Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Danger]

I honestly don't know what it is about me that seems to scream "not a WP/J flyer", but I've lost count of the number of times I've lined up for PB in PER and had other pax tell me that I should be lined up on the other side of the divider.

Other passengers? Wow. I'd smack them around with my FF card.

 

[Ansett]

QF636 on Friday all worked well MEL-BNE. Went straight to the front of the queue the FA saw me coming and held back a passenger in the NON PB line to scan my pass.

QF639 on Monday BNE-MEL again worked with no issues no passengers in the wrong queue.

I do agree QF is getting much better at this, lets hope they keep improving till its perfect

 

[DrA]

How do you respond to them?

Depends how tired I am to be honest. If it's a red eye flight, I'm more likely to just ignore them. If it's earlier, and I'm not dead tired, I'll just show them my boarding pass to prove a point. Always seems to be an element of surprise on finding out that I'm Dr A, not Ms A.

Not a Qantas incident, but I've copped a similar attitude at PER int from Toll Dnata contract staff before as well.

I really don't get it. The days of business class pax and elite status FF's being middle aged men travelling in suits is long gone. Especially in Perth, given the FIFO workforce.

 

[Daver6]

Depends how tired I am to be honest. If it's a red eye flight, I'm more likely to just ignore them. If it's earlier, and I'm not dead tired, I'll just show them my boarding pass to prove a point. Always seems to be an element of surprise on finding out that I'm Dr A, not Ms A.

Not a Qantas incident, but I've copped a similar attitude at PER int from Toll Dnata contract staff before as well.

I really don't get it. The days of business class pax and elite status FF's being middle aged men travelling in suits is long gone. Especially in Perth, given the FIFO workforce.

Perhaps its the lack of hi vis in your wardrobe?

 

[DrA]

Perhaps its the lack of hi vis in your wardrobe?

I have hi-vis in my wardrobe I work as a university lecturer in a mining-related discipline. I very rarely wear it on the plane though, unless I'm having to hit the ground running. One of the things about the clothes you wear on mine sites, they end up with trace explosives on. Set off the swab thing all the time, so it's easier to just avoid it.

 

[QF WP]

These bollards and Gate signs are much better (Gate 16 BNE this morning BNE/CBR). Relatively easy to read and I arrived early to see how the flow went. Boarding calls made with clear instructions. Lots of people walking up, reading and self assessing. None turned away but I doubt they all correct

 

[QF WP]

QF 1554 CBR/BNE

As expected, only one queue due to only one scanner. Half the pax came from the QC when the boarding call was made and soon the queue was 50+ long

 

[Steady]

QF846 SYD - DRW gate 2 - fail tonight. Premium line had 50+ pax, the normal line had ony 2 pax? The check in person was trying but was by herself.

 

[Danger]

QF846 SYD - DRW gate 2 - fail tonight. Premium line had 50+ pax, the normal line had ony 2 pax? The check in person was trying but was by herself.

Based on what you've posted, how did you determine that it was a fail?

 

[medhead]

Based on what you've posted, how did you determine that it was a fail?

If guess because of the ratio of passenger in lines. 50:2 premium to non-premium seems wrong.

 

[mickeyc747]

Epic failure on QF 459 tonight SYD MEL and when I asked the flight attendant she was disinterested

 

[Mr_Orange]

Epic failure on QF 459 tonight SYD MEL and when I asked the flight attendant she was disinterested

I've had that attitude when I once asked. There are definitely some staff that require an attitude adjustment.

 

[boomy]

On QF623 today very long queue for GB and only a few pax waiting for PB, from far it looked good but then there was only one person who scanned the tickets at the end of the GB line and she didn't pay attention to the PB line so eventually we had to jump the queue to be served and it felt a bit awkward.

 

[medhead]

Fail on qf743 from SYD tonight. They let the 58 strong school group board first.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Fail on qf743 from SYD tonight. They let the 58 strong school group board first.

Probably for the best.

 

[medhead]

Probably for the best.

Yes, it was an excellent move. Almost not handled the best as the gate agent first asked us in the premium boarding lane to move for the kids, but then decided to move the other lane of people. So overall excellent, 1) for most efficient loading option, 2) recognising that the premium lane should be left alone, i.e. thinking about the best way to achieve the efficient loading rather than blindly pushing the issue.

Overall excellent work at Gate 2 in SYD tonight. Just wish I had noted down the name of the staff member.

 

[ajw373]

Whilst clearly not a domestic flight, big priority boarding failure on QF41 SYD-CGK yesterday (28/9). Arrived at gate about 5 minutes before boarding was due to commence, the general queue had about 70 people already lined up and the priority queue had a about 20. Not one announcement asking people to sit down, I assume they would have boarded the general queue by row number, so really no one needs to be standing in the queue before boarding has commenced and having so many waiting would make it hard when they do start boarding. Not one announcement.

