Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

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GPH said:
To me PB is a benefit only if in Y and looking to secure prime storage space ......and you are in a window seat
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......or on a 737 in J and the Y pax have decided to use the locker space above your seat!! :evil:

I think that one of the problems with this thread is that we all have different definitions of what is a pass and what is a fail.

Today I have the joys of QF427. I decided not to risk getting to the gate after boarding had started because I had two carry on items. I was at the gate early enough to be the second person in the queue in the premium lane. The first call was for pax needing assistance and pax with small children. The next call was a general call with the instruction for WP/OWE and J pax to use the premium lane.

The PB lane was processed by one staff member and the non PB by another. Both lanes were processed simultaneously. Consequently for every PB pax one non PB pax boarded. This does not meet my definition of priority boarding. As second person in the PB lane two pax in the general lane boarded before me. It is not about me being precious, but by the time premium pax number 20 had boarded another 20 non premium pax would have boarded. How is this premium/priority boarding.

That I have to get to the gate well before boarding commences means QF might as well not bother with PB at all. I'm sitting in my seat now watching my seat mates struggle to find any overhead space. :(
 
TonyHancock said:
The PB lane was processed by one staff member and the non PB by another. Both lanes were processed simultaneously. Consequently for every PB pax one non PB pax boarded. This does not meet my definition of priority boarding. As second person in the PB lane two pax in the general lane boarded before me. It is not about me being precious, but by the time premium pax number 20 had boarded another 20 non premium pax would have boarded. How is this premium/priority boarding.
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It was a bit better on a DJ (then) flight - there would be one priority boarding agent (FA?) and one regular agent. The regular agent would alternate between boarding someone from the priority queue and one from the normal queue. So in theory you might have 15 premium passengers board (if there are that many) against 5 regular passengers, to keep the regular line going (more gradually) too.
 
cmon0005 said:
In the end the boarding on QF seems more orderly in general and seems that the flights board quicker and get off the ground with minimal fuss.
The VA boarding always seems dis-organised, all over the shop, Yes the PB does work and is policed better, but does it help the entire plane have a seemless boarding experience? No not from my experience. Out of 9 VA flights MEL-SYD in a 4 month period none were on time departing and all boarding was a shambles. Maybe its better now I don't know.
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That is the exact opposite of my experience in ADL. VA make clear announcements that tell people what is going to happen. Then they make an announcement to start the process. Then they enforce it and priority boarding is used by those who should use it.

QF on the other hand are a complete mess in ADL with no announcements and the pax just pushing at the 2 gate agents 5 abreast. Certainly that's changed with PB there now and it is no longer necessary to be hanging around the gate 15 minutes before scheduled boarding time.
 
eastflyer said:
It was a bit better on a DJ (then) flight - there would be one priority boarding agent (FA?) and one regular agent. The regular agent would alternate between boarding someone from the priority queue and one from the normal queue. So in theory you might have 15 premium passengers board (if there are that many) against 5 regular passengers, to keep the regular line going (more gradually) too.
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However, VA invite eligible pax to board at anytime when they do the assistance/child announcement. So PB starts before general boarding for those at the gate. Once general boarding starts the PB lane is pretty much empty and hence people coming from the lounge later can just walk up to the front and get on.
 
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I've said this before - someone needs to film a PB fail, put it on a public video uploading website as that is the best form of evidence (dare I say proof!) of something going wrong. Then when it goes viral, something will happen.
With smartphones being able to record high quality video these days, it wouldn't be too hard.
 
ozbeachbabe said:
There's also the reverse situation where people who are entitled to PB don't use it. I saw Wayne Swan boarding a BNE/CBR flight late last year & despite the PB queue operational he & his colleague joined the general queue and boarded with everyone else.
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Maybe not wanting to appear "elitist" in front of a group of voters?
 
TonyHancock said:
Today I have the joys of QF427. I decided not to risk getting to the gate after boarding had started because I had two carry on items. I was at the gate early enough to be the second person in the queue in the premium lane. The first call was for pax needing assistance and pax with small children. The next call was a general call with the instruction for WP/OWE and J pax to use the premium lane.

The PB lane was processed by one staff member and the non PB by another. Both lanes were processed simultaneously. Consequently for every PB pax one non PB pax boarded. This does not meet my definition of priority boarding. As second person in the PB lane two pax in the general lane boarded before me. It is not about me being precious, but by the time premium pax number 20 had boarded another 20 non premium pax would have boarded. How is this premium/priority boarding.

