Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[amaroo]

I have a sneaking suspicion FT dashboard has an error. I think I'm on GBNLL and it is the old first class.

If true - that's a disappointment

 

[simongr]

Gate 11 at mel tonight so will be interesting to see if better than last time...

 

[serfty]

Long walk ... leave early ...

 

[simongr]

Seems like it has changed to gate 1

 

[straitman]

Gate 11 at mel tonight so will be interesting to see if better than last time...

Long walk ... leave early ...

Not quite as bad as I saw in Delhi last week. After they called the flight we walked about 5 min and then came upon the sign that said 'Gates 1-14 walking time 15 min'

We were of course heading to gate 14 :!:

 

[nlagalle]

Oh I remember that walk Bill!! so far from the lounge to the gate!!!

OT: how ugly is the carpet!!

 

[Danger]

Fail.

I've just boarded a PER-SYD flight. The priority boarding lane was set up fine but no enforcement. I am flying under my AA Sapphire membership which, if the agent was doing his job, should have triggered a response.

Bells and whistles/banners and fancy newsletter announcements are all well and good, but when the reality is something far less glossy, I for one get very annoyed.

 

[2impulsiv]

My SYD-PER yesterday from gate 11 worked a treat. It's the first time I have been able to leave a lounge and not had to line up behind everyone else who decided just to use the priory lane..

Perth seems to be the worst at getting this right...

 

[drron]

Fail.

I've just boarded a PER-SYD flight. The priority boarding lane was set up fine but no enforcement. I am flying under my AA Sapphire membership which, if the agent was doing his job, should have triggered a response.

Bells and whistles/banners and fancy newsletter announcements are all well and good, but when the reality is something far less glossy, I for one get very annoyed.

I certainly have considered using the premium line and waving my plat card(AA of course).But I have resisted the urge and lined up in my proper place.
Was strange for 619 MEL-BNE today.The announcement was flight 618 our service to Brisbane is now ready for boarding.business Class and platinum customers may use the left hand lane,economy passengers should use the right hand lane-which was fine for the GA as he was looking from close to the plane.For us plebs heading towards the plane the premium lane was on our right side.
Anyway in an unusual manner there was absolutely no one lined up at the start of boarding.i was sitting in the departure lounge oppositer the gate but walking from there was still the second pax to be boarded.

And in another aside today for the second time in the last 4 sectors with QF I was seated with a mother and infant.Another sector alongside me were 2 unaccompanied young boys-where is this supposed policy of not sitting males beside children.Actually though I hope this continues.The 2 infants have been delightful seat companions and the 2 young lads were perfect gentlemen and a credit to their parents.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I certainly have considered using the premium line and waving my plat card(AA of course).But I have resisted the urge and lined up in my proper place.

If you are OW Emerald ie AA Plat you're entitled to use the PB lane.

 

[Must...Fly!]

If you are OW Emerald ie AA Plat you're entitled to use the PB lane.

AA Exec Plat

 

[pshepvic]

If you are OW Emerald ie AA Plat you're entitled to use the PB lane.

AA Plat is only OWS though isn't it? I thought AA Plat Exec was OWE?


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[Danger]

AA Plat is only OWS though isn't it? I thought AA Plat Exec was OWE?


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Correct. Hence the reason I should have been turned any with my boarding pass showing only Sapphire.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

AA Exec Plat

AA Plat is only OWS though isn't it? I thought AA Plat Exec was OWE?

Hmmm so not all Platinums are alike....though if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck it must be a duck. I don't know whether most people would be aware of only AA EXP being OWE.

The latest boarding spiel says something like "Business customers, Platinum and OWE members".....not "Business customers, Qantas Platinum and OWE members" so I guess it depends how you read it.

I can't really see you getting a knock back for showing an AA Plat card as it looks very similar to a QF Plat card mind however it would only have the OWS Blue symbol on the card.

It doesn't make it easy for F/A's when two (or more?) different airlines both have Platinum cards however each having a different tier status within OW. When you're trying to board a full aircraft in a timely fashion there's not really time to compute sublte differences like that.

 

[pshepvic]

Maybe they need to go down the path of the airlines in the US to print Priority Boarding/Priority AAccess/SkyPriority etc in massive font on the BP!


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[opusman]

If they do that the next step is SSSS and who knows where that might lead!

 

[pshepvic]

If they do that the next step is SSSS and who knows where that might lead!

I know exactly where that leads - a groping from an angry TSA man!*

*Except in Charlotte, North Carolina where TSA were extremely friendly!


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[reductionist]

Maybe they need to go down the path of the airlines in the US to print Priority Boarding/Priority AAccess/SkyPriority etc in massive font on the BP!

Very sensible suggestion. I do like the way AA do it.

This also means that the only cards that the FAs would need to recognise are the QF Platinum, Platinum One, or CL cards, since these can be used as boarding passes.

 

[Danger]

Presenting an AA Platinum (oneworld Sapphire) card is a moot point, however. At the gate, an AA card won't work on their scanners as no QF information is embedded in them) and at check-in it will spit out a boarding pass stating Sapphire, not Emerald. Every time I remove my QF FF number from my booking I forego the opportunity and convenience of using my FF card at the gate, having to resort instead to getting a traditional boarding pass printed.

So the QF gate agents need to be aware that in the two or three minutes it seems to take to scan a boarding pass under the wand thingy at the gate, take a peek at the information printed on the pass. Does it say Emerald? If not, bugger off. That's not what they're doing which defeats the entire purpose of having priority boarding.

 

[Kangol]

Very sensible suggestion. I do like the way AA do it.

This also means that the only cards that the FAs would need to recognise are the QF Platinum, Platinum One, or CL cards, since these can be used as boarding passes.

You can use any QF Q card (QP, PS, SG in addition to the ones you've mentioned) as a BP.