Priority Boarding - What exactly is it?

[munitalP]

I read numerous posts about Priority Boarding (PB) failing and think of my own experiences and what I regard as a success and what I regard as a fail. But these are my thoughts and unless there is something tangible to grasp in regards to what the rules and regulations of priority boarding actually are, we are all in our own way expecting something different from the experience.

A number of people are vocal about the whole priority boarding thing both pro and against, but I struggle to actually sum up what it is these people want from priority boarding or what they actually expect from Qantas, Virgin or any other airline for that matter who offers the service.

Here's my take on the whole priority boarding thing...

1. If I am in the lounge until the flight is called - lets say SYD and the flight is leaving from G13 - it is reasonable to expect that I wont be first to board and I will be looking for overhead space. It is unreasonable to expect that this wont be the case. How do I combat this situation, I leave for the gate well before the boarding starts.
2. Following on from point 1. I am at the gate and there is a PB line. I queue in that line until the doors open. Y PAX and PB PAX get to share them first few minutes of boarding - so what? If there are 10 people in the PB line and 100 in the Y line, it still only means that 10 or so Y PAX will board with or ahead of me - so far, nothing to get my knickers in a twist over.
3. There is no PB line. This happens on both QF and VA, all the time on REX and JQ and I have heard even on Easyjet and Ryan (although they do sell tickets to allow you to get to the front of the scrum). OK, suck it up, head to the front of the line and just hand over your BP. Point 1 often fixes this by getting to the gate earlier and ensuring you are at the front of the line.

I know that this is a simplistic point of view, but I really feel that being proactive in how boarding is approached will allow for less PB Fails on all airlines. Obviously the other side of the coin is where there is not the capability to provide a PB lane - such as ADL. It is near impossible to make this work in the current layout of the check on areas. The scanners and seating are located in such a way that barriers would need to be used to effectively solve this problem. I counter it by applying point 1 whenever travelling from ADL and don't seem to have the same issues as regulars travelling from this airport.

So, what simple measures can be put in place to ensure PB is a nicer experience?

The most simple is be proactive in being at the gate earlier and not expecting the unrealistic to happen well into boarding. Be happy to share the airbridge with the masses, and generally just get on with life. Out of my 1000's of flights taken over the last 15 years, I can only recall 1 or 2 times my luggage has not been above my head once seated.

I am very interested in others thoughts on what the expectation of PB is.

Caveat: This thread was not started to compare the merits of how good airline A does vs airline B :|

m

 

[mannej]

Good thread - I was thinking the exact same thing, as it has become obvious the different expectations of PB amongst members here

 

[simongr]

My expectation of PB is what I get at HKG and int'l from SYD. I walk up to the gate, there isn't a queue and I walk on board. Obviously with single aerobridges for DOM flights that isn't possible but at least I woldn't have to queue.

I accept that there might be a small queue of other entitled pax but I expect that the airline would keep the queue clear of people who are not entitled.

This works in SYD on QF on occasion (not using this say one is better just highlighting the experience) - I walk out of the lounge either when boarding is called or just before, I walk to the gate and then walk past a queue of 100+ people to board pretty much immediately.

So that is the how - now for the whY...

For a start I hate standing in queues (being English I am however quite good at it and get quite annoyed when people don't follow appropriate queuing protocols).

Secondly I would like to get hand luggage in the overhead - sure I guarantee this by being first in the queue but if not then let's try and get ahead of as many people as possible. In the aforementioned working example - sure I wont be the first on board but I would prefer to be ahead of 100 people looking for o/h space than behind 100 people looking for o/h space.

Then there is the benefit of being on board - in J that is. I can get a drink and perhaps two if long haul. As I am not spending time queuing I can then use that time to get myself organised for the flight.

 

[Mal Ware]

Following on from point 1. I am at the gate and there is a PB line. I queue in that line until the doors open. Y PAX and PB PAX get to share them first few minutes of boarding - so what? If there are 10 people in the PB line and 100 in the Y line, it still only means that 10 or so Y PAX will board with or ahead of me - so far, nothing to get my knickers in a twist over.

You should not have to que for priority boarding, and if you do, it should only be behind a few people. You should not have to arrive early just so you beat the scrum.
100 in the Y line and 10 in the PB line? When was the last time you actually saw that, if ever on a Qantas flight?

