Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[goldy]

The gate agents or service desk staff are ultimately the ones who provide this benefit. Just like the limitations on carry-on bags, the buck stops with the gate agents. They are the ones who, ultimately, enforce or not the requirement. The same is true for priority boarding. Third, there are countless examples on this thread where gate staff have said that priority boarding doesn't exist for domestic flights, which is in direct contrast to the QF website. To me, this indicates a much broader issue, that being the disconnect between QF management and an understanding of what the passenger's benefits are and their expectations.

Whilst I agree with the majority of your statement, I think the key mistake here is that the buck stops with the gate agents. IMO, the buck stops with QF management who have failed to design and implement the relevant benefits, train staff correctly as to who gets what benefit, put in place clear policies and procedures to enable staff to provide the benefits and give them the authority to enforce the benefits. It seems to me that every gate agent is on a different page and no one really knows what is actually going on, but to blame the gate agents is a tad unfair, given the obvious lack of direction.

Finally, if gate staff get enough enquiries, they are more likely to pass it higher

Who do you suggest they pass it up to?? I wouldnt have thought they actually care one iota, not because they are bad people, but because they know that the people higher up the chain that have allowed this situation to develop, couldn't care less.

Sad reflection on where Qantas is today and how it got itself into the mess it now finds itself in.

Qantas is an airline that engages in customer service. If they want to improve their business and increase profits, they need to do what they used to do best and that is serve customers. I appreciate they face a number of other significant challenges but if they engage their customers, the rest will fall into place.

 

[Danger]

Whilst I agree with the majority of your statement, I think the key mistake here is that the buck stops with the gate agents. IMO, the buck stops with QF management who have failed to design and implement the relevant benefits, train staff correctly as to who gets what benefit, put in place clear policies and procedures to enable staff to provide the benefits and give them the authority to enforce the benefits. It seems to me that every gate agent is on a different page and no one really knows what is actually going on, but to blame the gate agents is a tad unfair, given the obvious lack of direction.

Fair point. However, contrast this with the carry-on bag limits. You'd be hard-pressed to find a QF FA who doesn't know the limitations. At the very least, I'd think 99 per cent would know the weight limit per piece is 7kg (barring a couple of minor exceptions on, I think, Olympic Dam flights and maybe one other). Yet do they enforce it? Very, very rarely. In this example, I don't think management would be to blame and would think the rules and guidelines in the QF staff handbook or whatever it is would spell this out in black and white. That is, as you've stated, QF management having "failed to design and implement the relevant benefits, train staff correctly as to who gets what benefit, put in place clear policies and procedures to enable staff to provide the benefits and give them the authority to enforce the benefits". Carry-on limitations are plastered all over the place and there's those dimension and weight stand thingys around airports.

My point is, even if the priority boarding was also outlined in black and white, given the situation with the carry-on limits not being enforced, what confidence could we have that the gate agents would apply the benefit? Hence my point about it ultimately being the gate agents who enforce the rules and apply this benefit.

Who do you suggest they pass it up to?? I wouldnt have thought they actually care one iota, not because they are bad people, but because they know that the people higher up the chain that have allowed this situation to develop, couldn't care less.

I wouldn't agree with this either. My point here, however, is that if enough people make a song and dance at the airports, it will get noticed. Our argument carries more weight, I believe, if we can show the very part of QF's own website where the benefit is listed. That's far more likely to penetrate than if someone says 'but you're website says you offer it'. Pointing it out in black and white makes it glaringly obvious that they offer the benefit it but don't provide it in reality.

 

[medhead]

OLP flights are one 105cm 4kg bag. But I had no problem with a ~ 85cm 8kg bag on the weekend. I think the weight is a separate and relatively unimportant point. Provided the bag is within the size limit I think upto no more than 10kg is fine. My main bag (105cm) is usually around 8.5 kg and my laptop bag about 5kg. After much experimenting that is about the optimal arrangement. Over the weight but well within size and for overhead lockers available volume seems to be the limiting factor.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Managed about 40 minutes in BNE this morning at the satellite gates, ~16-22 .

**Observations**

Gate 17
BNE-CBR
QF953/AA7374
Boarding call, 'Boarding by rows + J, WP, SG, OWE and OWS can board at leisure'.

