Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[docjames]

I'm curious, has anyone seen VA enforce PB and knock people back? I know on a flight to OOL from MEL they didn't as the guy in front of me had no status.

Yes, November 2011 in SYD, and again around Xmas time last year in BNE. Pax politely told that the PB lane was for J and top tier FFers and to please queue in the other line and "it hopefully wont be too long" anyway.

 

[tm.smile]

I'm curious, has anyone seen VA enforce PB and knock people back? I know on a flight to OOL from MEL they didn't as the guy in front of me had no status.

I have once been told that I am not eligible for PB as I was at that time on a staff travel ticket. When I showed her my DJ gold tags, she was more than happy to let me board... They do enforce it and make it generally quite clear during the boarding prorcess.

 

[flyingfan]

Yes, November 2011 in SYD, and again around Xmas time last year in BNE. Pax politely told that the PB lane was for J and top tier FFers and to please queue in the other line and "it hopefully wont be too long" anyway.

I think this is the perfect way to enforce priority boarding.

 

[eastwest101]

I was also trying to say the same thing but came across the wrong way. I (and I suspect most of the previous posters) have not observed QF enforcing PB - if there is no enforcement then I think its logical to assume that QF is not delivering PB at all. Sometimes they may fluke it if all the planets align on a particular day/crew/aircraft/signage/lack of scrum with a particular gate with particularly obliging/well mannered PAX voluntarily i.e. Promised but not enforced so not delivered.

As others have observed - VA have enforced PB a lot more - by this enforcement they have pretty much delivered PB. i.e. Promised, mostly enforced, so therefore delivered.

 

[nlagalle]

Well flew home tonight from SYD and pb worked exactly as it should.

So out of 30+ flights it's failed (sort of) once.

 

[danny09]

PER-KGI worked the way it should tonight.Which is great, pity its not everytime. Prob only ever works 65% of the time out of PER.

 

[2impulsiv]

PER-KGI worked the way it should tonight.Which is great, pity its not everytime. Prob only ever works 65% of the time out of PER.

I was on QF1064 to KGI last week and the PB lane was clear, but once I got to the front I had to wait and eventually push in to have my BP scanned as people were cutting across. In the past the flight crew have asked PAX to wait and let me through but not that time, she looked at me and left me standing there.....

 

[QF WP]

My JASA run PB experience

12/6 QF665 BNE/ADL @ Gate 18.

PB was a partial FAIL, as I got there boarding had commenced and most people were queueing correctly on the right. The large sign is fine, but the small sign on the crowd control things is just too small to read. One guy directly ahead of me (Silver QC seated in 14A) just walked into the line whilst another lady did stop, read the sign and did move back into the RHS line. The CSA didn't redirect the pax, rather just happily scanned his BP.

13/6 QF692 ADL/MEL @ Gate 20.

I left the QC early to experience PB Adelaide style, forewarned by medhead's previous less then salutary commentary, but hoping it had changed. It was non-existent, so a complete and utter FAIL. What was incomprehensible was that the PB signage was sitting in the corner of the Gate area, but had not been deployed. General boarding was called and everybody who was in the Gate seating area stood as one and formed a queue. Another queue was formed by the mainly suited pax who were standing near the Gate 20 wooden freestanding signage. As it was the shorter, I joined it but it was still 30 to 40 long.

13/6 QF636 MEL/BNE @ Gate 21.

Because of the calling of the flight in the Business Lounge at the first "final call" stage and the long walk back to Gate 21, I arrived too late to see it in action but I think that it was - in fact it was a lightly loaded flight with only 6 pax in J and probably no more than 30 that I could see in Y.

The signage was up and I used it anyway.

 

[Kangol]

PB has never been an ADL benefit AFAIK....

 

[serfty]

PB has never been an ADL benefit AFAIK....

Yes, that has been the report --- but why the signage (unless it's for QF81?).

 

[drewbles]

I think this is the perfect way to enforce priority boarding.

It's exactly how AA do it.

It's not hard to politely say 'go away' really (honestly, it's not). It's more about staff education initially than pax education. Pax may only travel once every few years and not know. I don't think that self-education with small signs to pax is enough. It's like one major road in South Melbourne. Some genius decided to implement hook turns the entire length of the street at major intersections. It's been like that for around 5 years now, and people still ignore the signs in the left lane that clearly indicate it's a turning lane only, and they simply carry on through the intersection. In general, people accept the status quo unless challenged, and whilst i'm a very observant person to any changes, most people aren't from what i've observed.

 

[docjames]

It's exactly how AA do it.

It's not hard to politely say 'go away' really (honestly, it's not). It's more about staff education initially than pax education. Pax may only travel once every few years and not know. I don't think that self-education with small signs to pax is enough. It's like one major road in South Melbourne. Some genius decided to implement hook turns the entire length of the street at major intersections. It's been like that for around 5 years now, and people still ignore the signs in the left lane that clearly indicate it's a turning lane only, and they simply carry on through the intersection. In general, people accept the status quo unless challenged, and whilst i'm a very observant person to any changes, most people aren't from what i've observed.

Ah, traffic watching in Clarendon Street - geez you see some great manoeuvres....

 

[drewbles]

Ah, traffic watching in Clarendon Street - geez you see some great manoeuvres....

Up until not that long ago, I drove it twice daily (lived in St Kilda, worked in South Melbourne). It's a coughshoot at the best of times down there. It's done nothing but confuse people (and make people angry 'what the bloody hell is this cough doing turning right from the left it's not a hook turn!' only to realise that yes, it is).

 

[QF WP]

PB has never been an ADL benefit AFAIK....

Yes, that has been the report --- but why the signage (unless it's for QF81?).

I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo, so I could send it into Qantas with my commentary...why should ADL be any different from any other QF port?

 

[drewbles]

I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo, so I could send it into Qantas with my commentary...why should ADL be any different from any other QF port?

It's Adelaide. 'nuff said!

 

[Heleigh]

Just completed nine flights on AA and one BA (so far) all have been wheel chair/disabled and young children with parents 1st then (most) F (US and armed services), (some times emerald and ruby), and then rest.
The staff do make non beleivers award they should wait.
Noticed the congestion around priority boarding sign but they make way for F then whoever until their call so no hassles in moving forward if F just polite "excuse me".

 

[wafliron]

Just completed nine flights on AA and one BA (so far) all have been wheel chair/disabled and young children with parents 1st then (most) F (US and armed services), (some times emerald and ruby), and then rest.

Having just experienced my first couple of AA flights (in Y), boarding calls for OW Emerald and Ruby (or, more specifically, a lack of them) is about the only thing AA don't seem to do well WRT PB.

I was (and still am) completely unclear as to where OWE fall within AA's PB rules, so I just kept wandering up to the front when they started boarding "regular pax" (i.e. immediately after those who needed assistance) and asked if I was allowed to board now, and was allowed through every time.

Can I assume from this experience that OWE have the same boarding priority as F (and AA Exp Plat?) on AA? Or did the gate agents just waive me through as it was easier than explaining holding everything up to explain the correct PB rules for OWE to me?

 

[tm.smile]

Can I assume from this experience that OWE have the same boarding priority as F (and AA Exp Plat?) on AA? Or did the gate agents just waive me through as it was easier than explaining holding everything up to explain the correct PB rules for OWE to me?

See this boarding process list. Boarding Process | Boarding Priority | AA.com

 

[wafliron]

See this boarding process list. Boarding Process | Boarding Priority | AA.com

Hmm, how did I not find that? Thanks.

 

[pshepvic]

I've definitely heard them call OWE with AA EXP before, and then OWS along with AA Plat, before everyone else.


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