The bottom line is, everyone mills around the gate, and as soon as the FA's are there, mostly before the doors are even locked open, the scrum starts to form and it is a free for all.

Your imaginary scenario just does not happen.

 

[simongr]

It does happen on occasion. But this discussion was about what people want PB to look like and why they want it that way and not to debate (again) the delivery of PB by different carriers.

 

[Blinky]

I agree with the OP. I always get to the gate at least 5 minutes earlier, and get close to the front of the PB queue. If I'm not, my experience is that the overhead storage in the first six or seven rows is full very quickly. And filled mainly by priority boarders.

 

[dk4]

For me, (self managed*) priority boarding falls into 3 types -

1. the opportunity to board BEFORE all others board (and not having to battle through a slum of people milling around to get to the scanner to achieve this)
2. the opportunity to easily bypass the general queue and proceed directly to the boarding pass scanner, while general boarding is in progress
3. the opportunity to stay away from the gate area and be the LAST to board, after all the queues and people milling around have dissipated

*self managed i.e. you aren't escorted by a staff member to the aircraft door, or via a private car across the tarmac etc.

In my opinion an airline has to cater to all three scenarios to be successful at offering "priority boarding".

 

[yohy?!]

+1 on PB in HKG (except when flying to AU when it's pointless due to the secondary screening!) - this is the gold standard. there needs to be proactivity every step of the way though: policing the line, passport check, scanners and backup people to troubleshoot any issues/opups

nothing better than walking past 200+ people straight to the MPC line (on CX/KA) and then getting handed a new BP for J as the flight is oversold (as happened last friday night)

 

[The Rok]

Priority Boarding is Sir Tony Hancock first, then everybody else.

 

[oz_mark]

For reference, the Air Canada boarding process:

Boarding Process

Customers who have requested wheelchair assistance are invited to board first, followed by customers who are eligible for Priority Boarding.

Prior to commencing general boarding, we will give pre-board customers (i.e. those travelling with children under age 6 and those requiring a little more time to settle in) the opportunity go on board.

On all flights operated by aircraft with more than 50 seats, as well as for flights departing from New York-John F Kennedy (JFK), customers eligible for Priority Boarding may board at their leisure at any time during the boarding process via an expedited, clearly defined Priority Lane.

aircanada.com - Travel Info - Priority Boarding

 

[JessicaTam]

Priority Boarding should be a separate lane that is managed well. If a pax without PB entitlement is in that line they are politely asked to join the other queue. Someone down the queue to prescreen BPs helps prevent any angst.

It is up to me to get to the gate early enough to be in the aircraft ahead of the masses.

 

[anat0l]

How do I see what priority boarding "should" be?

Let's say there are two lines (you need a minimum of two for priority boarding to be applicable) - one line is general boarding, the other is priority boarding (i.e. FF elites, premium fares, other special circumstances). Then...

• If the boarding is handled by one agent only, the agent processes all passengers in the priority boarding line until no more are enqueued, then process the general line. As soon as the priority boarding line has any pax in it, the agent stops processing the general line and calls forward to process the priority line until it is again clear of pax, then resume processing the general line.
• If the boarding is handled by two or more agents, then each agent simply replicates the sole agent model, except perhaps one agent may be set aside to process general boarding only.

I've seen an additional approach where there is a dedicated agent for general boarding and another dedicated agent for priority boarding, and neither processes the other type. Nice idea, but it's a bit wasteful of human resources.

If we ever get to automated self-boarding like they do at some gates in FRA, then a single processing lane should be set aside for priority boarding but there must be enough room for ineligible pax that try to beat the queue to exit the barrier and go back to the correct lane.

Ordinarily, eligibility for priority boarding should be checked by examining the boarding pass - this shouldn't take long, though I admit it does consume some seconds (checking for eligibility, as well as staring up to see if there is priority pax - keeping in mind most pax these days approach the processing point on their own accord rather than waiting to be invited to be processed) that will somewhat lengthen the boarding time per pax and thus overall. The ability to take companions that are normally not eligible for priority boarding... well, some people may like to stretch the definition; I don't think it's normally something worth worrying about. At least pax who are travelling together where one is priority boarding eligible and other(s) not should present themselves at the processing point together.

