Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[pshepvic]

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.

I think there's a degree of deliberately setting the trial up for failure. Easy to say that it doesn't work as the signs got in the way of staff and everyone went to the wrong queues (and ignore the fact that they made the signs ridiculously large and used tiny writing to say "Priority/Business/Platinum" that is much smaller than "Boarding" so people just don't notice it). Most market research can be worded to get the answer you want, and I think that's what they've done here.

 

[LiamR]

I think there's a degree of deliberately setting the trial up for failure. Easy to say that it doesn't work as the signs got in the way of staff and everyone went to the wrong queues (and ignore the fact that they made the signs ridiculously large and used tiny writing to say "Priority/Business/Platinum" that is much smaller than "Boarding" so people just don't notice it). Most market research can be worded to get the answer you want, and I think that's what they've done here.

I have to disagree with you here...

My logic this this.

You can't just buy one of those custom signs that VA use for priority boarding. They are all made in large batches to save costs.

Those large pull up banners however, can be bought from Officeworks, or anywhere. So I dare say they bought one to use as a trial, as it was much cheaper than buying a whole batch of signs.

This trial (IMO) is about seeing how people react to PB, and how the queues form. Not so much the design of the sign. I dare say that if/when they approve priority boarding they will buy a batch of smaller, more efficient signs like VA have done.

( I could be totally wrong, but this is how I see it.)

 

[pshepvic]

I have to disagree with you here...

My logic this this.

You can't just buy one of those custom signs that VA use for priority boarding. They are all made in large batches to save costs.

Those large pull up banners however, can be bought from Officeworks, or anywhere. So I dare say they bought one to use as a trial, as it was much cheaper than buying a whole batch of signs.

This trial (IMO) is about seeing how people react to PB, and how the queues form. Not so much the design of the sign. I dare say that if/when they approve priority boarding they will buy a batch of smaller, more efficient signs like VA have done.

( I could be totally wrong, but this is how I see it.)

There are small signs that could be done just as cheap though that don't need to look as fancy as the VA ones. The AA ones are small and coughpy, and certainly wouldn't cost any more than the big banners.

The trial shouldn't even be necessary really, as discussed before, but if so it should be to find the best way to do it. That would mean trialling different types of signs, barriers, procedures, announcements, even what appears on the BP. But they've only trialled one way of doing it, that probably isn't how it would even be deployed. If you do a pilot or test, there's no point in testing something you definitely won't implement! So I don't know why they would use these signs unless they wanted it to fail. Unless of course the intelligence factor has come into it and they really haven't thought it through properly.

 

[nlagalle]

There are small signs that could be done just as cheap though that don't need to look as fancy as the VA ones. The AA ones are small and coughpy, and certainly wouldn't cost any more than the big banners.

Those roll up banners are around the cheapest and fastest to make. I would have used the same thing too.

 

[Danger]

Platinum Ones also get priority boarding. So there's at least one benefit at that level that doesn't exist.

Earlier today I boarded a widebody flight to PER. There was a huge crowd at the gate before boarding was called. Then boarding started - before the announcement was made. Then the announcement came for passengers with children, J, WP, SG, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire to board. Not one person stopped in their tracks. The herd continued pushing their way to the gate and neither flight attendant turned anyone away.

We hear from the people who attended the lunch that QF is doing something active on this front. I remain unconvinced.

 

[bugayev]

Platinum Ones also get priority boarding. So there's at least one benefit at that level that doesn't exist.

Earlier today I boarded a widebody flight to PER. There was a huge crowd at the gate before boarding was called. Then boarding started - before the announcement was made. Then the announcement came for passengers with children, J, WP, SG, oneworld Emerald and Sapphire to board. Not one person stopped in their tracks. The herd continued pushing their way to the gate and neither flight attendant turned anyone away.

We hear from the people who attended the lunch that QF is doing something active on this front. I remain unconvinced.

They are, but time will tell.

I do agree though that the biggest challenge for implementation of this will be controlling the crowd forming around the entire gate area prior to boarding even commencing. This isn't a problem Virgin has so I hope the poor FA's don't have to take crowd control courses just to deal with the confusion in the early stages of it being set up!

 

[nlagalle]

They are, but time will tell.

