Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[nlagalle]

WOW! The fancy, expensive pull-up banners have made their way across the continent. On the upside, I do see this as a positive step. It appears an excellent example of the ability to do priority boarding using just one aerobridge (albeit two readers). Now, get rid of the pull-up banners in favour of the cost-friendly AA version and we might be onto something.

The burning question is, do you have a flight coming up and would you be lucky enough to get to use it?!?

 

[TonyHancock]

The burning question is, do you have a flight coming up and would you be lucky enough to get to use it?!?

I have thought about this and I have a proposition for QF. I'm quite prepared to buy my own pop up banner that can be used on flights that I take. There are a couple of conditions:

1. It is packed and unpacked by the staff at the gate.
2. It travels in the cabin with me as an allowed extra piece of hand luggage.

This is the sort of compromise we need in these days of austerity. A real public/private partnership.

 

[Danger]

The burning question is, do you have a flight coming up and would you be lucky enough to get to use it?!?

Indeed I do. Monday night, the red-eye to SYD, on an A332.

I have thought about this and I have a proposition for QF. I'm quite prepared to buy my own pop up banner that can be used on flights that I take. There are a couple of conditions:

1. It is packed and unpacked by the staff at the gate.
2. It travels in the cabin with me as an allowed extra piece of hand luggage.

This is the sort of compromise we need in these days of austerity. A real public/private partnership.

Good move. Perhaps, just like the AFF luggage tags, we could get a prototype up and everyone could have the option of putting an order in for one!

 

[BVT]

I have thought about this and I have a proposition for QF. I'm quite prepared to buy my own pop up banner that can be used on flights that I take. There are a couple of conditions:

1. It is packed and unpacked by the staff at the gate.
2. It travels in the cabin with me as an allowed extra piece of hand luggage.

This is the sort of compromise we need in these days of austerity. A real public/private partnership.

Would your banner say "Priority Boarding for Tony Hancock", and could others, eg AFF'ers use YOUR PB lane as welll.

But I like it!

 

[TonyHancock]

Would your banner say "Priority Boarding for Tony Hancock", and could others, eg AFF'ers use YOUR PB lane as welll.

But I like it!

mmmm I was going to be quite generous and let all WP's receive the benefit.........most unDYKWIA. I may have to rethink, after all I have a reputation to maintain.

 

[TravelingSmithy]

Domestic Boarding was tried in Gate 8 & 3 in Sydney a few weeks ago and stopped. My answer now 1) Dont leave on First Call, 2) Then visit necessities en route especially if in Rows 1-5 767 etc

 

[BVT]

mmmm I was going to be quite generous and let all WP's receive the benefit.........most unDYKWIA. I may have to rethink, after all I have a reputation to maintain.

Maybe you could be inconsitently consistent with your largesse, just like our beloved QF!

 

[QF WP]

Welcome TravellingSmithy and thanks for the photo. What disappoints me is the size of the lettering is inconsistent - Qantas and Boarding are in bold and large font, the details about who gets it is in small font and unlikely to be seen clearly before people are VERY close to the banner - and if they are in the wrong line (the prefered boarding line), by that stage they are probably unwilling to exit.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Welcome TravellingSmithy and thanks for the photo. What disappoints me is the size of the lettering is inconsistent - Qantas and Boarding are in bold and large font, the details about who gets it is in small font and unlikely to be seen clearly before people are VERY close to the banner.

I agree. It's almost circus like.

The banners are huge QF. Please, trim down a touch and make the writing bigger, easy as pie.

 

[TonyHancock]

OK I just need the go ahead please RedRoo.

TH

 

[samiam]

View attachment 4014

OK I just need the go ahead please RedRoo.

TH

At first glance, this looks like the 'Tony Hancock mid-season sale'

 

[Austashes]

Well it looks to me that QANTAS is gearing up to permanently introduce priority boarding, perhaps we should see what happens with the lead up Xmas. Meanwhile with the rolling strikes planes are flying empty so it hasn’t been a problem. Can anyone who picked up a Virgin equivalent ff pass tell us if they have flown Virgin and seen an impact with boarding.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Meanwhile with the rolling strikes planes are flying empty so it hasn’t been a problem.

More like not flying at all....

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Meanwhile with the rolling strikes planes are flying empty so it hasn’t been a problem. Can anyone who picked up a Virgin equivalent ff pass tell us if they have flown Virgin and seen an impact with boarding.

Don't know what flights you've been on but my experience is the complete opposite.

Don't confuse the "rollings strikes" in various ports with flight cancellations to/from MEL & SYD due to weather issues. IMHO whenever TWU employees are having their protest, QF Management & non-TWU labour do the loading & catering of the aircraft. If there wasn't any publicity about the stop work sessions they're currently having you wouldn't even notice anything was amiss.

I'm sure you're not the only person out there who mistakenly assumed that the recent delays over the past 2-3 days were caused by TWU members when in fact it was weather issues.

 

[pshepvic]

I'm not sure if this has been stated before, but one of the problems QF has/will have with priority boarding is the huge numbers of people entitled to it on busy business flights. Won't make much difference if you have 100 platinums/golds all lining up at once! This is where DJ have the edge - for the time being, until/unless they start getting the same premium traffic. Same goes for 'priority bags'. A sensible system would be for the system to decide, based on loads, which tiers to invite up first. Not many platinums/golds, invite them all up, lots of platinums: just them first. Especially with seats being pre-allocated (unlike on a Southwest for instance I think), early boarding is not much a value prop for serious frequent flyers - just a status thing, which most platinums are well and truly beyond. The only real benefit I can see in early boarding is getting to the overhead lockers first, as most of the platinums/golds are in the lounge and are happy to stay there and board last. Red Roo, I wouldn't get too worked up about putting it in, the only thing I'd say is if QF are going to do it, then go the whole hog: none of this 'pre-boarding' then no rejection of ineligible pax at the BP readers which is what happens now - it just looks a bit silly.

Might be an idea to have a read of the 1,031 posts before yours - I think you'll find most of what you've said has already been discussed, some of it to death.

 

[samiam]

Well it looks to me that QANTAS is gearing up to permanently introduce priority boarding <snip>

How do you arrive at this?

 

[pshepvic]

How do you arrive at this?

Yes I was wondering that too, considering all that has been talked about in the last couple of months is a "trial"!

 

[reductionist]

Yes I was wondering that too, considering all that has been talked about in the last couple of months is a "trial"!

Exactly.

I kind of feel like this thread needs to be closed until we have some updated information to discuss.

Otherwise it'll just keep being derailed by people who a) keep making misinformed posts like above. Or b) come along to point out how they think boarding the aircraft last is priority boarding (very helpful opinion, thanks!)

Grr.

 

[Timba-Jet]

I agree. It's almost circus like.

The banners are huge QF. Please, trim down a touch and make the writing bigger, easy as pie.

It's as if QF think they need to remind passengers this is a Qantas gate. Let's hope it's not a refection of the intelligence of the management leading the priority boarding test/implementation.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's as if QF think they need to remind passengers this is a Qantas gate. Let's hope it's not a refection of the intelligence of the management leading the priority boarding test/implementation.

No jokes about QF Management & intelligence being mutually exclusive.