Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[TonyHancock]

I guess with that level of flying [lack of] PB wont be an issue much longer for you on QF

To be fair I will probably only have about 15 domestic flights with QF this year.....but I think PB on QF will continue to be an issue for me.

 

[vitagen]

Ill let you know how PB works for QF648 in 45min

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[vitagen]

PB worked as it should be!!

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[mosanator]

No PB with a 734. Therefore it is a fail. It is an advertised benefit and not delivered if the aircraft is a 734. Unfortunately, more often than not, QF400 seems to be a 734.

As it happens PB was not enforced today on QF423, it was a 738. I'd love to get over it, in fact if QF just came out and said the PB was no longer a benefit I could then make a choice based on accurate information. At the moment QF is not providing something it advertises.

Well the only time I get to experience PB is the jet services to CBR - 734's - PB every time at SYD, nothing going the other way.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Well the only time I get to experience PB is the jet services to CBR - 734's - PB every time at SYD, nothing going the other way.

Any 734 to/from CBR has 5 F/A's (due to 20/120 config) so therefore 2 F/A's come up to board. PB works on the SYD/CBR sector because SYD is one of the 'selected capital cities' where PB is offered.

CBR/SYD has no PB and CBR does not offer it for reasons not known to me.

Tony Hancock takes the 734 MEL/SYD/MEL (only 4 F/A's & one doing boarding) & even though both of those cities do offer PB, you cannot deliver PB with one F/A.

His success rate with PB is about the same as JohnK getting an on time departure ex BNE (or OOL) on a Friday night.

 

[RWJ777]

Any 734 to/from CBR has 5 F/A's (due to 20/120 config) so therefore 2 F/A's come up to board. PB works on the SYD/CBR sector because SYD is one of the 'selected capital cities' where PB is offered.

CBR/SYD has no PB and CBR does not offer it for reasons not known to me.

Tony Hancock takes the 734 MEL/SYD/MEL (only 4 F/A's & one doing boarding) & even though both of those cities do offer PB, you cannot deliver PB with one F/A.

His success rate with PB is about the same as JohnK getting an on time departure ex BNE (or OOL) on a Friday night.

I suspect the reason CBR is not a PB port is because half the flight would be entitled to use it, rather diminishing its value.

 

[TonyHancock]

I suspect the reason CBR is not a PB port is because half the flight would be entitled to use it, rather diminishing its value.

Way more than half the flight I suspect.

 

[pshepvic]

Tony Hancock takes the 734 MEL/SYD/MEL (only 4 F/A's & one doing boarding) & even though both of those cities do offer PB, you cannot deliver PB with one F/A.

QANTAS cannot deliver PB with one person scanning. Virgin can. Enough said!


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[ozbeachbabe]

Just came back from OOL tonight on VA and can confirm that VA know how to do priority boarding very well. Huge que, they stop, scan whomever is in priority boarding lane, then continue.

I agree with this, but I was pretty annoyed that the staff member apologised to the person in the other queue last week before turning and scanning my BP.

QANTAS cannot deliver PB with one person scanning. Virgin can. Enough said!

That is like comparing apples with oranges as VA would have nowhere near the amount of status pax eligible to use PB primarily because QF have been around a lot longer and secondly, it's only in the last few years VA have moved away from their LCC image & targeted the corporate market.

It would be interesting to see how VA PB goes if they had to hold up the general boarding queue maybe 30 times to scan the PB pax each time.

 

[pshepvic]

It would be interesting to see how VA PB goes if they had to hold up the general boarding queue maybe 30 times to scan the PB pax each time.

Well I have seen it. On some peak hour flights I've stood behind at least 20 people in the priority queue. That is right at the start of boarding, so they don't even start the other queue until done. And there are plenty more arriving part way through. Don't forget that DJ offer it to Golds as well, so the PB pax numbers per flight are just as easily the same as QF, if not more in some cases.

I will admit DJ priority pax seem to go to the gate earlier prior to boarding commencing (possibly due to DJ's poor performance at announcing flights in the lounge) but I've still seen them hold the non-priority queue plenty of times and it does not slow down the boarding process at all. If anything it puts a gap between the non-frequent flyers which potentially speeds things up on board with the regular flyers quicker to get organised and sit down.

It does not take any time to turn and scan a BP from the priority queue, and I don't think would make the slightest difference to boarding time whether you had to do it 3 or 30 times.


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[Pleb Status]

Typical pathetic effort in QF PB yesterday for QF597 BNE-PER (A333). Massive scrum in both lanes with no one reading the signs provided (or maybe half of the plane could of been WP and I will have to apologise), no PB announcement at our gate (even though I could hear the announcements at other gates), no enforcement of policy present/implemented.

 

[eastwest101]

QF667 yesterday BNE-ADL on a B738 (departing Gate 22 BNE). PB was announced and appeared to be working fine with a big crowd in the normal line and only 5-10 people used the PB lane - two staff scanning boarding passes. The flight was packed - this was probably the only reason that I was successful in getting a points upgrade to J from Y.

 

[amaroo]

QF509 BNE yesterday worked a dream.

 

[Heleigh]

QF520 SYD also worked a treat - straight out of J lounge to gate 5 PB empty but other line had a hickup with an older couple blocking everyone from getting to the gate. It was a full load but delayed 15mins waiting for a delayed flight with alot a pax connecting to our flight and also heading further north. Alot of upgrades over heard a couple of them saying I don't know why in reply to their friends questions.

 

[pauly7]

QF 400 (sigh... Red eye again) worked perfectly on Sunday. Slept walked through the PB lane.... Plane was packed suprisingly for a Sunday.

 

[serfty]

Pauly, what is your definition of a red eye? Mine is an overnight flight - QF400 is MEL-SYD, 0600 departure. How is that a red eye in your eyes?

Post moved to discussion on "red-eye" definitions here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/about-red-eye-flights-28623.html

Please continue that discussion there.

 

[Mgjdubs]

26/9 QF510 SYD-BNE: Absolute free-for-all with a bunch of kids charging their way to the front of the queue, by pushing in through the side by the service desk. Zoo animals. No staff made the effort to enforce it.
26/9 QF553 BNE-SYD: PB worked brilliantly.

 

[pauly7]

QF 445 Syd-Mel yesterday - all good, well enforced.

 

[simongr]

Great on QF 409 this morning. No need for enforcement either as people seemed to station the right line.

 

[Danger]

Speaking of enforcement, twice in the past three or so weeks I've seen a QF ground staffer (not an FA) playing bouncer at the bottom of the priority line, screening passengers to ensure they queue in the right lane.