Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Quickstatus]

Well folks, I may have some good news. I filled out a post flight survey on 21st Dec for a flight taken the day before. I had the option to request someone calls to discuss and today I got that call from someone who seemed to genuinely care based at PER airport.

One of the issues I raised was even though boarding to the remotes stands (gates 7 - 11) at PER uses two lanes, neither is designated as a priority lane. I was informed that a priority lane would be in place there in the near future and had been on their radar. A good start to a flawed system.

I then mentioned what a disaster the actual system is which he completely acknowledged and said QF only has them self to blame for never enforcing it. Additionally they are implementing change system wide in the near future. He didn't specify how the system would work, but said we should expect to see the roll out commence in the next few months and that it would be enforced. So some positive news.

I also asked about the cabin bag enforcement. Again he acknowledged QF was solely to blame for the situation getting totally out of hand.I was informed that approach taken currently is what he called "soft enforcement" and a way to educate people. The reason he had was this was due to safety reasons. I did question why 10kgs is deemed safe on J*. To his credit he didn't make up a story and agreed that it didn't make sense. He intends to find out that answer for himself.

So you heard it here first. Priority boarding might actually become a thing. Next step, priority baggage.

I think you have been conned by a classic marketing tool - Someone tells you what you want to hear. That Someone is usually someone who is agreeable and by definition never put in an executive position to do anything about anything

 

[Daver6]

I think you have been conned by a classic marketing tool - Someone tells you what you want to hear. That Someone is usually someone who is agreeable and by definition never put in an executive position to do anything about anything

I suppose time well tell whether it was just a story to appease me or the truth. I tend to believe him for two reasons. Firstly, we had a general conversation and he was pretty upfront about things that won't change that would certainly have appeased me. Secondly, its all about expectation setting. Mine have been set accordingly and he knows he will be hearing back from me should he fail to deliver. People tend not to set themselves up for future pain. However, you could be right...only time will tell.

 

[Danger]

QF is full of customers who can get PB. It is not unusual to see a flight with most passengers SG and above especially the morning and afternoon flights like this one.

Additionally Statused passengers often fall into :
1)Look at me I’m priority
2)I don’t care I’m staying in priority because I damn well earnt it.

I don’t get the fuss. Passengers gripe about PB but the aerobridge queue is much longer and single lane. No priority there. News item - it’s not PB, it’s just a line so you can get to the end of the aerobridge queue quicker unless you are at the front of gate. (Which means getting out of the lounge a lot earlier)

I hope they keep the PB. I’ll just keep sneaking into the shorter line

This has been covered on several occasions.

First, it's a published benefit that isn't realised. Qantas (and oneworld) promotes priority boarding as a benefit of certain tiers. You either provide the benefit or you don't. If you do provide it, do it properly or it's simply lip service and padding on the 'Benefits of Gold/Platinum' table.

Second, sure, there might be a queue on the aerobridge. But if priority boarding is done properly you're further down the queue than others, which means you get to your seat quicker, which means you get your overhead bin space, which means you settle in quicker, which means you can start your movie or pop on your eyeshades quicker. And if there's two aerobridges than there's unlikely to much of a queue on the bridge that goes to 1L.

 

[Pleb Status]

For all of the 'feedback' I have provided QF over the years, I cannot recall any 'positive' action resulting from that 'feedback'.

These surveys etc are only performed to satisfy someone's KPI...

 

[Quickstatus]

And if there's two aerobridges than there's unlikely to much of a queue on the bridge that goes to 1L.

And the overheads for a dual/triple aerobridge is unlikely to be full before you get there.

 

[Quickstatus]

he knows he will be hearing back from me should he fail to deliver.

I can more or less guarantee that you will not speak with him again. Thats the other marketing tool - make the customer believe he is dealing with the company on a 1 to 1 basis. Telstra does that. The overseas call center operator says he will be dealing with my problem and he will oversee the resolution of the problem and if I have any questions please call him back on a particular number. Suffice to say I have never spoken to the same person twice...

 

[TheInsider]

I can more or less guarantee that you will not speak with him again. Thats the other marketing tool - make the customer believe he is dealing with the company on a 1 to 1 basis. Telstra does that. The overseas call center operator says he will be dealing with my problem and he will oversee the resolution of the problem and if I have any questions please call him back on a particular number. Suffice to say I have never spoken to the same person twice...

Most likely the person he spoke to from Perth was one of the Airport Customer Experience Managers based in Perth.=. Generally when you send in the feedback after the flights, it gets sent to them if it's related to a ground service issue to that specific port.

But the other poster was right in saying it is all related to their KPIs which come from the NPS that the customer provides. The question is always 'would you recommend Qantas to your family and friends'. Anything below 7 is a 'detractor', 8 is neutral, 9-10 is a promoter.

