Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[Seat0B]

A couple more data points - QF 818 from MEL-CBR on Saturday 30 Nov - new system announced and implemented- PB all done before any other pax allowed to board. I did not notice them checking that people in the priority lane had status. QF815 CBR-MEL on Sunday 1 Dec - the usual shambolic 2 lanes free for all. QF691 MEL-ADL also on 1 Dec new system working well. Again, no evidence that they checked for free-loaders in the priority lane. I'm coming back to Canberra from Adelaide via Melbourne again on Thursday, so can add a couple more flights after that. But I'd say so far that the winner is ....Melbourne.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

This is a perfect illustration of "be careful what you wish for".
The one thing I did NOT want priority boarding to become was "the right to board first".
I have no desire WHATSOEVER to be the PAX who sits in the aircraft on the runway for the longest time.
I would like priority boarding to mean that I can choose to board at any time and walk up to a dedicated lane and, if the aircraft is a wide body, walk down a dedicated aerobridge to the aircraft.
PAX who want to use the priority lane to board first and take their seats in Y while there is still space in the overhead lockers EXACTLY above their seats for their excessively large carry ons and sit there looking smug while everyone else boards are part of the problem not the solution.
Oops I should have started this with "unpopular opinion".
I'll go put on my asbestos suit now.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'll go put on my asbestos suit now.

I agree with you. But as nirvana ain't gunna happen anytime soon, I'll take the small gains achieved.

 

[Tropic]

As others have suggested, the group based approach is the most administratively efficient and effective means of boarding by status and leaves crew to smile and scan, not scowl and ban..... i.e. If it's not printed on your BP, its not on....

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I agree with you. But as nirvana ain't gunna happen anytime soon, I'll take the small gains achieved.

Indeed.
Meanwhile I shall continue to sit in the lounge for as long as possible and saunter to the gate at the last minute.
Unless it's an international flight and there is champagne on boarding!

 

[Port Power]

I leave PER at 5:30am Thursday morning and will try to post while waiting for luggage in Sydney. However, if the lounge is open that early in the morning, I am more likely to wait until final call. (I don’t have a cabin bag.). If it’s too early for the lounge, I’ll just enjoy watching the action from the side lines!

 

[pauly7]

A couple more data points - QF 818 from MEL-CBR on Saturday 30 Nov - new system announced and implemented- PB all done before any other pax allowed to board. I did not notice them checking that people in the priority lane had status. QF815 CBR-MEL on Sunday 1 Dec - the usual shambolic 2 lanes free for all. QF691 MEL-ADL also on 1 Dec new system working well. Again, no evidence that they checked for free-loaders in the priority lane. I'm coming back to Canberra from Adelaide via Melbourne again on Thursday, so can add a couple more flights after that. But I'd say so far that the winner is ....Melbourne.

I don’t think CBR was on the PB pilot list? Stand corrected if it was.

 

[Mattg]

I don’t think CBR was on the PB pilot list? Stand corrected if it was.

Canberra is on the list.

 

[Daver6]

I leave PER at 5:30am Thursday morning and will try to post while waiting for luggage in Sydney. However, if the lounge is open that early in the morning, I am more likely to wait until final call. (I don’t have a cabin bag.). If it’s too early for the lounge, I’ll just enjoy watching the action from the side lines!

The lounge will be open in PER. Sometimes the QP isn't open and you'll be directed to the J lounge.

 

[Port Power]

The lounge will be open in PER. Sometimes the QP isn't open and you'll be directed to the J lounge.

Thanks. It has been at least two years since I did such an early domestic flight. So I’ll be having breakfast in the J lounge instead of people watching. As I am not flying, have an aisle seat and also have no hand luggage, I’m happy to sit and wait. I don’t see the point of queuing, even for bin space.

 

[Danger]

Since you have such a great case (and names) to highlight to Qantas I beg of you to email customer service ASAP to highlight it to them!!

I had intended to and still may well. But today's experience allowed me to share yesterday's with the CSM.

I again flew out of Sydney, this time on a widebody but out of gate three. To backtrack slightly, on arriving into Sydney off another flight I noticed four QF staff standing around at the entrance to what I call the rotunda, near gates 12-15 or so. I recalled one or two people here mentioning staff had been monitoring implementation so I hung back a couple of minutes and watched them to see if this was the team. I walked up, politely interrupted and asked if they were checking the rollout. They were but, dammit, one of the people I was speaking to was the same supervisor who I'd spoken to the day before. I'm sure he recognised me as I certainly recognised him. So I just quickly asked how it was supposed to work and the same guy said FAs are supposed to board the premium lane first before boarding the non-premium.