I do agree though that the biggest challenge for implementation of this will be controlling the crowd forming around the entire gate area prior to boarding even commencing. This isn't a problem Virgin has so I hope the poor FA's don't have to take crowd control courses just to deal with the confusion in the early stages of it being set up!

Virgin's priority boarding isn't flawless. Infact it was an epic fail for me going MEL-BNE. Everyone just lined up and ignored the calls to queue to the left..

 

[frankxinyu]

i just like CX's approach on this, they literally turn people away from the F, J, and elite queue...

i think thats how it should be done any way

 

[trippin_the_rift]

i just like CX's approach on this, they literally turn people away from the F, J, and elite queue...

i think thats how it should be done any way

Totally agree


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[kirk7]

i just like CX's approach on this, they literally turn people away from the F, J, and elite queue...

i think thats how it should be done any way

Its the same with AA

 

[LiamR]

Its the same with AA

In the US pretty much every airline is very strict when it comes to policing Priority Boarding. It's a good thing!

 

[rockyroad]

i just like CX's approach on this, they literally turn people away from the F, J, and elite queue...

i think thats how it should be done any way

Turning Pax away is the only way to manage a PB line. Can't see how it can be managed any other way. To stop grief and agro at the BP scanner, ground staff do need to work the PB line, so as to ensure that all Paxs in the PB line are entitled to be there.

 

[nonpop]

In the US pretty much every airline is very strict when it comes to policing Priority Boarding. It's a good thing!

Having recently completed a half doz US domestic flights in first (& OW Emerald) , never did I see in the PB line anyone that shouldn't have been there. Each time peoples BPs were checked prior to be being just scanned. One flight I was 'late' i.e showed up and boarding had already started. The BP line was empty yet the general line was very full. I just walked down the priority line, they stopped the general line, check by BP, said a good morning to be (by name), scanned by BP and waved me on ... the general line then restarted up. Worked very effective and nobody cried or pointed fingers at me or threw rotten vegetables. It just worked. And yes their priority signs looked like they have been made with a $49 colour printer, cardboard & sticky tape. And their pre-boarding announcements are always very clear. But it does the job.

 

[rockyroad]

Having recently completed a half doz US domestic flights in first (& OW Emerald) , never did I see in the PB line anyone that shouldn't have been there. Each time peoples BPs were checked prior to be being just scanned... One flight I was 'late' i.e showed up and boarding had already started. The BP line was empty yet the general line was very full. I just walked down the priority line, they stopped the general line, check by BP, said a good morning to be (by name), scanned by BP and waved me on ... the general line then restarted up. Worked very effective and nobody cried or pointed fingers at me or threw rotten vegetables. It just worked. And yes their priority signs looked like they have been made with a $49 colour printer, cardboard & sticky tape. And their pre-boarding announcements are always very clear. But it does the job.

Yes it does. For PB to work it must be seen to be being enforced by ALL boarding Paxs. I really feel QF have created a rod for their own backs here. Ever since Ansett went down, QF have set the standard for domestic boarding. Sure they claim to have domestic PB for WPs and Js but they never took the time nor engaged in the effort to enforce it, so it never worked As a result, their gates now get rushed as soon as the first boarding announcement is made. Put in a real PB lane and I suspect that lane will still be rushed, due to QF's past lack of enforcement.

Bottom line is that domestic PB can be made to work. It is not the signs or Tensor tape barriers that will make it work. It is enforcement and working the PB line to check that the Paxs in that line are entitled to be there. Then in 3 months, the mobs stops rushing the PB lane / BP scanners, cause they know the line "Dragons" will publicly kick their butts out of the PB line.

Just like you do not sit in the wrong set, cause you know that is enforced and you will be told "Sir, this is not your seat". So why is it so hard to police the PB line and if necessary say "Sir, you are in the wrong line"? Bottom line is that if any airline really wants PB to work, they need to enforce the benefit as all the signs and lanes in the world will not stop someone who doesn't know or care they are in the wrong line.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Having recently completed a half doz US domestic flights in first (& OW Emerald) , never did I see in the PB line anyone that shouldn't have been there. Each time peoples BPs were checked prior to be being just scanned. One flight I was 'late' i.e showed up and boarding had already started. The BP line was empty yet the general line was very full. I just walked down the priority line, they stopped the general line, check by BP, said a good morning to be (by name), scanned by BP and waved me on ... the general line then restarted up. Worked very effective and nobody cried or pointed fingers at me or threw rotten vegetables. It just worked. And yes their priority signs looked like they have been made with a $49 colour printer, cardboard & sticky tape. And their pre-boarding announcements are always very clear. But it does the job.

