Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[eastwest101]

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.

Danger - was that in Perth, or in other places as well?

 

[nlagalle]

Two flights last week and again no issues at all. massive line in the non PB lane and only a few in the PB lane.

 

[Danger]

Danger - was that in Perth, or in other places as well?

Once in Perth, once in Sydney.

 

[TonyHancock]

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.

This encouraging. The focus with QF for me now is the dreaded 734's!!!

 

[simongr]

Tony - out of interest given that QF have stated that it isn't available on a 734 (ignoring whether this is reasonable or not) will you be happy if they can consistently deliver it on the 763 and 738 fleet?

 

[TonyHancock]

Tony - out of interest given that QF have stated that it isn't available on a 734 (ignoring whether this is reasonable or not) will you be happy if they can consistently deliver it on the 763 and 738 fleet?

Not really. It seems to me that QF400 is invariably a 734 at the weekends and that impacts me 8 or 9 times a year. Also QF needs to deliver PB at Adelaide and Canberra. I'd be happy if QF clearly states the exceptions to PB but at the moment it strikes me as false advertising.

 

[TonyHancock]

QF431 yesterday - worked perfectly.....although I didn't get the opportunity to see if it was being enforced.

 

[mickeyc747]

Worked well yesterday on the 1.05 pm ex OOL and on my connection to ADL from Sydney.

 

[Kangol]

Starting to see the start of a culture change - couple of recent 738 flights from MEL have seen the swarm line up correctly in the normal line with the PB line empty when I arrive. I don't get there in time to hear the boarding call but early enough (probably *just* after boarding starts) to make the most of PB.

What is the exact reason why they can't offer it on a 734?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What is the exact reason why they can't offer it on a 734?

Unless the 734 is to/from CBR where there are 5 F/A's & therefore 2 who come up to board pax, there will only be one FA to board & IMHO to effectively deliver PB you need 2 F/A's.

Unless beancounters see the light & decide on 5 F/A's for any 734 regardless of destination boarding will always be a rock show.

I think I know the chances of that happening.

 

[tuapekastar]

Interesting to see how a new (well, recycled anyway) port handles this. OOL was very busy yesterday and very unusually for me I arrived at the airport around the time boarding was scheduled to commence. Security took ~5 minutes to get through then went to gate 3. The signage was there, and though boarding had not commenced (it took another 5-10 mins to do so), there was a very long line in the general queue, and a much shorter line in the PB queue (maybe 20 - 25 people?). I've no way of telling who in the PB queue was eligible or not, but after they boarded the little kiddies etc. both queues started to board and on we went.

Was unable to tell how it went in SYD because when I got there there were significant delays to the remaining MEL flights including my 2205 (last of the night). I wandered to the J lounge hoping I might get shifted from to the earlier delayed flight, but instead she said I've got you on 465 (which itself was delayed ~90 minutes), which is in final stages of boarding (it said 'Flight Closed' on the boards) so no lounge for me (not that I'm complaining, it was a great result to get on this flight), had to rush off to Gate 17, where the last few pax were boarding. Long time since I've been in row 45 on a 763!

 

[simongr]

Long time since I've been in row 45 on a 763!

There are 45 rows?

I find that PB fails most when the flight is delayed - people rock up to the gate and start queuing - although I did see one instance where a SG walked up to the PB queue and spotted it was the OWE/J queue only so they didnt queue with PB. Great work I though - until I saw them just push into the regular queue about half way down the queue...

 

[nonpop]

30th Oct '12
Syd > Mel
QF447 departing 4pm
B767 (old)

2 Lines formed
Boarding called. 1 gate agent appeared to process general pax. He starts processing general pax, then looks over to me (I was 1st in priority line) and says "oh someone will be there soon".

He then looks across at general line and waves them forward and lets them board (nobody processing priority).
Everyone in the priority line had a laugh (some pax let out a few "what a joke" comments). I just smiled (1st world problem).
Then a female gate agent appeared from running up the gang way and said "they started sooner than I was ready". She called me across and ... blam ... the scanner had an issue with my ticket in scanning it (freshly minted from QF lounge). Eventually it processed it.

When I got to my seat ... the overhead bin space had already been taken directly over my seat by someone seated nearby with 2 bags, laptop & suit jacket. I just had my small rollaboard. Oh well, I had another laugh to myself.

Summary: Priority boarding was an epic fail on this flight.

 

[BVT]

Comparisons are odious, but DJ manage PB very well with one staffer, IME.

 

[Mal Ware]

Would it not be easier for QF to just make the call for Priority boarding first?

Then have the two lanes as a free for all. Most of the confusion lies in people just joining a que, regardless of if they are meant to be in that que or not. And once a few people mill around the one sign that shows the lane for priority boarding is obscured so again not really the pax fault, they are just lining up to get on.

 

[Fruitcake]

Would it not be easier for QF to just make the call for Priority boarding first?

Isn't the whole point of priority boarding that you don't have to be lurking around the gate 30 minutes before departure in order to hear that call?

 

[yo yo ma]

Would it not be easier for QF to just make the call for Priority boarding first?

I agree - they should serve everyone in the PB lane with two agents and then start on the general lane

 

[yo yo ma]

Boarding called. 1 gate agent appeared to process general pax. He starts processing general pax, then looks over to me (I was 1st in priority line) and says "oh someone will be there soon".

This guy needs retraining - re should have called the PB lane first and then started on the general lane.

 

[flyingfan]

This guy needs retraining - re should have called the PB lane first and then started on the general lane.

I could be wrong but I suspect a failure to adhere to training is not the problem here.

 

[medhead]

Right so OOL gets PB but ADL doesn't. What a joke!