Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Buzzard]

Interesting yesterday. I left the BNE Jlounge when my flight was called and when I arrived at the gate, boarding had not yet commenced, people were just milling around waiting. I was the first to walk down the priority line. The staff member doing boarding called me over to the front of the general line saying she was the only one there, which is fine, but she then went and closed the premium boarding line :shock: I was first to board and have no idea what other premium passengers did.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Interesting yesterday. I left the BNE Jlounge when my flight was called and when I arrived at the gate, boarding had not yet commenced, people were just milling around waiting. I was the first to walk down the priority line. The staff member doing boarding called me over to the front of the general line saying she was the only one there, which is fine, but she then went and closed the premium boarding line :shock: I was first to board and have no idea what other premium passengers did.

Which is the complete opposite of my flight out of BNE on Saturday when a single FA handled premium boarding with no problems at all.

That said, my previous flight out of BNE was similar to your experience, where the single FA ignored us/(didn't see us??) in the PB line so we joined the back of GB and when I quizzed her about it, I was told that PB cannot be done with a single FA scanning boarding passes!!

WTF! Qantas, consistent with its inconsistency.

 

[QF WP]

QF632 MEL/BNE 26 Oct (Gate 6)

After the walk from the Bus Lounge at first boarding call, I was surprised when I turned up to find a decent line still boarding the Economy line and of course, nothing in Priority. I was the last of the J pax to board

No photo this time

 

[tm.smile]

You would never have believe what happened tonight if you didn't see it with your own eyes. Leaving Sydney tonight on QF552 at gate 4. We came down from the j lounge and boarding had just begun a few moments prior. As my partner and I made our way down, we saw two men walk from the priority line towards the back of general. Then approaching the scanning area, a woman was waking back around to the gate seating area. The gate agent was actually turning people away.

I could not believe it.

 

[Danger]

You would never have believe what happened tonight if you didn't see it with your own eyes. Leaving Sydney tonight on QF552 at gate 4. We came down from the j lounge and boarding had just begun a few moments prior. As my partner and I made our way down, we saw two men walk from the priority line towards the back of general. Then approaching the scanning area, a woman was waking back around to the gate seating area. The gate agent was actually turning people away.

I could not believe it.

Oh my God.

Was the gate agent wearing a VA uniform and simply lost?

 

[tm.smile]

Hahaha no, she was definitely in a QF uniform and was even the FA on board the aircraft.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

You would never have believe what happened tonight if you didn't see it with your own eyes. Leaving Sydney tonight on QF552 at gate 4. We came down from the j lounge and boarding had just begun a few moments prior.

As my partner and I made our way down, we saw two men walk from the priority line towards the back of general. Then approaching the scanning area, a woman was waking back around to the gate seating area. The gate agent was actually turning people away.

I could not believe it.

I thought you meant legitimate PB pax were being turned away from the PB lane as there was only one F/A doing the boarding.

So the computer was on the general boarding side then?

 

[tm.smile]

I thought you meant legitimate PB pax were being turned away from the PB lane as there was only one F/A doing the boarding.

So the computer was on the general boarding side then?

There were two staff members scanning, so the FA doing PB and one doing general.

PB was actually being done perfectly.

 

[boomy]

Big fail for PB this morning. Seems like people couldn't wait to get out of BNE after the G20 lockdown on the weekend

 

[pjm99au]

Progress of sorts last night boarding 583. No-one turned away but the five in front of me in the priority queue were advised that they should not of used that lane.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Big fail for PB this morning. Seems like people couldn't wait to get out of BNE after the G20 lockdown on the weekend

IIRC the sole F/A stands on the left hand side at gate 17 where the computer is which also happens to be the PB lane so of course everyman and his dog also line up there too if there is no staff member in the general lane. This will continue to happen as long as one staff member boards flights.

 

[boomy]

IIRC the sole F/A stands on the left hand side at gate 17 where the computer is which also happens to be the PB lane so of course everyman and his dog also line up there too if there is no staff member in the general lane. This will continue to happen as long as one staff member boards flights.

There were two FAs today. Usually a PB fail is when too many pax are standing in the wrong lane but this time people were rushing to board, not even forming two proper lanes. Haven't seen that for a while in Australia.

 

[QF WP]

boomy, I note a number of Chinese, who aren't known for their ability to listen and/or understand and/or line up - rather they believe in pushing to get onboard first so they can stuff their oversized cabin baggage...

 

[mrpooky]

PB has generally been working well for me lately between BNE and PER.

I normally take a stickybeak at boarding passes of those around me if I can and although I still see SGs in Y occasionally lining up in the wrong queue and being scanned through without comment by the FA, it seems to me that the situation has improved on these flights at least.

mrpooky.

 

[Fifa]

Major fail yesterday on QF769 MEL-PER.
The priority and general queues were the same length and while waiting in the PB queue I witnessed quite a few couples questioning each other about whether they were in the correct one.
Most determined they should have been in the other queue but stayed put. As usual when their boarding passes were scanned no attempt was made to send them back.
When I got to the gate I mentioned "there must be a lot of Platinum and business class flyers today".
The reply was "Yes, there must be". :shock:

 

[opusman]

I'm always amazed by the number of people who stand in the priority queue next to the sign that says it's a priority queue, and discuss audibly whether they're in the right queue or not.

Either QF need better signage or they have a high proportion of illiterate passengers.

 

[mikejr]

There is an easy answer to this for Qantas: FAs need to turn people away and send them to the back of the regular line if they are not entitled to Priority Board - no exceptions - simple, problem would be solved within 3 months.

It works in the US and boy are those FAs ruthless!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

There is an easy answer to this for Qantas: FAs need to turn people away and send them to the back of the regular line if they are not entitled to Priority Board - no exceptions - simple, problem would be solved within 3 months.

It works in the US and boy are those FAs ruthless!

I think all the boarding in the US is done by ground staff as with the 1:50 F/A to pax ratio there would only be 3 F/A's on a 738 who all need to be onboard to oversee the carry on debacle.

But I agree, they do have a 'take no prisoners' attitude to not just boarding but other aspects of customer service which we may not necessarily want to see on our shores.

In Australia it's a CASA requirement on 738's that three cabin crew members must be on the aircraft at all times during the boarding process.

 

[JohnM]

Either QF need better signage or they have a high proportion of illiterate passengers.

It's both, I fear .

 

[dk4]

People, people, people, you haven't got the message yet (and it's been coming loud and clear for years now)...

IF you want PRIORITY BOARDING then you fly Virgin (who will send people in the wrong queue back to the end of the correct one, every flight, every day, every time).

BUT

IF you just want PRIORITY BOARDING SIGNS then you fly Qantas (who will let anyone board however and when ever they want, and you can completely ignore the signs).