Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Moody]

Flying back from Melbourne to Sydney this week and had just finished a beer when the departures monitor started showing "Go To Gate", so I did. Even with a toilet stop on the way I arrived before boarding, though you could see that it was imminent and pax were already lining up. I followed the usual procedure and joined the shorter queue - the one for general boarding. And it wasn't just slightly shorter - it was about half the size.

Combine that factor with the prevalence of electronic boarding passes amongst the elite (which take twice as long to process if they work at all), and I effectively jumped the queue by about 40 pax.

And what's wrong with that, I say?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

QF do a fantastic job on internatonal flights (other than at DXB where boarding from the first lounge is last… which means WP not in F never get to put bags in the bins over their own seats).

Given that QF know how to make PB work why is it that they cannot train the dQF staff to do it well?

International flights are boarded by ground staff not flight attendants.

Intl ground staff would do boarding regularly as part of their job so they would get more practice and thus be quicker when doing it.

Domestic FA's may may fly often but may not always do boarding each time so may be a bit rusty when they have to do it.

Perhaps the answer is to have domestic ground staff do the boarding for domestic flights as done by AA & VA for example.

 

[medhead]

Late last night in SYD, gate 5. Boarding announcement clearly said business, priority line will be boarded first, please wait everyone else. Or words to that effect. Probably helped that the load was pretty light - half or so, 6 in J, numerous shadows and empty half rows down the back.

 

[grrofunger]

Melbourne Gate 11 today - sort of got it right , were kicking people out of the priority line at least but this just made the priority line slower than the standard line they were processing at the same time

*sigh*

 

[TomVexille]

Melbourne Gate 11 today - sort of got it right , were kicking people out of the priority line at least but this just made the priority line slower than the standard line they were processing at the same time

*sigh*

Baby steps

 

[wooley]

Late last night in SYD, gate 5. Boarding announcement clearly said business, priority line will be boarded first, please wait everyone else. Or words to that effect. Probably helped that the load was pretty light - half or so, 6 in J, numerous shadows and empty half rows down the back.

We had similar ex BNE Saturday morning and ex SYD Sunday night.

It was mentioned twice that business and the priority line will be boarded first and that they will call up all other passengers after.

It didn't help that as soon as priority passengers lined up so too did everyone else but they did a half decent job of pushing through all priority passengers first.

 

[QF WP]

Well it was a zoo at ADL, boarding for QF656 at Gate 24 today

Non-status members disregarded the page for Gold, Plat (or OW equivalents) plus J class to go to the right hand lane.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Well it was a zoo at ADL, boarding for QF656 at Gate 24 today

Non-status members disregarded the page for Gold, Plat (or OW equivalents) plus J class to go to the right hand lane.

There would have only been one F/A boarding on an ADL/BNE flight so unless a ground staff member is there to assist in the form of being the second staff member doing boarding then all pax will always line up in the lane where the F/A was scanning which I'm guessing was the right hand lane.

If there was also a staff member in the left hand lane you would get people in that lane. It doesn't matter what is said in the PA ie PB to the right and general to the left, nobody will queue up in the left lane when there is nobody there to scan their boarding passes.

The Einstein definition of insanity ie doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result rings true here.

 

[Bigglesworth]

This really needs to be fixed.

Yesterday departing Perth, two lines clearly marked and orderly lines.

Two Qantas staff checking people on. The faster, better operator was on the standard line whilst the bumbling slow operator was on the priority line.

The standard line moved much much quicker in getting people on board.

The two operators should both clear the priority line first.

it's really not that hard.

(note: i was already grumpy due to long delay with flight and an evac of the terminal due to false fire alarm)

Perth is a the pure epitome of a shambles from check in to lounge (pig pen) to boarding. I tottally agree that boarding is one area that Virgin is light years ahead of Qantas.

Will be interested to see the new lounge in Perth this afternoon.

 

[QF WP]

There would have only been one F/A boarding on an ADL/BNE flight so unless a ground staff member is there to assist in the form of being the second staff member doing boarding then all pax will always line up in the lane where the F/A was scanning which I'm guessing was the right hand lane.

If there was also a staff member in the left hand lane you would get people in that lane. It doesn't matter what is said in the PA ie PB to the right and general to the left, nobody will queue up in the left lane when there is nobody there to scan their boarding passes.

The Einstein definition of insanity ie doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result rings true here.

I think you'r right. I arrived at Gate 24 (after leaving the QC early knowing it was a full flight) I sat in one of the seating areas. There must have been a ground staff assisting, as there were two staff, both manning a reader each, They did the call for pre-boarding call for people with disabilities, children etc. I then stood up when they made the announcement about Business Class and elite pax (as I was in J) and noticed the flood of people who all went to the right hand line (which was manned), whilst the lady after doing the announcement went back to the LHS reader. I joined the RH queue and there were at least 5 pax who shouldn't have been in the RH queue (as I surreptitiously looked at their BP's whilst making my way to the front of the queue - no status, not in J, all row 20+).

