Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[dfcatch]

Actually - the best way to train them is to clearly and consistently implement it by the book, each and every time without exception.

That trains people the fastest - then the whip isn't needed as often.

 

[ajw373]

Actually - the best way to train them is to clearly and consistently implement it by the book, each and every time without exception.

That trains people the fastest - then the whip isn't needed as often.

Excpet the people you are training are not frequent flyers, so it will take time for everyone to get used to it.

 

[dfcatch]

I think you miss the point.....

If the implementation and enforcement is hit and miss - then it will take even longer to train people.

Your point actually emphasises mine.

No-one is complaining about the behaviour of the punters - just the lack of implementation, enforcement and consistency from QF.

Oh - and at the risk of repeating the single most important point in this entire thread........... Everyone else can and does do it (including QFi) - they don't have to reinvent the wheel.

 

[medhead]

Actually - the best way to train them is to clearly and consistently implement it by the book, each and every time without exception.

That trains people the fastest - then the whip isn't needed as often.

This is a major reason that I've banged on about pre-boarding priority. VA had preboarding priority boarding for a long time before they did separate lanes. I think this is a big part of the reason the lanes work so well, because there customers are used to hearing PA announcements before the majority get to board.

QF on the other hand, have passengers that are conditioned to move as soon as they hear the first PA announcement. They need much training and the best way is with clear and consistent announcement along with enforcement.


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[pshepvic]

This is a major reason that I've banged on about pre-boarding priority. VA had preboarding priority boarding for a long time before they did separate lanes. I think this is a big part of the reason the lanes work so well, because there customers are used to hearing PA announcements before the majority get to board.

QF on the other hand, have passengers that are conditioned to move as soon as they hear the first PA announcement. They need much training and the best way is with clear and consistent announcement along with enforcement.


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Very true. I also like VAs current announcement that says they will be boarding "soon", asks everyone to familiarise themselves with their seat number, and remain seated until their row is called. This is extremely effective. They then immediately call people requiring assistance, then Bus/Plat/Gold & those with equivalent status on partner airlines (which is interesting considering some - ie. Delta - don't do the same).

Occasionally you do still get a ground staff member that forgets to include Platinum in the list!


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[ajw373]

This is a major reason that I've banged on about pre-boarding priority. VA had preboarding priority boarding for a long time before they did separate lanes. I think this is a big part of the reason the lanes work so well, because there customers are used to hearing PA announcements before the majority get to board.

QF on the other hand, have passengers that are conditioned to move as soon as they hear the first PA announcement. They need much training and the best way is with clear and consistent announcement along with enforcement.

Hence what I was getting at about it taking time to re-train the sheep and also the staff, as old habits take a while to die. They also need to do it everywhere not just at a few ports. Was surprised to see Canberra doesn't have it, even on the Jet services.

 

[richie9x]

Something a bit different for my flight from Brisbane today. The flight was on a 737-400 boarding at gate 25, so I was expecting premium boarding to not be in effect. There were two agents behind the gate desk. Normally you only get one, only seem to get two gate agents if one is in training but that didn't seem to be the case. I lined up in the normal boarding lane with the expectation that there would be only one lane because it was a 734. As expected only one FA came up to do boarding, however one of the gate agents then manned the other scanner and starting scanning BPs from the premium lane.

Not sure if this was a random one off of someone helping out, or perhaps a change in policy for 734 flights. But was good to see either way. The gate agent that did the scanning didn't appear to be paxing either.

 

[Berlin]

Flew Sydney to Brisbane on Friday and back again last night. Premium boarding went the way it should: Clearly marked sign differentiating the two queues at the start and then two staffers individually scanning the boarding passes, one for the premium queue and one for the plebs. Actually, signage and layout reminded me of AA, looked almost identical.

 

[Canny man]

Complete mess at Perth gate 13 yesterday lunchtime. The inability to manage PB was a topic of conversation amongs the platinum tagged pax

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Something a bit different for my flight from Brisbane today. The flight was on a 737-400 boarding at gate 25, so I was expecting premium boarding to not be in effect. There were two agents behind the gate desk. Normally you only get one, only seem to get two gate agents if one is in training but that didn't seem to be the case. I lined up in the normal boarding lane with the expectation that there would be only one lane because it was a 734. As expected only one FA came up to do boarding, however one of the gate agents then manned the other scanner and starting scanning BPs from the premium lane.

