Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[kermatu]

Well enforced on my most recent A330 flight ex-PER. No early boarding call from lounge. But on arrival at gate the priority lane was clearly marked and a staffer checked BPs before allowing entry.

 

[BD1959]

Well enforced on my most recent A330 flight ex-PER. No early boarding call from lounge. But on arrival at gate the priority lane was clearly marked and a staffer checked BPs before allowing entry.

Was the Priority Lane cleared prior to the General Lane?

Regards,

BD

 

[Ade]

Would it help, in Domestic, if QF had only the priority line open when boarding P1, Plat & Gold and when it's time to board NP travellers, they can add another line ?

I'd think this would help QF staff to effectively apply the idea of priority boarding ?

I'm guessing something like this ;

1. 10 mins before boarding NP customers, QF could make a call to board priority customers, differently abled customers, customers travelling w/ children and open only one lane to board the aircraft
2. Priority customers line up, have their BP's checked for "priority" and let into the priority line
3. If a NP customers shows up, politely ask them to wait when boarding is announced for NP customers
4. Once priority is complete or when it's time to start boarding all passengers, so as to not delay the departure, open another lane, man the scanning machines and let everyone on-board

IMHO, the above would not only ease queuing up, but when done over time, also sets the expectation in regards to who gets to board first and the likes

Thoughts ?

I understand that a similar process is followed in International, just wondering how would it work in Domestic

 

[opusman]

Priority customers should not have to board early just to get the benefit they're entitled to. They can if they like but they should not have to.

With two lanes but only one staff member, only priority pax should be processed until priority lane is empty. Then process regular lane. If someone new appears in priority queue, regular queue should be stopped and priority pax processed immediately.

With two lanes and two staff members, they should process both queues simultaneously. Only when priority queue is empty can second staff member process pax from the regular queue. If someone new appears in priority queue, they should be processed immediately.

In either case, if non priority pax appears in the priority queue they should be refused and sent to the back of the regular line.

 

[blackcat20]

With two lanes and two staff members, they should process both queues simultaneously. Only when priority queue is empty can second staff member process pax from the regular queue. If someone new appears in priority queue, they should be processed immediately.

They should both process the priority lane until its empty, then start on the general boarding line. If a priority pax appears then they should be processed immediately.

 

[Ade]

Priority customers should not have to board early just to get the benefit they're entitled to. They can if they like but they should not have to.

With two lanes but only one staff member, only priority pax should be processed until priority lane is empty. Then process regular lane. If someone new appears in priority queue, regular queue should be stopped and priority pax processed immediately.

With two lanes and two staff members, they should process both queues simultaneously. Only when priority queue is empty can second staff member process pax from the regular queue. If someone new appears in priority queue, they should be processed immediately.

In either case, if non priority pax appears in the priority queue they should be refused and sent to the back of the regular line.

I agree with everything you said. Especially the first sentence

However, I'd question, would QF be interested in doing this? I ask this because, with QF (or any airline for that matter), if they've got customers queuing to board, they'd like to board them ASAP and get going with the trip. I think from an airline perspective, the longer they stay at the gates, the more money they're not earning (or something like that? )

I understand that QF (or any other airline) should be giving priority to priority customers, but how practical is it ?

I can visualize the scenario mentioned where, there is one agent manning the priority queue, no NP should be boarded until the priority are boarded, But with a schedule to keep up, would any airline be willing to do this ?

IMHO, it's easily said that done.

Re what I mentioned in my previous post, I should have explained a bit more, my bad I was trying to say that board priority first and have the priority lane open for any priority customers arriving at their own pace and not use the priority lane to board any other customer. By doing this, the airline has given priority boarding and keeps the priority lane open and available only for priority customers

Thoughts?

 

[opusman]

They should both process the priority lane until its empty, then start on the general boarding line. If a priority pax appears then they should be processed immediately.

Yes I actually originally wrote that but decided to relax it a little bit at the last second in the spirit of egalitarianism

 

[opusman]

However, I'd question, would QF be interested in doing this? I ask this because, with QF (or any airline for that matter), if they've got customers queuing to board, they'd like to board them ASAP and get going with the trip. I think from an airline perspective, the longer they stay at the gates, the more money they're not earning (or something like that? )

I understand that QF (or any other airline) should be giving priority to priority customers, but how practical is it ?

