Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Quickstatus]

Possibly - I'm not entitled to it very often and don't get too upset about it myself, but its the principle that an airline can promise one thing and then fail to deliver it that bug me a little. There's also the thin end of the wedge argument - if Qantas thinks it can get away with not providing its own advertised and published benefits to its highest spending customers then what is next?

Say QF advertised that all its WP members would say get a free drink on a flight, or be allowed more checked luggage or say they promised that their WP customers get access to Business Class check-in counters. If they only delivered the advertised benefit less than 50% of the time then every man and his dog would be on here/social media and twitter with "epic fail" comments. So why is it acceptable to advertise and then not implement priority boarding?

The problem now is almost intractable - there need to be real consequences for passengers failing to board in the correct line, and there need to be consequences for QF staff who dont enforce correct boarding procedures.

Entirely agree. Not a biggie for me so I havent complained. Perhaps its not as highly valued by other eligible passengers as perhaps an eligibility to J/F checkin, lounge. I suspect the squeaky wheel is not squeaky enough. Complaining to the media will not work either as the media will just see it as a rich person ranting about some first world issue.

Perhaps Qf knows that the Pb issue is not going to reduce the attractiveness of their product.

 

[opusman]

The FA view is that a focus on priority rather than efficient boarding slows the boarding process.

A truly efficient boarding procedure would be to board from the rear of the plane forward, but they don't do that. In truth there is no order to the process. It's the same number of people getting onboard the plane, it makes no difference to "efficiency of boarding" whether the ones with status get to go first. Total time is the same.

 

[Quickstatus]

A truly efficient boarding procedure would be to board from the rear of the plane forward, but they don't do that. In truth there is no order to the process. It's the same number of people getting onboard the plane, it makes no difference to "efficiency of boarding" whether the ones with status get to go first. Total time is the same.

There have been studies showing certain boarding pattern contribute to faster boarding times. Boarding from rear to front and also boarding window seats first, then middle seats then aisle.
Too many competing factors (I think the most significant factor is the expectations of premium and status passengers) suggest this will never eventuate.

I say get rid of it for Domestic flights- the airline can call it "simpler and fairer"

 

[Shan Man]

QF402 this morning, 738 two gate agents.

No issues using PB. Pax were lined up where they should have been with a long queue for Normal boarding and only a few people in the priority lane.

 

[tm.smile]

QF400 (A330) from gate 21 on Monday, MEL-SYD. Being my first time on the Monday morning shuttle, I pleasantly found a rather empty PB lane while a fairly long general lane was lined up to the right.

 

[Milefest]

A truly efficient boarding procedure would be to board from the rear of the plane forward, but they don't do that.

Boarding back-to-front is one of the most inefficient boarding methods.

 

[katiebell]

I flew MEL-SYD on Thurdsay: the std queue was about 3x faster than PB (in part due to all the smart phones that needed dockets printed). On the SYD-MEL flight an announcement, pax w children, J, WP & SG, OWE, OWS & EK equivalents to board first but by then boarding had already commenced and, again, teh std queue was faster. Either dQF should do PD properly (like iQF do by not boarding the srtd queue until all the PB have boarded) or get rid of it. At present it is just an omnishambles

 

[Quickstatus]

Just get rid of it.
Strict policies on hand luggage.
Ban duty free alcohol in overhead compartments.
If seat belt does not fit then pay for 2 seats with one refunded if a spare seat is available
Weigh all passengers with luggage and charge extra if above a certain upper limit and rebate if below a certain lower limit.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Popcorn time ....

 

[Jet2727]

Just boarded QF 776 and a staff member walked down the priority line checking eligibility for the line. A first for me! Better than my boarding experience Melb-Bris Easter Thursday when there was one flight attendant scanning boarding passes for both lines.......little point in a priority line when this occurs.

 

[Danger]

Just boarded QF 776 and a staff member walked down the priority line checking eligibility for the line. A first for me! Better than my boarding experience Melb-Bris Easter Thursday when there was one flight attendant scanning boarding passes for both lines.......little point in a priority line when this occurs.

I disagree. It's perfectly easy for a single flight attendant to scan only passengers in the priority lane until that queue is exhausted, then proceed to the non-priority line. If a priority passenger comes along later, stop the non-priorities and scan that pass before carrying on.

 

[aussiel]

I disagree. It's perfectly easy for a single flight attendant to scan only passengers in the priority lane until that queue is exhausted, then proceed to the non-priority line. If a priority passenger comes along later, stop the non-priorities and scan that pass before carrying on.

As long as ineligible passengers are directed to the correct queue, to discourage people that don't qualify from joining the priority queue.

 

[medhead]

As long as ineligible passengers are directed to the correct queue, to discourage people that don't qualify from joining the priority queue.

The bigger problem I notice is eligible people who join the normal queue and expect to be let in.

 

[eminere]

Priority boarding on the Good Friday QF500 SYD-BNE service was extended only to Platinum One and Platinum passengers. Despite the sign clearly welcoming Gold passengers as well (which has been the case for quite a while).

 

[marki]

Priority boarding on the Good Friday QF500 SYD-BNE service was extended only to Platinum One and Platinum passengers. Despite the sign clearly welcoming Gold passengers as well (which has been the case for quite a while).

Simpler and fairer

 

[eminere]

Simpler and fairer

I was quite taken aback as the FAs were actively turning eligible people away. My first time seeing such a thing.

 

[marki]

I was quite taken aback as the FAs were actively turning eligible people away. My first time seeing such a thing.

Weird behaviour by cabin crew spotted again.

 

[PaulST]

I was quite taken aback as the FAs were actively turning eligible people away. My first time seeing such a thing.

They were turning Golds away, even with the signs saying that they have access to the priority lane?!?! That deserves followup with RR!

 

[Hvr]

I was quite taken aback as the FAs were actively turning eligible people away. My first time seeing such a thing.

Probably easier to turn eligible people away than those who are ineligible. Fewer people to deal with and who will be upset with them.


I do hope you made a spelling mistake and meant to write 'turning ineligible people away',

 

[Pleb Status]

I disagree. It's perfectly easy for a single flight attendant to scan only passengers in the priority lane until that queue is exhausted, then proceed to the non-priority line. If a priority passenger comes along later, stop the non-priorities and scan that pass before carrying on.

You appear to be describing the PB system successfully used by another airline for sometime now.