Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Noob]

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

Exactly right, only ever seen it out for QF81.

 

[Danger]

I flew out of Perth last week and priority boarding wasn't offered, despite two readers being used. I asked the gate agent and was told "I don't know, sorry. We've had a gate change . . ." Of course. A gate change. An extraordinary event and so a perfectly legitimate reason not to offer a stated benefit.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I flew out of Perth last week and priority boarding wasn't offered, despite two readers being used. I asked the gate agent and was told "I don't know, sorry. We've had a gate change . . ." Of course. A gate change. An extraordinary event and so a perfectly legitimate reason not to offer a stated benefit.

Don't you know, its easier to move an aeroplane than to move one of those portable signs?

 

[Danger]

Given how big the QF priority boarding signs are, I wouldn't be surprised!

 

[TonyHancock]

On the face of it priority, or premium as QF like to call it, worked on my flight from MEL to ADL.

Usually I'm at the gate 10 minutes before boarding is scheduled, but today I left the lounge 20 mins before scheduled departure. (I was having a chat with straitman, I wish now I'd had a bit longer there are about a million questions I'd like to ask about his flying days!!)

When I arrived at the gate there was a long snaking queue for the non premium lane, and a short (8-10 pax) queue for premium. I joined the premium queue behind a middle aged couple....who turned out to be bronze FF sitting in row forty something. The lady muttered to the man that they shouldn't really be in the premium queue and that attracted my attention, for the purposes of research, to their boarding passes. The BP's were duly scanned and they were waived through without any question.

So whilst the process was sort of OK QF continues to allow non status pax through the premium lane. There seems to be a reliance on pax doing the right thing! :shock:

 

[rechoboam]

On the face of it priority, or premium as QF like to call it, worked on my flight from MEL to ADL.

Usually I'm at the gate 10 minutes before boarding is scheduled, but today I left the lounge 20 mins before scheduled departure. (I was having a chat with straitman, I wish now I'd had a bit longer there are about a million questions I'd like to ask about his flying days!!)

When I arrived at the gate there was a long snaking queue for the non premium lane, and a short (8-10 pax) queue for premium. I joined the premium queue behind a middle aged couple....who turned out to be bronze FF sitting in row forty something. The lady muttered to the man that they shouldn't really be in the premium queue and that attracted my attention, for the purposes of research, to their boarding passes. The BP's were duly scanned and they were waived through without any question.

So whilst the process was sort of OK QF continues to allow non status pax through the premium lane. There seems to be a reliance on pax doing the right thing! :shock:

What's even better is when you are travelling for business in J at LAX, flying for 48 hours in 5 days and you are sworn at and abused by the pax in the priority queue who shouldn't even be there when you try to join it.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What's even better is when you are travelling for business in J at LAX, flying for 48 hours in 5 days and you are sworn at and abused by the pax in the priority queue who shouldn't even be there when you try to join it.

So what did you say back to them?

 

[Oneworldplus2]

So what did you say back to them?

F%$*#&%*^($@K!!!!

 

[Ontime]

I wonder what would happen if this couple tried to access the lounge or sat in Business Class. Its interesting how policing priority boarding is not treated the same as other benefits yet it is essential the same in the eyes of the customers entitled to the benefit.

On the face of it priority, or premium as QF like to call it, worked on my flight from MEL to ADL.

Usually I'm at the gate 10 minutes before boarding is scheduled, but today I left the lounge 20 mins before scheduled departure. (I was having a chat with straitman, I wish now I'd had a bit longer there are about a million questions I'd like to ask about his flying days!!)

When I arrived at the gate there was a long snaking queue for the non premium lane, and a short (8-10 pax) queue for premium. I joined the premium queue behind a middle aged couple....who turned out to be bronze FF sitting in row forty something. The lady muttered to the man that they shouldn't really be in the premium queue and that attracted my attention, for the purposes of research, to their boarding passes. The BP's were duly scanned and they were waived through without any question.

So whilst the process was sort of OK QF continues to allow non status pax through the premium lane. There seems to be a reliance on pax doing the right thing! :shock:

 

[TonyHancock]

......mmmm Adelaide....I'd forgotten QF doesn't even try in Adelaide.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app. Sorry if this post is about 30 years behind, I'm in Adelaide.

 

[rechoboam]

So what did you say back to them?

I could see crowds of people being turned away at the front so just proceeded through the increasing scrum and got on.