Gate 18
QF661
BNE-ADL
Boarding call, 'Please have BP's, FF cards or mobiles ready for boarding. Boarding by rows 15-29 + J, WP, SG, OWE and OWS continue to board'.

Gate 20
QF1076
BNE-Mt Isa
Boarding call, 'Boarding by rows 14-29 + any J, WP, SG, OWE + OWS can continue to board'.

Gate 19
QF511
BNE-SYD
Boarding call, 'Boarding by rows 13-25 + any J, WP, SG, OWE + OWS can board at convenience'.


Seems like QF were making an effort in the boarding calls in BNE this morning. Red Roo has definitely passed this on to management.

==However==

There was 'no' priority que/second lane for priority boarding at any of the gates even though a priority call has been announced. I'm not arrogant enough to waltz up and flash my FF card and demand to be let in. I can also see how a priority que can be very valuable because when l eventually boarded, overhead space was pretty tight.

Side note;
QF511 there was a que 10 minutes before the call went out and QF953 had a primary school excursion, kids everywhere and the ques for both of these were 10+ metres.

 

[Danger]

Managed about 40 minutes in BNE this morning at the satellite gates, ~16-22 . . .

The boarding by rows is exactly the procedure outlined in the QF handbook that a gate agent showed me at a major city port a couple of weeks ago (see my lengthy post above).

Of course, none of those calls were priority. Boarding by rows with J and WP thrown in is not priority boarding. When you consider that WPs are more likely than not to be in first half of the plane, together with J who obviously are, it's safe to assume that calls like the ones outlined are calls to board, say, roughly 75 per cent of the plane.

It's not priority boarding and if this is how QF expects it to operate, then we can very quickly put this benefit in the 'enhancements' basket.

 

[TonyHancock]

Seems like QF were making an effort in the boarding calls in BNE this morning. Red Roo has definitely passed this on to management.

To be fair what you saw has been the process I recall for my domestic flights this year....apart from the last two where the call was QFxx_ to ????? is now ready for boarding.

RedRoo did state that trials would occur in Sydney, so we shouldn't be surprised nothing has changed elsewhere. :-|

 

[samiam]

QF456 MEL-SYD today- arrived at the gate about 3 mins prior to boarding. 3 and a bit queues already formed.

Similar announcement to others made (boarding by Rows, QFF Plat/Gold and OWE/S, etc).

What happened? Nada- 4 x queues proceeded to board en masse.

The FA's did not turn anyone away due being in the incorrect row or not of the status announced.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

To be fair what you saw has been the process I recall for my domestic flights this year....apart from the last two where the call was QFxx_ to ????? is now ready for boarding.

RedRoo did state that trials would occur in Sydney, so we shouldn't be surprised nothing has changed elsewhere. :-|

Tony, I've previously observed 50/50 priority boarding call @BNE. Today was 100% (from that satellite area ~16-21, can't comment on 22,23,24).

 

[TonyHancock]

Tony, I've previously observed 50/50 priority boarding call @BNE. Today was 100% (from that satellite area ~16-21, can't comment on 22,23,24).

This was my experience back in May this year.

My experience this week at both MEL and BNE was the same. 737 both times.

When boarding was called first up were economy in rows 15-29, then it was announced that J, WP, SG and OW equivalent passengers could board at their leisure. So unless you were in the queue before boarding was called there was no priority boarding.

....and I'd forgotten just how bad the 73H was until today!!! :shock:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Seems like QF were making an effort in the boarding calls in BNE this morning. Red Roo has definitely passed this on to management.

I don't think QF BNE making 'Priority Boarding' calls (the domestic version of) has anything to do with Red Roo passing on anything to management as I've been aware of them doing this for months prior to this thread starting in May.

Whatever they were going to be trialling was going to be done in SYD anyway.

LiamR could you post that pic of 'DJ Priority Board Fail' you posted on Facebook as I'm sure many on this thread would be interested. FWIW there was a whole queue of pax lined up in the Priority who shouldn't have been there.

