Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[SeatBackForward]

Careful what you wish for!

Ahh yes indeed. PB made "Simple and fairer" below

 

[TonyHancock]

Careful what you wish for!

I'm inclined to agree with mickeyc747, QF should just abandon it and admit they are unable to provide PB. Even with the recent improvements it is still a lottery. Those, like myself, that want to board early just need to get to the gate extra early, those that went to board at leisure just need to arrive at the last stages of boarding. Those that want to experience consistent domestic priority boarding should just to what I do and fly VA.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I'm inclined to agree with mickeyc747, QF should just abandon it and admit they are unable to provide PB. Even with the recent improvements it is still a lottery. Those, like myself, that want to board early just need to get to the gate extra early, those that went to board at leisure just need to arrive at the last stages of boarding. Those that want to experience consistent domestic priority boarding should just to what I do and fly VA.

To me the PB benefit, is not about getting on the plane first, but to get the space above in the overhead bin. I don't mind them scrapping PB if they would turn around and enforce the carry on limits, and be a bit more vigiliant with the "smaller item under the seat" approach.

 

[TonyHancock]

To me the PB benefit, is not about getting on the plane first, but to get the space above in the overhead bin.

Yep same for me, I always equate getting on early with getting OH space.

 

[Danger]

I think QF should rethink PB.

I think there are a few issues with what you're proposing.

Its no point PBoarding only to queue up at the aircraft door.

Well, there is a point. You will still get on the aircraft before a lot of other people who are queuing in the non-PB lane.

I would rather sit in QPub a bit longer for Dom flights. Another reason is because Im an aisle pax so it better for me to board later to avoid having to get up for a window pax

My partial solution.

At the gate: non premium pax who have carryon that meets the actual criteria can go to gate counter and demonstrate it fits into mock cradle and get a special red card that allows early boarding on the non priority lane. Those that have oversized carry do not get early boarding.

priority pax eligible for priority boarding should be given a separate brightly coloured card in addition to boarding pass which is only redeemable at the PB check

This may reduce non priority pax from using priority lane.

Firstly, This would require getting to the gate earlier, negating the extra time in the lounge. Second, if you're carry-on doesn't fit in the test unit, it's out of the cabin. Simple. Third, it's creating another level of administration that Qantas has proven time and again it can't handle. (MASAs are a case in point.)

 

[Quickstatus]

I agree with you that since QF wants things to be "simpler and fairer", less admin is the way to go. Maybe thats what they should do with the carryon.

Im thinking that QF does not want to do that because from their point of view the OH / carryon issue is a non issue with very few pax having nowhere to put their carryon.
And now that the horse has bolted it would be difficult for QF to police the carryon issue without negative publicity.

I would have thought though that if they can do the "simpler and fairer thing" on their FF loyalty pax, it should not take much for them to do the same for the carryon issue.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Enforcement of PB vs Enforcement of Carry on. Either solution wont work, because it would require additional staff, change in culture and process, etc etc.

The fundamental difference between VA and QF is that "enforcement" is carried out by ground crew, who won't have to deal with irate passengers onboard. Why would a QF air crew intentionally provoke a passenger they then have to deal with onboard?

 

[Mr_Orange]

Enforcement of PB vs Enforcement of Carry on. Either solution wont work, because it would require additional staff, change in culture and process, etc etc.

The fundamental difference between VA and QF is that "enforcement" is carried out by ground crew, who won't have to deal with irate passengers onboard. Why would a QF air crew intentionally provoke a passenger they then have to deal with onboard?

Do you feel that passengers have the right to be irate if they have deliberately and belligerently ignored and broken the rules?

 

[medhead]

Careful what you wish for!

I completely agree. Don't offer something if you're not going to provide it. That's why I banged on about this so much. They advertise the benefit and use the good publicity, but then fail to provide it.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Do you feel that passengers have the right to be irate if they have deliberately and belligerently ignored and broken the rules?

No I don't feel they have the right. But I also know that I'm not everyone. You will get all sorts of responses from those who have not followed the rules ( i wont say they are deliberately breaking the rules):
- But I am a Priority Passenger/DYKWIA
- I didn't know this was a PB line/The signs confused me/This line was shorter
- Whats PB?
- It doesn't matter does it? we all get allocated seats/end up on the same plane/have to wait by the door anyhow
- I saw them doing so I am too

Again, I don't think the crew who then have to deal with the above want one extra issue to deal with.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Do you feel that passengers have the right to be irate if they have deliberately and belligerently ignored and broken the rules?