Whilst it is a failing of pax not listening, none of those people were turned away from boarding (as it was running late for boarding, so they wanted to try and achieve ontime departure). What was also annoying was that when I got onboard in J, there was luggage in the overheads in Row 2 (on my side) that wasn't J pax (as the FA and I both asked the already seated pax, all who said not ours). It soon ran out of room and some late poor souls had to find space in Row 4/5/6. Anyway, not firstworldproblems here...just disappointing that others ignore or do the wrong thing...

 

[Rapid]

In Sydney at gate 7 today, Only one FA manning the reader with all pax lining up on the left side as it was for PB. I sat in the seating area waiting for the crowd to clear.

The FA asked the person behind the service desk if she can help, but was told that she is too busy with something else. Poor FA had to do all passengers by herself as there was a cancelation of another flight to ADL and no spare seat on the plane.

 

[Danger]

While it might take two FAs to man two separate lines, it only requires one FA to say 'Bugger off. This line/time for boarding isn't for you'. And that's the part that seems, more than anything, to be perpetually missing from QF's ongoing dismal failure at priority boarding.

 

[TomVexille]

While it might take two FAs to man two separate lines, it only requires one FA to say 'Bugger off. This line/time for boarding isn't for you'. And that's the part that seems, more than anything, to be perpetually missing from QF's ongoing dismal failure at priority boarding.

Exactly it. We've turned up for AA flights halfway through boarding where there's one GA boarding the flight and walked through the priority line where the GA stops the general line, checks that we're eligible for priority and then scans our BPs. It's all about willingness to make it work.

 

[Brisbane Flyer]

Gotta love the American attitude, their job is to work, not be liked by everyone.
They don't mind at all pulling someone up who tries to take a shortcut. Its called competition, they realise people have multiple choices, not just one as we have.

Cheers
BF

Exactly it. We've turned up for AA flights halfway through boarding where there's one GA boarding the flight and walked through the priority line where the GA stops the general line, checks that we're eligible for priority and then scans our BPs. It's all about willingness to make it work.

 

[Buzzard]

I only mention this here because posters seem to bag QF and put VA on a pedestal. VA841 MEL to SYD on 28/8 was a dogs breakfast. When I mentioned to the ground crew that there seem to be a lot of premium pax she simply replied "they don't listen".
Nobody was shooed back from the premium line.

 

[Mondo]

I think you'r right. I arrived at Gate 24 (after leaving the QC early knowing it was a full flight) I sat in one of the seating areas. There must have been a ground staff assisting, as there were two staff, both manning a reader each, They did the call for pre-boarding call for people with disabilities, children etc. I then stood up when they made the announcement about Business Class and elite pax (as I was in J) and noticed the flood of people who all went to the right hand line (which was manned), whilst the lady after doing the announcement went back to the LHS reader. I joined the RH queue and there were at least 5 pax who shouldn't have been in the RH queue (as I surreptitiously looked at their BP's whilst making my way to the front of the queue - no status, not in J, all row 20+).

Whilst it is a failing of pax not listening, none of those people were turned away from boarding (as it was running late for boarding, so they wanted to try and achieve ontime departure). What was also annoying was that when I got onboard in J, there was luggage in the overheads in Row 2 (on my side) that wasn't J pax (as the FA and I both asked the already seated pax, all who said not ours). It soon ran out of room and some late poor souls had to find space in Row 4/5/6. Anyway, not firstworldproblems here...just disappointing that others ignore or do the wrong thing...

With no one owning to the luggage in the overhead locker, I would have simply removed it from the aircraft as it is a security risk to be carry baggage not belonging to a passenger on board the flight! Then you will see how quickly the owner claims it! Hahaha

 

[kermatu]

QF priority boarding in Cairns this week worked perfectly. From memory, it always has. Despite there being a long queue, nobody seemed to jump into the PB lane.

Kudos to the passengers. The lanes were clearly signed as well.

 

[QF WP]

With no one owning to the luggage in the overhead locker, I would have simply removed it from the aircraft as it is a security risk to be carry baggage not belonging to a passenger on board the flight! Then you will see how quickly the owner claims it! Hahaha

Whilst it would have been what I wanted to do if it was me with my bags, I'm not sure we pax the jurisdiction to make such a decision and carry it out - we have the right to advise the crew but only the FA's or Captain/FO can do those actions, who were all by this late stage of boarding, engrossed with getting away on time. That's why I like boarding early...

 

[Mr_Orange]

Whilst it would have been what I wanted to do if it was me with my bags, I'm not sure we pax the jurisdiction to make such a decision and carry it out - we have the right to advise the crew but only the FA's or Captain/FO can do those actions, who were all by this late stage of boarding, engrossed with getting away on time. That's why I like boarding early...

Having established that it didn't belong to anyone in J, I think I would have no qualms in taking it out of the locker and leaving it on the floor, thus forcing the issue with staff onboard. Not quite as draconian as offloading it, but I'm sure it would find its way back to its sheepish owner and a locker in Y fairly sharpish.

 

[katiebell]

BA close the J luggage bin so that Y pax passing through cannot just toss a bag in whilst passing: works well