I have had similar problems at big events where I need to join family backstage or in other restricted areas (and don't have the option of "boarding last"). People have refused to let me through despite my trying to explain I'm not queuing for an autograph, and that I'm required to get through. I might buy myself some high-viz, that may help.

 

[Danger]

I wonder what would happen if this couple tried to access the lounge or sat in Business Class. Its interesting how policing priority boarding is not treated the same as other benefits yet it is essential the same in the eyes of the customers entitled to the benefit.

That's a very good point.

 

[eastwest101]

I wonder what would happen if this couple tried to access the lounge or sat in Business Class. Its interesting how policing priority boarding is not treated the same as other benefits yet it is essential the same in the eyes of the customers entitled to the benefit.

Exactly Ontime - at the moment Priority Boarding is not policed/enforced, if it isn't policed or enforced then it is not delivered in my opinion. This thread has almost 2000 posts about say 300-400 different flights/boarding events or observations and I can only find one or two occasions where people were rejected from the PB lane. As I have said before - PB isn't a big deal to me personally but it is supposed to be a benefit for QF customers, and is important to some people.

It is analogous to a police car on 110km/hr limit posted freeway allowing hundreds of cars through at 120km/hr but pulling up one or two. That is not enforcement in my view - that is a game of chance.

 

[Ausbt]

Exactly Ontime - at the moment Priority Boarding is not policed/enforced, if it isn't policed or enforced then it is not delivered in my opinion. This thread has almost 2000 posts about say 300-400 different flights/boarding events or observations and I can only find one or two occasions where people were rejected from the PB lane.

I saw it enforced flying VA the other day out of Townsville. A chap ahead of me who looked like a tourist from o/s was pulled aside. I have to say priority boarding on VA is just crazy these days - half the plane is priority. As far as Q goes, I'm Gold and it bothers me no end I'm excluded. About half the time, I just self-assess and decide I'm entitled anyway!

 

[simongr]

I saw it enforced flying VA the other day out of Townsville. A chap ahead of me who looked like a tourist from o/s was pulled aside. I have to say priority boarding on VA is just crazy these days - half the plane is priority. As far as Q goes, I'm Gold and it bothers me no end I'm excluded. About half the time, I just self-assess and decide I'm entitled anyway!

Really? So you're part of the problem then - thanks for that... If you're all for that sort of stuff why don't you self assess your entitlement to the CL?

 

[Ausbt]

thanks for that... If you're all for that sort of stuff why don't you self assess your entitlement to the CL?

My pleasure. Honestly I would if I could! Point is, at Gold with Q and Plat with VA its way more of a problem, from my observation, at VA than it is at Q. You'll be happy to know I've self-assessed myself over to VA anyway ...perhaps a little tired of the pedants at Q these days.

 

[tm.smile]

My pleasure. Honestly I would if I could! Point is, at Gold with Q and Plat with VA its way more of a problem, from my observation, at VA than it is at Q. You'll be happy to know I've self-assessed myself over to VA anyway ...perhaps a little tired of the pedants at Q these days.

Not sure all of that makes grammatical sense...

You say that at DJ half the plane is entitled to priority boarding, then if QF were to allow priority for SGs then that would also mean half the plane would be entitled to priority (most ports anyway). Hence why QF SGs are excluded from priority boarding.

 

[Ausbt]

grammatical sense...

Hence why QF SGs are excluded from priority boarding.

Oh, I think it's a good policy. I just don't want to adhere to it myself! I've been wondering if VA will restrict their own soon.

 

[freepyjamas]

Oh, I think it's a good policy. I just don't want to adhere to it myself!

And there, in a nutshell, is the Me Generation. Which is why this kind of thing has to be enforced, unfortunately.

 

[QF WP]

Oh, I think it's a good policy. I just don't want to adhere to it myself! I've been wondering if VA will restrict their own soon.

And there, you've said it twice - you don't want to adhere to it - so you are worse than the person who mistakenly gets in the wrong line. You have a mistaken sense of entitlement.

Using Joe Hockey's speech to the UK Institute of Economic Affairs but paraphrasing into this argument about PB, “(your sense of) entitlement is a concept that corrodes the very heart of the process" and "The (PB) problems we are seeing...today are the outcome of (people) wanting a (benefit) they cannot afford but are quite happy to borrow from others". I hope QF tighten up soon and become more like VA, as one day you'll get what you are entitled - being rejected from the PB queue and required to line up in the non-PB line like the rest of us who follow the rules.