Not sure if this was a random one off of someone helping out, or perhaps a change in policy for 734 flights. But was good to see either way. The gate agent that did the scanning didn't appear to be paxing either.

I take it you weren't flying to CBR with only one F/A. There is only one gate agent but usually a Concourse Supervisor (red tie or scarf, more like rust colour actually) will oversee gates 22 to 25 & may assist the gate agent from time to time. At times there will be multiple flights departing from these gates at similar times so they may well opt to assist the most junior of the gate agents.

There is a dedicated trainer who will train new CSA's usually 2 at a time in departure procedures including closing the a/c door & operation of the aerobridge so when they are doing a departure they should be signed off as being competent to do the task on their own. Obviously at certain times a second person is helpful particularly if there is hand luggage knocked back at the gate so one can stay at the desk & the other can take the hand luggage downstairs to be loaded underneath.

Sounds like the same supervisor who was at the gate on a flight I was on recently. It was a 737-800 so usually 2 F/A's will board however one of the operating F/A's was delayed on an inbound flight so the supervisor manned the other gate reader until the 2nd F/A arrived.

 

[simongr]

Worked well for Gate 5 at SYD DOM today - even for a delayed flight - didn't work so well for the three merging queues of pax in the regular queue though...

 

[hopes]

Apologies if this has been posted before as it is kind of obvious i havent read the whole thread and joined late.

In reality priority boarding means the melee splits in to two queues then back into one again on the aero bridge. No real point if you think about it. Perhaps It's just to make a certain type of person feel important.

I practice reverse psychology (inwardly so only i know) and always join the plebs queue even although I am quite entitled to hob nob for a bit before replebbing on the bridge.

 

[JohnM]

Apologies if this has been posted before as it is kind of obvious i havent read the whole thread and joined late.

In reality priority boarding means the melee splits in to two queues then back into one again on the aero bridge. No real point if you think about it. Perhaps It's just to make a certain type of person feel important.

I practice reverse psychology (inwardly so only i know) and always join the plebs queue even although I am quite entitled to hob nob for a bit before replebbing on the bridge.

I think being 10th or 15th in the bridge is not quite the same as being 100th or 150th in the boarding line as it spills out into the concourse (eg. MEL) or tangles all over the place (eg. PER), especially on A330 or B767 services. But each to their own... .

 

[straitman]

I think being 10th or 15th in the bridge is not quite the same as being 100th or 150th in the boarding line as it spills out into the concourse (eg. MEL) or tangles all over the place (eg. PER), especially on A330 or B767 services. But each to their own... .

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Moopere]

In reality priority boarding means the melee splits in to two queues then back into one again on the aero bridge. No real point if you think about it. Perhaps It's just to make a certain type of person feel important.

This possibility has been mentioned before. Seems realistic except that I really haven't hit the problem even once. Its probably timing related. I'll either leave the lounge immediately upon the boarding call or try my luck if I'm up to something and get to the gate a bit towards the end. In either case I'm not usually help up on the aerobridge.

 

[Danger]

My thoughts exactly.

And mine.

The genesis of this thread, if I remember correctly wasn't so much about the benefits or otherwise of priority boarding, but that it was a published benefit that in actuality was as rare as hens' teeth: Qantas was promoting a benefit that simply wasn't eventuating.

 

[dfcatch]

Either way I will be behind the line on the aerobridge.

But I would like to be able to brush passed the boarding line and thus still be significantly ahead of where I would have been.

 

[ajw373]

In reality priority boarding means the melee splits in to two queues then back into one again on the aero bridge. No real point if you think about it. Perhaps It's just to make a certain type of person feel important.

Half right. If your in the priority queue then you are able to jump ahead of those that are in the normal queue, so there is a point to it. Though you could argue that everyone has an assigned seat and the plane ain't going to leave without you, so there is no point.

 

[11sjw]

Half right. If your in the priority queue then you are able to jump ahead of those that are in the normal queue, so there is a point to it. Though you could argue that everyone has an assigned seat and the plane ain't going to leave without you, so there is no point.

The point then being you get a better chance of getting to your row first and grabbing primo spot with overhead storage etc.

 

[simongr]

Shambolic today - no policing of the PB queue and in fact PB was slower than regular. Then had no space above me in overhead - although I did have an empty seat next to me.