Man attempts to board wrong flight

[tuapekastar]

OK, I've read about it happening before and it may not be all that uncommon, but it's the first time I've witnessed it. The chap in front of me in the boarding line for QF772 in Perth on Monday morning had his BP flash red and beep. The GA read from his BP the date (check), some other piece of info (check), then the flight number - QF802 (no check ). His flight was scheduled for an hour later than the one he was attempting to board. He walked straight off and I boarded so I have no idea whether it was a genuine mistake (do they retime flights from PER when it's daylight savings at the destination - in this case MEL?) or whether he was trying to sneak on (a fairly optimistic move if so). I strongly susepct the former, but QF772 was quite plainly displayed in more than one spot at the gate, and boarding commenced close to schedule, so he really must have been in some sort of early(ish) morning funk for that to occur.

 

[TonyHancock]

OK, I've read about it happening before and it may not be all that uncommon, but it's the first time I've witnessed it. The chap in front of me in the boarding line for QF772 in Perth on Monday morning had his BP flash red and beep. The GA read from his BP the date (check), some other piece of info (check), then the flight number - QF802 (no check ). His flight was scheduled for an hour later than the one he was attempting to board. He walked straight off and I boarded so I have no idea whether it was a genuine mistake (do they retime flights from PER when it's daylight savings at the destination - in this case MEL?) or whether he was trying to sneak on (a fairly optimistic move if so). I strongly susepct the former, but QF772 was quite plainly displayed in more than one spot at the gate, and boarding commenced close to schedule, so he really must have been in some sort of early(ish) morning funk for that to occur.

I've done this before. International flight too. ...and only three years ago. I was convinced I was at the right gate!!!!

 

[nlagalle]

OK, I've read about it happening before and it may not be all that uncommon, but it's the first time I've witnessed it. The chap in front of me in the boarding line for QF772 in Perth on Monday morning had his BP flash red and beep. The GA read from his BP the date (check), some other piece of info (check), then the flight number - QF802 (no check ). His flight was scheduled for an hour later than the one he was attempting to board. He walked straight off and I boarded so I have no idea whether it was a genuine mistake (do they retime flights from PER when it's daylight savings at the destination - in this case MEL?) or whether he was trying to sneak on (a fairly optimistic move if so). I strongly susepct the former, but QF772 was quite plainly displayed in more than one spot at the gate, and boarding commenced close to schedule, so he really must have been in some sort of early(ish) morning funk for that to occur.

I saw the same thing on a recent flight to Sydney from MEL. she was at the wrong gate. her flight had actually closed and they were looking for her as well.
Luckily the FA scanning the passes got on the phone pretty quick and had someone take her up there. We were on Gate 3 and she was 7 from memory.

 

[markis10]

I have done it before internationally and actually taken off!

 

[JohnPhelan]

In MEL, I have had my boarding pass go through the machine OK at the gate, shown pass to FA at forward door, then taken my seat - only to discover that I was on the wrong flight just as the door was closing, when the CSM began the pre-flight announcement about QF flight xx_ to SYD - problem was, I was going to BNE!

The two flights were boarding at the same time, from adjacent gates, and I simply went to the wrong one!

The amazing thing was that neither the FA at the gate, nor the machine reader, nor the door FA picked up the wrong flight number and the wrong destination ........ also helped by the fact that apparently no-one on that aircraft had been allocated the seat in which I was sitting.

 

[richie9x]

I can't understand how someone can sit in the wrong seat let alone the wrong flight.

... until a few months ago I got on the wrong flight. It was a flight QF632 MEL-BNE my usual flight. I think the previous flight was late. So they swapped the planes and gates around. So instead of 1 flight that was an two hours late, they went for 2 flights an hour late.

I got to the airport early noted my gate. And didn't recheck the monitors. I went to the original gate saw a big queue. My BP scanned ok I was on an exit row so got told about putting bags up. The air hostess on the plane checked my BP and directed me to my seat. I was quite happy sitting in my seat until I guy comes along as says 'excuse me I think you're in my seat'. I thought that was impossible as I always check and recheck my seat. I got my boarding pass - right seat but wrong flight

Although it wasn't just me there were at least 10 others in the same situation. Even when people started to realise that they had boarded the wrong flight air hostesses didn't seem to check BPs more closely as I believe they let a few more through and my proper flight was held up as well.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I saw it happen a bit more than a week ago at PER. Mind you these mining chaps could be forgiven.

They board 2 separate flights at the A330 dual-bridge gate. One to Karratha, one to Paraburdoo I think. Created all sorts of confusion.

And to top it all off the one of the planes had a flat tyre so they had to de-board everyone

 

[rechoboam]

I was at a rural airport...was it Albury? And there were I think two Rex planes next to each other on the tarmac, obviously identical twin-prop Saabs, boarding 10 minutes or so apart and leaving one after the other. Boy was I careful not to get on the wrong one (luckily the first officer secures the prop and should know where he is going). But my bags were sent to the wrong airport!

 

[Austman]

I once caught an SQ flight in Singapore to Australia. It seems I managed to get on the plane without my BP being scanned. I didn't notice at the time but it caused a lot a confusion for the ground staff and flight crew and I was asked a few times, at my seat, by different people, how I managed to get on board the plane. I didn't know the answer - it was just as normal for me - but the staff seemed to think it was my fault. They were NOT happy.

