Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[marki]

I'd be thoroughly cross if they did that to me later in the year when I'll be flying with my parents (X2 NB) and plan to get them onboard via PB with me. My plan would be to go first and explain that the following two plebs are with me. :mrgreen:

I was pleased with PB in Adelaide Friday night was tired stressed over worked, pumped under pressure

So looked forward missing the huge queue and it worked except for a couple with sleeping children who were not able to find their BP

 

[QF WP]

Worked flawlessly on QF501 (BNE/MEL) adn QF648 (MEL/BNE) yesterday. Seems that most Gates now have all the bollards and they are placed appropriately. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a check on those going into the corect lines - unlike the lines @ MEL Security where I had to prove I was in J (as a lowly Silver, no normal access) on my flight to remain in the line.

 

[Chucksta]

Is there PB out of PER international for the flight to SIN?

Only a SG these days. Haven't flown QF since they cancelled the PER-SIN flight all those years ago. I couldn't get a seat on SQ, so I had to book QF this time around.

 

[katiebell]

Worked flawlessly on QF501 (BNE/MEL) adn QF648 (MEL/BNE) yesterday. Seems that most Gates now have all the bollards and they are placed appropriately. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a check on those going into the corect lines - unlike the lines @ MEL Security where I had to prove I was in J (as a lowly Silver, no normal access) on my flight to remain in the line.

Flew MEL-SYD on Wednesday: lots of signs in place but signs mean nothing if the rules are not applied and enforced. In addition if the PB queue stops and the std queue continues boarding it makes a mockery of PB. Other airlines call premium pax to board 1st if they wish & then open boarding to everyone. This works well, is simple & is simple to enforce

 

[Daver6]

Is there PB out of PER international for the flight to SIN?

Only a SG these days. Haven't flown QF since they cancelled the PER-SIN flight all those years ago. I couldn't get a seat on SQ, so I had to book QF this time around.

Yes there is.

 

[medhead]

Flew MEL-SYD on Wednesday: lots of signs in place but signs mean nothing if the rules are not applied and enforced. In addition if the PB queue stops and the std queue continues boarding it makes a mockery of PB. Other airlines call premium pax to board 1st if they wish & then open boarding to everyone. This works well, is simple & is simple to enforce

Had this discussion with FA for QF 765 last night. He claimed he needed to board both lanes, alternately. I just no you don't, premium board first. Smart A in ordinary lane chimed in with "I'm premium as well". Then get in the correct lane!
It is a promised service, yet they constantly fail to provide it.

 

[Hvr]

It's been awhile but always worth reporting another fail.

Wed 10 Aug QF400, MEL-SYD, long queues on both lines and both commenced at the same time. Flying J (and WP) I was well down the boarding order after many people not in the priority queue.

Given priority boarding is an advertised benefit it's time to either do it correctly or enhance it.

On my connecting flight, QF23, SYD-BKK, I was pleased to see a real DYKWIA type refused boarding when people (and their 20 fellow travellers per child) with young children were given early boarding.

He cut into the regular line, realised he was not in the priority line and then went to the end of the priority line and later walked passed me to the Y cabin.

 

[kermatu]

I should post some recent successes (for a change). About a fortnight ago - once again Cairns absolutely perfect; people lined up correctly and those in the priority line served first. Then in Brisbane (one of the main gates) even though a bit obscured the priority lane was present and well enforced.

 

[njba]

However, there doesn't seem to be much of a check on those going into the corect lines - unlike the lines @ MEL Security where I had to prove I was in J (as a lowly Silver, no normal access) on my flight to remain in the line.

That's quite inconsistent (comme d'habitude) it seems 20% of the time there's a QF staffer manning the queue at either SYD/MEL. But only 60% of those times are they doing anything more rigorous than standing there and looking tough.

 

[Aeolus]

Kudos to the person manning the boarding for QF783 tonight. Only 1 checkin counter working but she served all priority line pax first. Hope this is a start to the real meaning of priority boarding. Well done, Nadine!

 

[medhead]

Kudos to the person manning the boarding for QF783 tonight. Only 1 checkin counter working but she served all priority line pax first. Hope this is a start to the real meaning of priority boarding. Well done, Nadine!

They seemed pretty good on Thursday night as well.

 

[katiebell]

I flew 2 sectors with VA this week: the first time in years. They boarded the sepcial neend pax, then the premium queue (with non-premium pax in that queue denied boarding and sent to the back of the pleb queue) and only then the plebs. It worked really well. No reason QF could not do the same if they wished to (that is, perhaps, the real issue: what management really want the staff to do).

