at AKL they took about 1hr to come out

 

[RooFlyer]

I have long pondered this - you used to get an orange (?) coloured tag etc attached to your luggage indicating 'priority' when checking in.
I used on occasions, having finished interstate meetings earlier than planned, make my way to the airport and try to get some work done in the Qantas lounge.
At the destination, it always seemed to me that my luggage almost always came out last??

Not sure what the experience with priority luggage is like with Virgin.

Rono

Yes, Qantas 'priority bag' tag was a signal to come out at least in the second half, often last.

Virgin 'priority bags' usually come out first in my experience.

 

[stm1sydney]

Virgin and Qantas very much struggle with this ‘benefit’.

Disagree re Virgin. Priority check-in and boarding invariably work well. Priority security at SYD T2 - agree (until they decide to re-open the direct lounge entry down the end of the terminal).

 

[jakeseven7]

VA are generally very good with priority luggage mind you QF domestic haven’t ever been too bad for me either

Both hit and miss for me lately, about the same, no real difference.

I don't count on either ariline delivering this benefit so when it occurs I am happily surprised, when it doesn't I don't get disappointed

 

[jase05]

Both hit and miss for me lately, about the same, no real difference.

I don't count on either ariline delivering this benefit so when it occurs I am happily surprised, when it doesn't I don't get disappointed

Or when we travel as a couple and both of us have PB but one bag comes out miles ahead of the other

 

[eminere]

Yet VA often do this and there is no real delay.

Lots of airlines are able to do this without negatively affecting performance.

 

[drron]

The best we have experienced is with BA in F SYD - SIN. Every time our bags are sitting by the carousel which hadn't started moving. Now that is priority baggage. And if BA can do it any airline should be able to do it.

 

[BD1959]

The best we have experienced is with BA in F SYD - SIN. Every time our bags are sitting by the carousel which hadn't started moving. Now that is priority baggage. And if BA can do it any airline should be able to do it.

Let me just help you with that ...

.... now if BA SIN can do it any airline airport should be able to do it ...

(All airports should aspire to be as efficient)

Regards,

BD

 

[Daver6]

Unless the standard line at security in Adelaide is unbearable, do not use the priority lane at Adelaide Airport. Their screeners are woeful. Take forever.

Part of the reason for this is the priority line requires laptops out but the regular one has machines where you can leave them in. Talk about getting it the wrong way around! At least this was the case in December 2022.

 

[Mr H]

Part of the reason for this is the priority line requires laptops out but the regular one has machines where you can leave them in. Talk about getting it the wrong way around! At least this was the case in December 2022.

Aren't priority lanes stricter pretty much the whole world over?

 

[jpp42]

Aren't priority lanes stricter pretty much the whole world over?

This isn't about strictness, which should be the same for all security lines if properly run, but rather the fact that the airport has upgraded the regular security lanes with updated machines which can screen laptops even inside bags. If the priority lane is funded by airlines they might not be interested in funding the upgrades at this time? (Could apply to airline-specific premium lounge entry lanes like Qantas in BNE or Virgin in SYD/MEL - not sure the setup in ADL).

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It was really amusing at t3 Sydney going into security recently that the normal line had about 10 or so people (and more machines to split into) and the priority had 30+. Given that the lines are visible next to each other, you'd think at a glance you'd just waltz straight into the normal line, but no people continued to go into priority.

That the priority lane can be chock-a-block compared to normal security is not a surprise. What is surprise is that the same security measures apply to both lanes. Meanwhile in North America the priority lanes (TSA Pre/CATSA Nexus) actually are much faster as you don’t remove anything from your pockets, toss your bag on the conveyor and hop through the nude-o-scope.

Also peeked into syd dom J lounge one evening and bolted over to club. One was packed to the rafters and the other was completely quiet and empty. Was a little bit miffed that flight was minorly delayed and they moved us over as qantas club was closing to the "better" lounge that you could barely find a seat in.

Shh! Don’t tell anyone about the secret that the QF Club at SYD is better in every regard from finding a place to sit to better views of the apron. Next thing you know we’ll see some a dozen WP and P1s polluting the lounge designated for us valued QFF Gold and Club members!

 

[sqrt()]

That the priority lane can be chock-a-block compared to normal security is not a surprise. What is surprise is that the same security measures apply to both lanes. Meanwhile in North America the priority lanes (TSA Pre/CATSA Nexus) actually are much faster as you don’t remove anything from your pockets, toss your bag on the conveyor and hop through the nude-o-scope.

Shh! Don’t tell anyone about the secret that the QF Club at SYD is better in every regard from finding a place to sit to better views of the apron. Next thing you know we’ll see some a dozen WP and P1s polluting the lounge designated for us valued QFF Gold and Club members!

You don't get microwaved in the TSA line (in my experience), just the classic metal detector. Another benefit for the tinfoil-hatted.

 

[Daver6]

That the priority lane can be chock-a-block compared to normal security is not a surprise. What is surprise is that the same security measures apply to both lanes. Meanwhile in North America the priority lanes (TSA Pre/CATSA Nexus) actually are much faster as you don’t remove anything from your pockets, toss your bag on the conveyor and hop through the nude-o-scope.

TSA pre-check/NEXUS are not airline priority queues. They're unrelated to class of travel or airline status. To use them you have to pay and have gone through a security check during your application. You're not comparing apples with apples.

 

[bladeau1981]

Unless the standard line at security in Adelaide is unbearable, do not use the priority lane at Adelaide Airport. Their screeners are woeful. Take forever.

Use the priority bypass lane then head to one of the old scammers instead of the stupid stand and spread yourself ones.