Another time I boarded an international flight in Turku, Finland (which is a walk to the aircraft airport) only to find a passenger already in my seat. Luckily I asked the person why he was in my seat (and the flight was far from full - I could have sat elsewhere) because he was ticketed to fly domestically on another plane that was leaving at nearly the same time. He would have gone to another country if not for the seating conflict!

 

[Justchecking]

Happens all the time and I can really understand it. Late gate changes, a bazilliion PA announcements being made, none of them for your flight so you tune out the one that is. Looking up destinations not flight numbers on boards. Assuming (quite legitimately) that if it wasn't your flight surely someone would pick it up and tell you or you wouldn't be able to get on. Incorrect information displayed on boarding gates.

 

[LiamR]

At Gold Coast airports. The aircraft don't pull up in front of gates one and two, you have to walk to them yourself.

You walk out on the tarmac,
Gate two is a 100m walk and you turn right onto the aircraft.
Gate one is a further 100m walk and you turn right onto the aircraft.

Two identical aircraft, inexperienced travellers, with both flights boarding? Yeah... It catches a lot of people, especially since BPs have already been scanned and most travellers just see their airline and walk towards the nearest aircraft.

It wouldn't surprise me if somebody slipped through the flight attendants and jumped on the MEL flight instead of the SYD. :shock:

 

[grussellt]

I once flew Sydney-Canberra in the good old days when you walked out of the building and there was the plane with stairs immediately opposite the door. There was no welcome from a hostess (FA) so I climbed up the stairs and entered an empty plane - I'm never, ever the first one to board - and found my own seat. After a few minutes a flight officer came on board with a briefcase and gave me a smile. As it seemed very quiet on board I walked to the flight deck and asked him what time we were departing. He was then able to figure out that I should have been on a bus that departs form the same terminal exit door. Whoops!

 

[UP4014]

A fellow work mate story from a few years back.

She was flying Sydney to Hobart via Melbourne. During the plane change she got on a plane and there was someone in her seat, she argued the point and the crew found another seat. During the heated discussion boarding passes where checked but crew must have been focused on the seat numbers which appeared to be a double up.

Anyway, she ended up in Adelaide as she had boarded the wrong plane, found someone in her seat, argued about it strongly so they let her stay on as she was so insistent about it. :shock:

 

[burrco]

When I was about 15/16 flying MEL-SYD-OOL.

Boarded the wrong SYD-OOL flight. Was sitting in what I thought was my seat - the correct person came and claimed the seat. I didn't really understand what went wrong so shifted to the middle seat.

Later in the flight I mentioned to the flight attendant how my boarding pass had the same seat number as someone else - after much deliberation she pointed out I was on the wrong flight.

 

[greenfish]

I "nearly" attempted to do this the other day. Flying BNE-SYD I assumed I was on QF501 - and was standing in the queue and looking more closely at my BP - QF503. Whoops. Doing too much flying!

A few years ago I boarded an EK flight AKL-SYD - found someone in my seat. Turned out that he had the same name as me - and when I checked in, they coughed up and effectively reprinted his boarding pass. Delayed the flight for over 30 minutes, and I was upgraded to F - my only F experience.

David

 

[tuapekastar]

Clearly a more common occurrence than I thought. And I can see why, with some of the reasons proffered here. I guess if you fly a helluva lot like some here do it is going to increase your chances of it happening.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Happens all the time and I can really understand it. Late gate changes, a bazilliion PA announcements being made, none of them for your flight so you tune out the one that is. Looking up destinations not flight numbers on boards. Assuming (quite legitimately) that if it wasn't your flight surely someone would pick it up and tell you or you wouldn't be able to get on. Incorrect information displayed on boarding gates.

That's if pax even make it to the gate. A common occurrance is for people to look at their seat number eg 42A on a QF 767 & go to gate 42, which in BNE happens to be a DJ gate. Apparently when staff tried to call they didn't hear their mobile phone ring three times as it was in their pocket.

Same same with a pax's sequence number eg sequence number 35 means they are the 35th person to checkin for that flight not go to gate 35 which happens to be a JQ gate.

 

[juddles]

Have never boarded wrong aircraft, but I have woken "late", crazily got my bags packed, hounded the cabbie to speed the 45 minute drive to the airport, and run to the checkin counter - only to discover I was a day early. Have never felt so stupid as I did that morning.

 

[scsto]

On Friday 30 Sept I was sitting in a Jetstar plane, Syd to OOL. The guy sitting next to me is chatting to the lady on the window seat and mentions Avalon. She points out this is Syd OOL not Syd AVV - he gets off the plane! Interestingly, the middle seat was not occupied on the flight!
True as ...

 

[thegurio]

I too am goodly of this a few years back MEL-ADL after a HBA-MEL that was a quick turnaround. Went to the gate, got swiped and it went red, lady said just go on, went past the first FA, was shown my seat, sat down and got organized until someone else wanted my seat and of course then we found out that I was indeed the idiot and on the wrong flight.

That's why I refuse to do any more flights before 10am if I can help it, because you tend to make silly mistakes!


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the spelling mistakes!