 

[kermatu]

Among a dozen indifferent experiences as usual on QF, there were two highlights for me when priority boarding was actually enforced. Trans-con flights so big queues formed early. In SYD they made 3 or 4 announcements at the gate about who belonged in which line and then just before boarding commenced a staff member walked down the line looking at a few BPs and asking everyone if they were in the right queue. In PER on return I got to gate pretty late as just a short walk from lounge so didn't hear if any announcements were made, but as I got to the entrance of the queue there was a staff member actually looking at every BP to make sure I was priority.

Nicely done. If only this was the norm.

 

[RooFlyer]

We are used to the total failure of Qantas priority boarding, but this morning at ADL might take the cake.
Boarding announced. First to be invited forward were economy passengers in the rear of the aircraft (737-800), boarding via rear stairs. Then economy passengers in the front half of the aircraft. Economies of course surged forward and occupied the two scanning positions. Then they called the businesses, P1,. WP etc and we in that lane moved forward.

Totally ignored by the FA at the scan point. Eventually an economy pax stopped and let the 'priorities' approach the scanner point.

Joke, yes?

 

[Pushka]

Adelaide is very hit and miss. And as soon as one non status person is scanned at the priority queue then it seems a given that the next non status person will be scanned even if an SG+ rocks up. They end up having to wait. To the extent you almost feel like you are pushing in! It's why I never wait in the lounge until the boarding call here.

 

[kermatu]

Cairns is the only domestic airport which reliably does priority boarding right. Everywhere else in my experience is hit and miss (with an emphasis on the latter).

Different scenario I know but in Auckland the other day the staff turned back non-status / non-J pax from an empty queue. Sounds odd but it was very satisfying.

 

[TomVexille]

Yet ADL a couple weeks ago was possibly the only time I've seen QF (domestic) do anything close to priority boarding. Hit and miss is right.

 

[RooFlyer]

Two from two today. At MEL, flight to HBA just had boarding announced for one and all. One scanner, one ( sort of) queue formed.

 

[Danger]

Last weekend I flew MEL-PER. The two lines were clearly signed but by the time I boarded people were only queuing in the priority lane. The gentleman in front of me had his economy QF Bronze boarding pass scanned and I bit my tongue. The agent then scanned my QF card and I hastily headed for the jet bridge. He said 'You need your slip. You should know that'. It wasn't done in a scolding manner and I wouldn't ordinarily have cared less but I retorted "This is supposed to be the priority boarding lane but that doesn't always walk either, does it", then turned back to the jet bridge. The agent said something to the affect that the person in front of me was entitled but that certainly didn't appear to be the case. Walking up the jet bridge a woman who obviously overheard the exchange called me a drama queen. I ignored it. I rounded the jet bridge and she said it again. I still ignored it.

During the initial pre-dinner drinks service in J the CSM apologised for the priority boarding failure saying "I know it's something we're consistently inconsistent at" and said he would provide feedback. I was genuinely impressed by that but do wonder how and why my comment was passed onto the CSM, particularly if the ground agent believed he was in the right.

 

[kermatu]

Last weekend I flew MEL-PER. The two lines were clearly signed but by the time I boarded people were only queuing in the priority lane. The gentleman in front of me had his economy QF Bronze boarding pass scanned and I bit my tongue. The agent then scanned my QF card and I hastily headed for the jet bridge. He said 'You need your slip. You should know that'. It wasn't done in a scolding manner and I wouldn't ordinarily have cared less but I retorted "This is supposed to be the priority boarding lane but that doesn't always walk either, does it", then turned back to the jet bridge. The agent said something to the affect that the person in front of me was entitled but that certainly didn't appear to be the case. Walking up the jet bridge a woman who obviously overheard the exchange called me a drama queen. I ignored it. I rounded the jet bridge and she said it again. I still ignored it.

During the initial pre-dinner drinks service in J the CSM apologised for the priority boarding failure saying "I know it's something we're consistently inconsistent at" and said he would provide feedback. I was genuinely impressed by that but do wonder how and why my comment was passed onto the CSM, particularly if the ground agent believed he was in the right.

If the ground agent was truly a ground agent and not one of the FAs, this is very odd. I can only imagine such an agent pointing you out to the CSM for a negative reason, not to tell them to offer you an apology. Very good of the CSM, in any event.