Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Quickstatus]

With respect, I disagree. Priority boarding should be at your leisure at all stages of boarding. You’ve either paid for it or earned it.

The fine print doesn’t say at all stages of boarding. Just says “priority boarding”. Can mean anything or nothing.

 

[Pushka]

Yes you get the premium line - the priority boarding line. Who says you will get on the plane any quicker?

Well there’s the thing. The other queue was asked to board at the rear! No one waiting to get on.

 

[deeception]

Just flew a flight from SYD -> MEL and back. QF actually enforced the priority boarding and allowed the entire line to board before Y.

Hope this is a sign of change.

 

[Pushka]

Just flew a flight from SYD -> MEL and back. QF actually enforced the priority boarding and allowed the entire line to board before Y.

Hope this is a sign of change.

I wonder if that was the intent of using the rear doors on our flight for what it looked like to be the non priority queue.

 

[sudoer]

We can only hope. I've been receiving a few post-flight Qantas survey emails recently, and diligently respond with a 1/10 for airport experience - calling out the priority boarding in the comments. A declining NPS score is bound to get the attention of someone who can fix the issue (particularly if they have a financial interest in seeing that score remain positive!)

 

[Pushka]

We can only hope. I've been receiving a few post-flight Qantas survey emails recently, and diligently respond with a 1/10 for airport experience - calling out the priority boarding in the comments. A declining NPS score is bound to get the attention of someone who can fix the issue (particularly if they have a financial interest in seeing that score remain positive!)

You raise a good point in your last sentence. Curiously it won’t be about the customer experience so much, but more about how much that influences the NPS.

 

[Aeolus]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

And what exactly did this priority boarding involve? The 452 was shambles this evening. Its not been bad ex MEL lately.

 

[Silvia]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

Would be great to get some feedback if that was implemented and how it went.

 

[Aeolus]

Unfortunately I wasn’t on that flight and too lazy to go down to the gate to observe.

 

[BVT]

QF1653 on Tuesday had a gaggle of schoolchildren - probably years 7 or 8 on board (n=50+/-). Obviously no PB; it is QF and OOL, after all. What is the collective wisdom here; should the children have been boarded first as a group or last? Only one boarding door on a 717.

For what it is worth, in my view, QF ought to have boarded the large group first, as they were all seated at the back of the aircraft so that the accompanying adults could have settled them while the rest of the pax boarded.

Discuss.

 

[sudoer]

If they are all down the back, absolutely board first.

 

[kermatu]

Boarded an A330 in Sydney domestic yesterday. Two lanes. The priority lane queue longer than the regular lane. Two people manning the regular lane, one scanning for the priority lane. Guess which one moved faster? Got to the front of the regular lane. Agent commented “You’re in the wrong lane”. He just laughed when I said “But at least it’s moving”.

 

[flyingfan]

Boarded an A330 in Sydney domestic yesterday. Two lanes. The priority lane queue longer than the regular lane. Two people manning the regular lane, one scanning for the priority lane. Guess which one moved faster? Got to the front of the regular lane. Agent commented “You’re in the wrong lane”. He just laughed when I said “But at least it’s moving”.

I did similar at MEL (going to SYD). When boarding started, there were about 20 people in priority and 3 in normal. I joined the normal queue and beat about 15 others in priority, because QF doesn't know how to implement priority boarding properly.

 

[kermatu]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

Did they really announce it as “trialling priority boarding”??

 

[opusman]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

Sigh. That isn't the point of priority boarding. You shouldn't have to leave the lounge early and rush to the gate just to be allowed to board ahead of everyone else. You should be able to get to the gate whenever you like and board ahead of everyone currently in the regular queue.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

Trialling priority boarding?

I'm Over 9000% positive that priority boarding is required by OW airlines!

 

[Aeolus]

Did they really announce it as “trialling priority boarding”??

Yes! Loud and clear. “We are trialling priority boarding tonight for QF542 to Brisbane. If you are P1,WP and SG and would like to board first, please head to Gate 8 now.” About 10 mins later, standard boarding call for that flight was announced.

Note: I actually thought of going down to observe but Gate 8 put me off hence why I remembered the gate!

 

[sambo517]

I recently was on a B737-800, QF 585 ADL - PER in J (2A).
As I walked up in the priority boarding lane ( @ gate21 ), a chap in the zig zag boarding queue adjacent said " hey you get to the back of the line !!
I just stared at him, and continued on to board my flight without delay.
I believe he carried on bit later to staff who told him the whys & reasons for the priority boarding lanes.

Safe travels frequent flyers...

 

[sambo517]

Announced in SYD QF J lounge(dom) just a while ago that they are trialling priority boarding for QF 542 and any pax that would like to board early to leave the lounge. The general boarding was made 10 mins later. Fingers crossed hope this is implemented across the board soon!

I heard a priority boarding announcement, for J, Plat one, Plat & Gold about 10 -15 min prior to normal announcements @ PER J Domestic lounge not that long ago for a A330 flight to MEL while I was kicking back for my ADL flight.
Big back log of PAX's @ PER during peak that day.