As long as pax are being continuously boarded what different does it make whether they board priority or non-priority pax? The plane still gets filled at the same rate. I'm not suggesting they should stop the regular line until they've made certain every last priority pax has made it to the gate, only while there are priority pax standing there waiting to board.

 

[Flying mermaid]

When I have done it overseas, AA, BA SAA etc, you tend to have to be there to board first. I.e. they call for priority passengers, they all board, then the others. No reason why Qantas can’t do it the way people want, but the staff don’t seem to be behind it.

 

[blackcat20]

When I have done it overseas, AA, BA SAA etc, you tend to have to be there to board first. I.e. they call for priority passengers, they all board, then the others. No reason why Qantas can’t do it the way people want, but the staff don’t seem to be behind it.

But they’ll also stop general boarding to process you if you turn up later.

 

[TheInsider]

When I have done it overseas, AA, BA SAA etc, you tend to have to be there to board first. I.e. they call for priority passengers, they all board, then the others. No reason why Qantas can’t do it the way people want, but the staff don’t seem to be behind it.

There is plenty of reasons, a lot of these other airlines don't board at -20min prior to departure (they actually have a lot more time) with getting everyone on and closing the boarding door at -7min.
BA have an influx of staff at their gates. QF have 2 or 3, being 1 ground staff and 1/2 cabin crew. Ground staff usually have other important things to chase up than PB. Cabin crew just can't be bothered dealing with the confrontation by making someone move to the back of the queue.
Most cabin crew don't even check bag sizes/weight anymore either. They just wait until all the overhead locker space fills up and then make the passengers take the bags onto the aerobridge to be put in the hold.

 

[Flying mermaid]

But they’ll also stop general boarding to process you if you turn up later.

Never seen that but then that is probably because I have always been there to board first - seems easier.

 

[kermatu]

Was the Priority Lane cleared prior to the General Lane?

Regards,

BD

No. Don’t expect miracles!

 

[BD1959]

No. Don’t expect miracles!

LOL ... I'm not (and certainly not consistent miracles - this is Qantas afterall) - was just wondering what your definition of "well enforced" is ... ?!?

Regards,

BD

 

[stm1sydney]

They should both process the priority lane until its empty, then start on the general boarding line. If a priority pax appears then they should be processed immediately.

Agree and this is what VA does. It is not difficult.

 

[drron]

Though CX 717 from BKK this morning they opened both lines simultaneously but they were boarding through 2 doors with a fellow at the J turn off allowing only J pax through.

 

[BD1959]

Agree and this is what VA does. It is not difficult.

This.

Received a survey today from Qantas Loyalty - this time conducted by KPMG - fairly comprehensive in its questions and pretty pointed in asking about competitors etc. It used the occasion of a recent MEL-BNE which was, in all honesty, pretty much a non-event but I used the opportunity to rate down the whole boarding process and then under the additional feedback suggested they get a Group or Qantas Managers around to the Virgin Terminal to watch how their competitors work Priority Boarding.

Would be very surprised if anything comes of it but I hold hope in that it was external this time.

Regards,

BD

 

[Jaded_Elf]

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.

This would require the group being at the gate first...and being organised with own boarding passes in hand. It's single door on a Cobham/QLink 717, with the Ground Staff doing the priority/J scanning (hence the slowness a lot of the time).

 

[Daver6]

Well I suspect air traffic control in SYD would have seen flying pigs this afternoon on their RADAR!

Boarding QF569 SYD - PER on a 737 there is one very long line, The priority line is being policed to enter it. Boarding had already commenced as I arrived from the lounge. But would you believe it, both scanning machines being used to board the priority line while the regular one was being held back!

I noticed staff holding some paper that was perhaps a procedure list for boarding.

 

[tdimdad]

This could help - if it was used in Australia. Well configured and used, it would reject the BP's which are not eligible to enter yet. Unless, of course, the gate agents just used the "allow every man and their dog through" setting all the time...