That I have to get to the gate well before boarding commences means QF might as well not bother with PB at all. I'm sitting in my seat now watching my seat mates struggle to find any overhead space. :(
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Can i ask what you think they should do with 2 people processing Tony? To me that meets PB.. the PB queue if policed will be shorter than the normal line. so while the process the PB lane others still board. Or should both people process the PB lane then go back to the general line?

I think overall Qantas board much faster than VA, generally QF do it in around 20 mins, VA is more like 30+ IME. I think I would prefer QF in that regard.
 
nlagalle said:
Can i ask what you think they should do with 2 people processing Tony? To me that meets PB.. the PB queue if policed will be shorter than the normal line. so while the process the PB lane others still board. Or should both people process the PB lane then go back to the general line?

I think overall Qantas board much faster than VA, generally QF do it in around 20 mins, VA is more like 30+ IME. I think I would prefer QF in that regard.
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To me priority boarding should be just that. The priority lane is processed first and then the general lane. I think this should be reflected in the boarding call too. i.e. make the call for WP's/OWE's/J's first and get that process started. If there are 20 priority pax lined up in the premium lane and QF boards the general and premium lane simultaneously then I don't see much of an advantage being a premium pax, I might as well just get to the gate early and get to the front of the general queue..........which in reality is not far off what I do now. Premium Pax arriving later at the gate get more of an advantage but if I left the lounge when the call is made I'd be trying to find overhead space at the back end of the plane.

It would not bother me one bit if QF decided to say "we will not offer priority boarding". I know exactly where I stand then, but to keep up this sham of claiming to deliver priority boarding is just wrong.
 
1/ VA manage to do PB fine - no excuse that QF can't.

2/ AA are experts at PB, do it great 90% of the time, and it's enforced strongly and consistently by gate agents. People are regularly sent back if in the wrong line or try to board out of order.

3/ With 2 gate agents, one processes PB, the other processes normal. If PB empty, then they can call someone across from the other line.

4/ With one agent they stand in the middle of the lines and process PB line first. If empty, and someone strolls down - they stop the normal line and process the PB until empty again. VA do this well.

5/ It doesn't slow down boarding at all - everyone is still stuck in the air bridge, but at least your further in front and don't also have to queue at the scanner.

6/ Board first is not the same as PB. I want to leave the lounge at my convenience and be able to stroll straight to the scanner - this is PB.

7/ Being at the gate early for bag space is a separate issue - if overhead space matters - then you plan for this. PB is a backup in case you come after boarding has commenced.

8/ I'm not asking for anything that's not already delivered by VA, AA and others regularly.

9/ It's a published benefit - now get your head out of your cough and deliver on said published benefit QF!!

That is all.....
 
dfcatch said:
6/ Board first is not the same as PB. I want to leave the lounge at my convenience and be able to stroll straight to the scanner - this is PB.
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That is PB for you, not for me. Priority Boarding for me means boarding the plane ahead of the general masses. i.e. priority is given to me because I have "status". I think what you consider priority boarding is actually boarding at your convenience.

I am perhaps being unfair on QF because they do not call it "Priority" Boarding, they call it "Premium" Boarding. Perhaps they are in fact delivering what they say they are....it just isn't the same as VA or AA.
 
TonyHancock said:
That is PB for you, not for me. Priority Boarding for me means boarding the plane ahead of the general masses. i.e. priority is given to me because I have "status". I think what you consider priority boarding is actually boarding at your convenience.

I am perhaps being unfair on QF because they do not call it "Priority" Boarding, they call it "Premium" Boarding. Perhaps they are in fact delivering what they say they are....it just isn't the same as VA or AA.
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Tony - I agree with you. But you are specifically referring to "Board First" - which, I believe QF are doing.

I think they should continue to do that - but they should also be offering PB as outlined above - which they pretend to do (but without feeling).

So in summary - PB means both "Board First" AND "Board at Convenience".

My point was simply that "Board First" alone does not meet the requirement of PB (as per AA, VA, UA, AC and many others).
 
dfcatch said:
3/ With 2 gate agents, one processes PB, the other processes normal. If PB empty, then they can call someone across from the other line.
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This is how I have seen QF do it with two gate agents.
 
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