Now whilst I know one can never judge a frequent flyer by their looks (I can travel a bit rough myself), but being a regular traveller I think I can safely say that not one of the 20 in the priority queue were either travelling in business class or were gold or platinum frequent flyers, the give away is those that fit this case don't queue before boarding, and like me stand back if we arrive at the gate before boarding. Those in the queue were all Indonesian and looked like queue jumpers to me. Anyway boarding commences and the 20 or so in the priority queue are then let on board, there were a couple of people standing back near me that were in front of me, when I got to the gate I mentioned to the guy doing the boarding that I thought they were handling it pretty poorly and non priority passengers should be sent back, and that it really devalues the price we pay for business class tickets, or for long term loyalty. All he said was they were all business class. Anyway lo and behold get on board and only two other business class passengers on board, who just so happened to be the two who stood back near me and were just in front of me.

Now I know that Indonesians can be a hard bunch to manage when it comes to queuing and doing things in an orderly way, but Garuda can manage it, indeed Qantas in Jakarta can even manage it, so why was it so hard for Qantas to manage the queue in Sydney?

The irony is this morning I have received a survey to provide feedback for this flight, you can well imagine what I have said. The last line was Qantas, there are other options.

 

[Daver6]

What would annoy me most about the situation you described is the blatant lie told by the boarding attendant.

Whilst clearly not a domestic flight, big priority boarding failure on QF41 SYD-CGK yesterday (28/9). Arrived at gate about 5 minutes before boarding was due to commence, the general queue had about 70 people already lined up and the priority queue had a about 20. Not one announcement asking people to sit down, I assume they would have boarded the general queue by row number, so really no one needs to be standing in the queue before boarding has commenced and having so many waiting would make it hard when they do start boarding. Not one announcement.

Now whilst I know one can never judge a frequent flyer by their looks (I can travel a bit rough myself), but being a regular traveller I think I can safely say that not one of the 20 in the priority queue were either travelling in business class or were gold or platinum frequent flyers, the give away is those that fit this case don't queue before boarding, and like me stand back if we arrive at the gate before boarding. Those in the queue were all Indonesian and looked like queue jumpers to me. Anyway boarding commences and the 20 or so in the priority queue are then let on board, there were a couple of people standing back near me that were in front of me, when I got to the gate I mentioned to the guy doing the boarding that I thought they were handling it pretty poorly and non priority passengers should be sent back, and that it really devalues the price we pay for business class tickets, or for long term loyalty. All he said was they were all business class. Anyway lo and behold get on board and only two other business class passengers on board, who just so happened to be the two who stood back near me and were just in front of me.

Now I know that Indonesians can be a hard bunch to manage when it comes to queuing and doing things in an orderly way, but Garuda can manage it, indeed Qantas in Jakarta can even manage it, so why was it so hard for Qantas to manage the queue in Sydney?

The irony is this morning I have received a survey to provide feedback for this flight, you can well imagine what I have said. The last line was Qantas, there are other options.

 

[ajw373]

What would annoy me most about the situation you described is the blatant lie told by the boarding attendant.

It certainly was. Must admit I was being a bit of a wanker because it really cost me little in time or inconvenience, but the whole thing was just a shambles. I might have been even more pissed off if I was in economy with no status, because don't think the 70 in the queue (again almost all Indonesians) had any intention of waiting for their row groups to be called. Also this was gate 32, for what ever reason the even 30 gates at Sydney airport are very poorly designed which doesn't help. Probably only really suited for a 737 or A320 sized aircraft not an A330-300 load of PAX.

 

[eastwest101]

Not strictly QF related but thought I'd add here that I noticed at SYD a few days ago that VA had a few "attempt" to try to use the VA Priority Boarding lane at gate 43 in SYD Dom (one of the newly designed gates with the "normal boarding" line off to the side and the purple priority boarding entrance being quicker, easier and maybe more tempting to access. The VA ground agent was proactive in seeing a bunch of people try it on and pointed out to them that the Priority Boarding lane is for Plat/Gold and Business PAX. Most of them sheepishly changed course and went to the normal line. One or two got bounced back/refused and had to join the end of the normal boarding line.

I thought it was interesting that VA still have to enforce PB with ground staff, despite the large clear signage and their reasonably successful record of doing it for the last few years, it seems people won't/can't learn or elect to ignore signage......

I have provided positive feedback to VA so the ground agents can hopefully get some kudos for keeping control of that VA PB process.