Priority boarding and not being able to find overhead space because you presented yourself at the gate at T-10 minutes before departure due to lounging or getting that last beer down are two mutually exclusive things. If they're still processing pax at T-10 minutes, sure, you'll be able to beat the rest of those passengers. Priority boarding is about boarding at your convenience - the idea being that when you present yourself for boarding, you are (on average) not being kept waiting as long as an ordinary pax.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i think others have already covered these points, but for me, priority boarding is about not having to queue, and being recognised as I approach the podium of special services if they are applicable.

if I arrive at the gate early, then I want to be amongst the first to board so I can stow my hand luggage. works well for dual lane boarding.

if I arrive after boarding has commenced, I expect an empty PB lane that I can walk straight to the front and move down the air bridge.

if I have to queue on the air bridge for a while then so be it... what I am bypassing is the infrequent flyer who stand in the queue and don't realise they need their boarding pass scanned again so fumble around looking for it, or fumble around getting a head set, or fumble around gate checking a bag, or fumble around with their kids. once on the air bridge the queue generally moves.

if I am boarding overseas, then a PB lane allows me to walk straight to the front and be taken by the gate agent to the front of any additional security queues, or past any queues on the jet ridge and straight on board (for example in hkg, the gate agent escorts you to the front of the liquids check and then onto the plane).

 

[simongr]

if I am boarding overseas, then a PB lane allows me to walk straight to the front and be taken by the gate agent to the front of any additional security queues, or past any queues on the jet ridge and straight on board (for example in hkg, the gate agent escorts you to the front of the liquids check and then onto the plane).

Is this travelling in F? I have never had this experience of being escorted past aerobridge queues.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is this travelling in F? I have never had this experience of being escorted past aerobridge queues.

yes on qf for b747 services.

by air bridge queues I mean the extra liquids check, and only if required (but you can see how long those are from the podium). once past those it's usually easy to board. although the escort does generally wait in case there is a bank up of business class pax on the final bit and then they take you past that as well.

 

[simongr]

Interesting - never experienced or seen it.

 

[harvyk]

Just reading through this thread, it reminded me of one time in AKL, I was boarding a flight back to MEL, and I could hear the gate agent complaining loudly about ppl who tried to use the priority boarding line who didn't have the rights to do so. I think at that point in time most of the ppl in the line (and everyone in front of me which was kinda nice) quickly moved over to the right and joined the other queue...

For me however PB is a bit of a funny one, as I would imagine that most people who have the right to use PB, also have the right to use one of the lounges, and IME (and certainly any time I've flown with AFFer's) those in the lounge will leave it until the very last minute to go and board.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Interesting - never experienced or seen it.

if you don't ask you don't get as I consider it a fairly standard F benefit, once I get to the podium, and if there is a queue just ask 'can someone take me down?' It just seems the natural thing to do?

 

[ashleyn]

You should not have to que for priority boarding, and if you do, it should only be behind a few people. You should not have to arrive early just so you beat the scrum.
100 in the Y line and 10 in the PB line? When was the last time you actually saw that, if ever on a Qantas flight?

The bottom line is, everyone mills around the gate, and as soon as the FA's are there, mostly before the doors are even locked open, the scrum starts to form and it is a free for all.

Your imaginary scenario just does not happen.

It is not an imaginary scenario, happenned Tuesday morning Perth QF650 !

 

[Mrmaxwell]

100 in the Y line and 10 in the PB line? When was the last time you actually saw that, if ever on a Qantas flight

Your imaginary scenario just does not happen.

Huh? This happens on every SYD-MEL flight on a Monday morning!

10-20 in the PB line and the entire Y group snaking down to the next gate.

Priority boarding should be a line that is policed and cleared once the initial PB pax have boarded. This way the early PB arrivals are amongst the first on the plane, and then subsequent PB pax can just walk right on during the entire Y loading period. Pretty simple really. When I had no status I sometimes used the PB line as I didn't know any better and never once got asked why was I using the line and not even educated for future travel. This is the main issue - the checking/policing (a lot to do with our laid back culture I think "sorry sir this is for PB pax only""Oh c'mon mate what BS just let me on blah blah)