I guess it just illustrates that most people tune out/zone out/don't listen to PA's/don't read signs so it's one thing to have a dedicated boarding lane but quite another to have people enforcing who should be in it.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I don't think QF BNE making 'Priority Boarding' calls (the domestic version of) has anything to do with Red Roo passing on anything to management as I've been aware of them doing this for months prior to this thread starting in May.

I never really heard the OWE+OWS in priority boarding calls Domestically, maybe l wasn't really paying attention....??

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I never real heard the OWE+OWS in priority boarding calls Domestically, maybe l wasn't really paying attention....??

I remember watching several transit pax reboard QF81 in DRW enroute to SIN from ADL. The PA said "please have your passports open to the photo page along with your boarding pass readt for presentation to the ground staff". When they didn't they said "she never mentioned that in the boarding call" when she had because I'd heard the call myself.

They had actually left their passports & boarding passes onboard the aircraft because the "PA never told use to take our passports & boarding passes with us" - again they did as plenty of other pax verified the CSM did indeed say that. Does common sense ever kick in? Seriously who leaves valuable items like that onboard an aircraft???

These are probably the same people who after the Schapelle Corby incident put lockwood padlocks on their HKG Shopper bags because they didn't trust the baggage handlers!

 

[LiamR]

LiamR could you post that pic of 'DJ Priority Board Fail' you posted on Facebook as I'm sure many on this thread would be interested. FWIW there was a whole queue of pax lined up in the Priority who

Sure........

 

[OverrideServlet]

LiamR could you post that pic of 'DJ Priority Board Fail' you posted on Facebook as I'm sure many on this thread would be interested. FWIW there was a whole queue of pax lined up in the Priority who shouldn't have been there.

This is the first time I've seen anything like this.

I guess it's bound to happen now and again.

The important thing is, how did the staff handle it?

 

[kirk7]

First time I flew DJ since the priority boarding lane.

I can report it is working well and it was truly at "my convenience"

It's in line with Intl standards like AA, even JQ Intl but not as extreme like CX in HKG where is an extra staff dedicated to premium pax.

 

[LiamR]

This is the first time I've seen anything like this.

I guess it's bound to happen now and again.

The important thing is, how did the staff handle it?

They didn't do anything. I had to join the end of the queue.

 

[chrizzz14]

In WA a big problem affecting priority boarding is due to the high number of fifo workers (and others associated with the mining industry) flying so frequently
that if they called for WPs to board first maybe two-thirds of the passengers will be lining up for priority boarding.

The customer service manager on a recent Kalgoorlie flight told me Qantas cabin staff were instructed to greet and chat with WPs
on flights. He said on Pilbara flights if he was to carry out that instruction he would be talking to passengers for the whole flight.

perhaps jetstar should start flying the FIFO routes..... that would clean it up

(although being a QF share holder i would never actually endorse such a move - that is unless it was actually going to give WP's a chance at enjoying the privilege.)

 

[Oneworldplus2]

perhaps jetstar should start flying the FIFO routes..... that would clean it up

(although being a QF share holder i would never actually endorse such a move - that is unless it was actually going to give WP's a chance at enjoying the privilege.)

Some of the FIFO routes l did were charter only, direct to the mine site, National Jet Systems for QF. You got QF points and SC's, even though the general public couldn't purchase tickets for these flights.

 

[codash1099]

QF 422. MEL-SYD this morning. Went to the gate lounge early but no priority call so iusual bun fight. Asked "what happened to priority boarding". Answer "Oh I think they still have it"!!!!!!

 

[drewbles]

In WA a big problem affecting priority boarding is due to the high number of fifo workers (and others associated with the mining industry) flying so frequently
that if they called for WPs to board first maybe two-thirds of the passengers will be lining up for priority boarding.

The customer service manager on a recent Kalgoorlie flight told me Qantas cabin staff were instructed to greet and chat with WPs
on flights. He said on Pilbara flights if he was to carry out that instruction he would be talking to passengers for the whole flight.

That's interesting. It's been my observation from the PER QP that the majority of FIFO workers that frequent the club, are only SG (from both BP's and the coaster bag-tags they have on their carryons).

I believe other people may have observed similarly, although of course i'm not privy to exact QF information, simply anecdotal.