Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Paddy55]

Worked a treat at SYD T3 Gate 3 loading a 767.
Very short Priority queue... lengthy regular queue.
Liked it!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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.

not sure I follow this??

If you are the 30th person in the queue, even standing on the jet bridge, you are still the 30th person onto the plane rather than the 130th. more places to stow your luggage overhead and at your seat rather than rows away or in the closet.

If you are flying in business class it gives you more time on the plane (rather than waiting behind 100 passengers) to get settled, coat hung and back to reading your papers or whatever rather than standing in line while people search for their boarding pass ('oh honey, we need to show this nice lady our boarding pass. where did you put it again?') or fumble around trying to resize their luggage, or gate check, or fold strollers.

 

[Paddy55]

Worked a treat at SYD T3 Gate 3 loading a 767.
Very short Priority queue... lengthy regular queue.
Liked it!

Conversely on QF582 PER - SYD on a 744... nice big sign which no-one, including staff, paid the slightest attention to.

 

[2impulsiv]

Today's flights:

QF 973 738 DRW-PER, none existing..
QF 1064 738 PER-KGI, a discrasful display with two line full of everyone. So chopped my way in with my 1D BP.

 

[rechoboam]

Worked a treat at SYD T3 Gate 3 loading a 767.
Very short Priority queue... lengthy regular queue.
Liked it!

Similar at melb but initially everyone crowding in. Then it emptied and no one noticed there was a left hand queue so they all queued up on right assuming that left was special somehow.

 

[TonyHancock]

New one today. QF467. Absolutely the correct announcement was made......however the premium boarding sign was not visible and there weren't two lanes.

The guy who scanned my BP said he didn't think priority boarding was done at weekends.




Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[LiamR]

The guy who scanned my BP said he didn't think priority boarding was done at weekends.

Well that made me laugh. I can see that Qantas is consistantly training staff.

 

[nonpop]

Few samples:

27th Feb '12 - QF439 - SYD > MEL - Premium line had a mix of premium & non-premium pax (able to view people's BPs as they were standing in line)

29th Feb '12 - QF043 SYD > AKL - B737 - Fail. A line had formed, then they called for premium boarding but it was too late by then as the line was in place with mixed pax. However return flight QF114 worked perfectly as they announced a pre-boarding call which seemed to work.

6th March '12 - QF581 SYD > PER - B747 - complete mess.
There were in fact 2 priority boarding lanes that formed and 1 general lane. It was due to the way the priority sign was positioned.

In the last 30 days I've had about 10 flights ... majority of the time I find premium boarding to not function well. May be it is a combination of lack of understanding by QF PAX as well as staff. QF PAX seem very 'keen' to board for that magic overhead bin space.

And to QF staff ... when you place the premium sign, place it clearly and then leave it. Do not move it after people have started to form lines as it then just confuses everything even more.

 

[Ewing]

Priority boarding worked great on my BNE-SYD flight yesterday.

Walked straight up in the priority line, had my BP scanned and then onto the aircraft where I plonked myself into 1F.

Of course there wasn't anybody in the regular line either as I timed my departure from the lounge so that I'd be among the last on. :mrgreen:

 

[nonpop]

Priority boarding worked great on my BNE-SYD flight yesterday.

Walked straight up in the priority line, had my BP scanned and then onto the aircraft where I plonked myself into 1F.

Of course there wasn't anybody in the regular line either as I timed my departure from the lounge so that I'd be among the last on. :mrgreen:

Did you happen to have a roller with you ?
If was to show up last, I would never be able to find any space at my seat or forward (I hate having to place it rear of where I am sitting).
That overhead bin space for my single roller brings a smile to my face when I secure it.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Shouldn't be much of a problem in J?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Shouldn't be much of a problem in J?

Sometimes the overhead lockers in J on a 737 have a heap of blankets in them so a bit of rearranging is required.

The other day I was wheeling my rollerboard back to row 29 when the F/A suggested I put it up half way down the aisle as "it saves you having to take it all the way down the back".

I complied however it's not something I would expect to do every time as I prefer to have it close by. Being in an aisle seat there was absolutely no space underneath the seat in front like the window & middle seat have so if you do have carry on that needs to go in the locker definitely board early.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Maybe l should have put....(generally).....

 

[Ewing]

Did you happen to have a roller with you ?
If was to show up last, I would never be able to find any space at my seat or forward (I hate having to place it rear of where I am sitting).
That overhead bin space for my single roller brings a smile to my face when I secure it.

I most certainly did. I did have to put it in the bin above row 2 though

The one time I couldn't find space for my roller in J the CSM took it off me and put it in the closet.

Y is a different story. If I have my roller I'll check the seat map on E/F around 5 minutes prior to boarding. If it's a reasonably full flight I'll start heading to the gate before the boarding call is made in the lounge.

 

[nonpop]

QF 552 08MAR12 SYD > BNE on a B737-400
Complete mess.
Priority boarding big sign up. 2 lines start to form about 5 mins prior to boarding (so not super ealry).
1 min before boarding, flight is announced as delayed 5 - 10 mins due to cleaning.
Gate agent then takes the sign away. I'm sure you can guess the ending.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

QF 552 08MAR12 SYD > BNE on a B737-400
Complete mess. Priority boarding big sign up. 2 lines start to form about 5 mins prior to boarding (so not super ealry). 1 min before boarding, flight is announced as delayed 5 - 10 mins due to cleaning. Gate agent then takes the sign away.

I'm sure you can guess the ending.

Yes the same ending as as 734 BNE/MEL flight the other night & what's worse is due to cabin cleaners getting off late, more of a throng of people gathers around to be boarded through one lane.

Sometimes if boarding starts early it helps but is still a rockshow. Not as much congestion in the aerobridge as you don't have the 2 lines of people feeding into one.

Musn't have had any paxing cabin crew to help out.

 

[serfty]

Semi PB fall 426 to SYD this morning. Two queues formed, boarding announced and off they went. Not policed! I did note the signs at gate 1 were obscured by the queues.

I had an issue with my booking (PP check) by the time that was supported I noticed the PB queue was empty and late comets were using the non priority queue. It seems people wool police it themselves if they can see the signs.

Posted on a wing and a prayer

 

[nonpop]

Success: QF 932 ECONOMY 05APR12 SYD/CNS B737 (with new BSI was very nice having inflight gate to gate entertainment) ... 2 lines and was called clearly
Fail: QF 925 ECONOMY 09APR12 CNS/SYD B767 ... was a complete scrum. But CNS always appears to be like this. No invite for early boarding for those needing assistance.

 

[ajca]

I have noticed on numerous occasions over the past months that Priority Boarding is no longer being enforced at SYD and MEL.

 

[TheInsider]

I have noticed on numerous occasions over the past months that Priority Boarding is no longer being enforced at SYD and MEL.

Like i've said before, it comes down to the staff on the departure not caring and due to the same set staff always doing the same tasks.