Im not disagreeing with you but the general sense of entitlement and the attitude of 'me above everyone else' in today's society means that, yes, many people will be irate.

 

[eastwest101]

No I don't feel they have the right. But I also know that I'm not everyone. You will get all sorts of responses from those who have not followed the rules ( i wont say they are deliberately breaking the rules):
- But I am a Priority Passenger/DYKWIA
- I didn't know this was a PB line/The signs confused me/This line was shorter
- Whats PB?
- It doesn't matter does it? we all get allocated seats/end up on the same plane/have to wait by the door anyhow
- I saw them doing so I am too

Again, I don't think the crew who then have to deal with the above want one extra issue to deal with.

yep - that would be the expected response to enforcing PB on QF.

I agree with others that if QF is unable/unwilling to provide ground staff to enforce PB (and cabin baggage rules while they are at it) then they should just be honest and admit that they can't deliver it, and remove it as a benefit from advertising and promotional material. They have been talking about it for a few years and in this thread +3000 posts later we can easily see that they cannot regularly perform PB properly.

Personally - I have given up on them being able to do it consistently.

The different coloured boarding passes would assist enforcement, but they really will have to want to enforce it, as the longer they leave it the more difficult it will be to implement/enforce for the reasons that SeatBackForward alluded to.

 

[boomy]

The different coloured boarding passes would assist enforcement, but they really will have to want to enforce it

I will also add different coloured signs. I think that's the main reason why PB works better for QFi flights.

 

[QF WP]

Yet another masa QF WP?

But of course . Have just ticked over enough points for my next JASA, without sweeping anything from my 8 other accounts, so I might have 2 JASA's left...and without doubt, Gold re-qual in the bag.

Do love EpiQure points posting so quickly.

 

[tm.smile]

QF462 MEL-SYD this evening. Boarding was announced and stressed that priority was on the left. Lane was completely free but the staff member was standing on the non-premium side and thus I was hesitant to just 'push in'. After a couple of other pax he called me and my mate over. Half and half I guess.

 

[BadgerBoi]

VA manages to do one person PB on each and every flight*


* Except for VA436 on 13 August 2012#
# that's a made up date, but it happened once

Let's keep that answer in mind next time for Andrew, along with "Nokey Dokey".

 

[ozbeachbabe]

On the whole I find it better than this time six months ago... but can still be hit and miss... mainly it fails when there is a full flight of people waiting to board and for some unknown reason they only have ONE poor FA on the gate scanning people... and then TWO people greeting on the aircraft... bass-ackwards IMO, esp on a single ailse 737.... having said that... they mostly DO observe the PB queue and will pause the regular queue to bring through a few PB's.

If there is only one F/A boarding then it'll be a 738 & the CSM greets pax while the other two F/A's remain down the back of the bus.

If there are two F/A's greeting pax as they board then it's a B767 or A330 where there should also be two F/A's at the boarding gate.

It's possible that on your flight one of the F/A's scheduled to do the boarding was held up on a late running inbound flight they were operating.

I would think they would be keen to get boarding underway even with one F/A rather than delay the flight & wait until the 2nd F/A arrived before boarding.

 

[tuapekastar]

QF419, SYD gate 5 this morning, 763 operating, 2 x FAs boarding, worked perfectly.

 

[mickeyc747]

If there is only one F/A boarding then it'll be a 738 & the CSM greets pax while the other two F/A's remain down the back of the bus.

If there are two F/A's greeting pax as they board then it's a B767 or A330 where there should also be two F/A's at the boarding gate.

It's possible that on your flight one of the F/A's scheduled to do the boarding was held up on a late running inbound flight they were operating.

I would think they would be keen to get boarding underway even with one F/A rather than delay the flight & wait until the 2nd F/A arrived before boarding.

The only exception I have seen to 738 is when I fly OOL SYD OOL there are always 3 F/A's 1 Senior F/A and CSM, so 2 F/A's do the boarding. ( do presume it happens on all 5 crew 738s)

 

[ermen]

Very easy to get hanger-ons out of the PB lane.

Put a sign saying
$50 priority boarding fee*
*Waived for J, WP, SG, OWE, OWS pax