 

[Daver6]

Most likely the person he spoke to from Perth was one of the Airport Customer Experience Managers based in Perth.=. Generally when you send in the feedback after the flights, it gets sent to them if it's related to a ground service issue to that specific port.

But the other poster was right in saying it is all related to their KPIs which come from the NPS that the customer provides. The question is always 'would you recommend Qantas to your family and friends'. Anything below 7 is a 'detractor', 8 is neutral, 9-10 is a promoter.

Correct, spoke to someone who works at the PER terminal.

And slight correction on NPS. 7 and 8 are neutral while 6 and below are detractors.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

So you heard it here first. Priority boarding might actually become a thing. Next step, priority baggage.

I sincerely hope it's BA group boarding particularly for internationals.

I must admit I’m a bit like you. I’ll queue in the line that I think I should be in regardless of the length.

The only time I strictly adhere to this is at priority security. They tend to have less sensitive sensors on the priority.

 

[mrsterryn]

Husband went to Melbourne (from syd ) for the day. His flight was packed as there was an issue yesterday with flights (?)
The FA on the priority was strictly enforcing the rules 'no entitlement no PB queue '
And was sending people to the regular queue

 

[Pushka]

Husband went to Melbourne (from syd ) for the day. His flight was packed as there was an issue yesterday with flights (?)
The FA on the priority was strictly enforcing the rules 'no entitlement no PB queue '
And was sending people to the regular queue

Progress!

 

[Quickstatus]

Husband went to Melbourne (from syd ) for the day. His flight was packed as there was an issue yesterday with flights (?)

Yes some flights cancelled across the domestic airlines due to ATC controllers calling sickies resulting in inadequate controllers covering all slots. Some say it was inadequate staffing resulting in thin reserves which couldn’t cope with sickies

 

[Quickstatus]

Correct, spoke to someone who works at the PER terminal.

And slight correction on NPS. 7 and 8 are neutral while 6 and below are detractors.

It would depend on the questions asked as well. Airline feedback questions very often don’t ask the questions that passengers want asked or relate to problems that most infuriate passengers

 

[TonyHancock]

Husband went to Melbourne (from syd ) for the day. His flight was packed as there was an issue yesterday with flights (?)
The FA on the priority was strictly enforcing the rules 'no entitlement no PB queue '
And was sending people to the regular queue

Presumably, whilst at the same time, the non priority queue was also being processed.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I think you have been conned by a classic marketing tool - Someone tells you what you want to hear. That Someone is usually someone who is agreeable and by definition never put in an executive position to do anything about anything

Unfortunately I agree with most of this. Over the years I have had discussions with some very senior people at Qantas over various failures I have experienced. Such nice people, heart in the right place, wanting to get changes and make things better and create a quality experience =- but you know it all disappears and nothing changes. Just words, although I am sure they mean them at the time. Lovely people - the lack of quality processes just defeat them.

 

[pauly7]

What is the official rule if you are travelling with (same PNR) as a non status pax, e.g. Plat and Silver. Can you ‘guest’ the silver into the PB lane? Especially if sitting together?

VA allow it, QF allow it - so assuming offically it’s ok?

 

[Quickstatus]

If challenged at the gate just say travelling together. However there is no official T&C covering this.

 

[Pushka]

What is the official rule if you are travelling with (same PNR) as a non status pax, e.g. Plat and Silver. Can you ‘guest’ the silver into the PB lane? Especially if sitting together?

VA allow it, QF allow it - so assuming offically it’s ok?

Possibly Hong Kong is the strictest place for enforcing the rules. I was SG travelling with my aged parent. I’d received it courtesy of my husbands Travel and pre AFF so I didn’t know what SG meant. I was in the general queue and they’d announced boarding by rows and an official was walking down the queue ensuring only the correcf rows had lined up. He checked my BP’s and told me I shouldn’t be queuing and brought me and my mum to the front for immediate boarding. If Hong Kong who actually enforce PB allowed it then I think it’s fine.

 

[Daver6]

Unfortunately I agree with most of this. Over the years I have had discussions with some very senior people at Qantas over various failures I have experienced. Such nice people, heart in the right place, wanting to get changes and make things better and create a quality experience =- but you know it all disappears and nothing changes. Just words, although I am sure they mean them at the time. Lovely people - the lack of quality processes just defeat them.

So is the suggestion that the entire story about a new process being rolled out nation wide something just made up to appease me? Or suggesting they're actually doing that but pre-emptying that it will be a failure?

 

[Flying mermaid]

So is the suggestion that the entire story about a new process being rolled out nation wide something just made up to appease me? Or suggesting they're actually doing that but pre-emptying that it will be a failure?

just cynical about the will to actually do it. I was promised all sorts of improvements but they never happened. I don’t think it is made up, but things just get lost.

It would be wonderful if a new system is implemented and no reason why it couldn’t work, so let’s hope for the best. Just because my promised improvements were failures, it doesn’t mean everything will be....