It works well in the US because it is enforced by FA's, PA's clearly state what group is currently boarding & the signage is clear to reiterate who can board through that lane. Americans 'get it' whereas some Australians have a real problem with some people using a priority queue even if they are eligible to use it. Just another example of tall poppy syndrome by the folk who consider priority boarding as 'elitist'.

IMHO a pre-boarding announcement should be made to invite WP's, J & other eligibles to board first before people with kids them general boarding after that. It's imperative this is done before anyone boards to tell people how it's all going to happen because if boarding starts before any announcements are made every man & his dog will get up & disregard any announcements thereafter & not sit down.

It should also be stated in the PA that that WP's etc are welcome to board any time via the dedicated (clearly signed) Priority Boarding queue. This may help alleviate the problem of bogans thinking that eligible pax are queue jumping when they're not.

I don't believe the new QF signage is clear enough for pax to be able to differentiate between the general boarding queue & priority one as the writing is too tiny & should be in much bigger font.

 

[Happy Trails]

Yes it does. For PB to work it must be seen to be being enforced by ALL boarding Paxs. I really feel QF have created a rod for their own backs here. Ever since Ansett went down, QF have set the standard for domestic boarding. Sure they claim to have domestic PB for WPs and Js but they never took the time nor engaged in the effort to enforce it, so it never worked As a result, their gates now get rushed as soon as the first boarding announcement is made. Put in a real PB lane and I suspect that lane will still be rushed, due to QF's past lack of enforcement.

Bottom line is that domestic PB can be made to work. It is not the signs or Tensor tape barriers that will make it work. It is enforcement and working the PB line to check that the Paxs in that line are entitled to be there. Then in 3 months, the mobs stops rushing the PB lane / BP scanners, cause they know the line "Dragons" will publicly kick their butts out of the PB line.

Just like you do not sit in the wrong set, cause you know that is enforced and you will be told "Sir, this is not your seat". So why is it so hard to police the PB line and if necessary say "Sir, you are in the wrong line"? Bottom line is that if any airline really wants PB to work, they need to enforce the benefit as all the signs and lanes in the world will not stop someone who doesn't know or care they are in the wrong line.

While I don’t feel too strongly about PB, I reckon this is the most apposite comment so far and sums it up perfectly

 

[Archphoto]

i just like CX's approach on this, they literally turn people away from the F, J, and elite queue...

i think thats how it should be done any way

Me too. (And J* Asia does the same - row number not called an you try to board - forget it!)

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Speaking with Jesse in the virgin lounge on Wednesday she was saying how simple and easy it was for virgin to implement PB. My only experience with domestic PB is with virgin and those few seconds of genuinely feeling like I mattered secured them my business to maintain platinum.

Funny enough, I'm reading the book 'the loyalty effect' right now which provides deep insight into customer loyalty. QF: I highly recommend taking a few pages from the book and applying it.


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[LiamR]

IMHO a pre-boarding announcement should be made to invite WP's, J & other eligibles to board first before people with kids them general boarding after that. It's imperative this is done before anyone boards to tell people how it's all going to happen because if boarding starts before any announcements are made every man & his dog will get up & disregard any announcements thereafter & not sit down.

It should also be stated in the PA that that WP's etc are welcome to board any time via the dedicated (clearly signed) Priority Boarding queue. This may help alleviate the problem of bogans thinking that eligible pax are queue jumping when they're not.

IMO The PB Annoucement should state that "General Boarding will commence in 5mins, in the meantime we ask WPs, J & Whoever else....."

That way the general travelling public don't think that it's time to board. As you've said above, as soon as any screen changes to boarding, or a PA is announced everybody rushes to queue.

 

[frankxinyu]

my recent J trip i had to line up for about 10 minutes, missed the pre departure drink (not that it is important to me, just a matter of principle)....