A little while later I left the lounge to board my flight, again with a little note to leave the gate staff thanking them for the changes in hope that today it would be needed. It was. Premium boarding was announced and that lane was boarded while the non-premium was not. Both scanners were being used (and remember, this was gate three where there's only one door). I left the thank you note with the gate agent who scanned me. After the meal service the CSM stopped by to thank me for the note and asked for my feedback. I politely unloaded. He was very sympathetic - genuinely so, I believe. I showed him the thank you note from the day prior that wasn't needed that I had in my pocket, complete with the name of the guy behind the desk who couldn't have been less interested. He shared my disappointment. He really seemed to be interested in what I had to say, giving me probably 10 minutes of his time. He said he'd provide the feedback to Qantas and I believe that he will.

This is a perfect illustration of "be careful what you wish for".
The one thing I did NOT want priority boarding to become was "the right to board first".
I have no desire WHATSOEVER to be the PAX who sits in the aircraft on the runway for the longest time.
I would like priority boarding to mean that I can choose to board at any time and walk up to a dedicated lane and, if the aircraft is a wide body, walk down a dedicated aerobridge to the aircraft.
PAX who want to use the priority lane to board first and take their seats in Y while there is still space in the overhead lockers EXACTLY above their seats for their excessively large carry ons and sit there looking smug while everyone else boards are part of the problem not the solution.
Oops I should have started this with "unpopular opinion".
I'll go put on my asbestos suit now.

My understanding is that's how it's supposed to work: board premium first and when that line is exhausted, move to non-premium. However, if a premium passenger arrives later, he or she should be boarded immediately.

 

[DC3]

.... dammit, one of the people I was speaking to was the same supervisor who I'd spoken to the day before. I'm sure he recognised me as I certainly recognised him ...

SNAP. Buy that lottery ticket.

And thanks for the updates on your experiences.

 

[dsbooth]

My wife and I flew QF1013 from MEL to HBA on Monday 2nd Dec and when boarding was announced business customers were invited to board first and economy had to wait.
This is the first time this has happened to me, so hopefully Qantas are listening.

 

[pauly7]

I had intended to and still may well. But today's experience allowed me to share yesterday's with the CSM.

I again flew out of Sydney, this time on a widebody but out of gate three. To backtrack slightly, on arriving into Sydney off another flight I noticed four QF staff standing around at the entrance to what I call the rotunda, near gates 12-15 or so. I recalled one or two people here mentioning staff had been monitoring implementation so I hung back a couple of minutes and watched them to see if this was the team. I walked up, politely interrupted and asked if they were checking the rollout. They were but, dammit, one of the people I was speaking to was the same supervisor who I'd spoken to the day before. I'm sure he recognised me as I certainly recognised him. So I just quickly asked how it was supposed to work and the same guy said FAs are supposed to board the premium lane first before boarding the non-premium.

A little while later I left the lounge to board my flight, again with a little note to leave the gate staff thanking them for the changes in hope that today it would be needed. It was. Premium boarding was announced and that lane was boarded while the non-premium was not. Both scanners were being used (and remember, this was gate three where there's only one door). I left the thank you note with the gate agent who scanned me. After the meal service the CSM stopped by to thank me for the note and asked for my feedback. I politely unloaded. He was very sympathetic - genuinely so, I believe. I showed him the thank you note from the day prior that wasn't needed that I had in my pocket, complete with the name of the guy behind the desk who couldn't have been less interested. He shared my disappointment. He really seemed to be interested in what I had to say, giving me probably 10 minutes of his time. He said he'd provide the feedback to Qantas and I believe that he will.



My understanding is that's how it's supposed to work: board premium first and when that line is exhausted, move to non-premium. However, if a premium passenger arrives later, he or she should be boarded immediately.

Well done for sharing the feedback with QF staff.

 

[nerdag]

Premium boarding isn't working on QantasLink B717 flights at all. I am a SYD-CBR commuter on both QF and VA, and QF are still boarding as they were a few weeks ago, both ex-SYD and ex-CBR.

Forget the QF Dash-8 flights (never had PB and likely never will, especially if boarding via gates 1A-1C on the bus). As an aside, VA do PB very well even on their turboprop ATR flights.

A clear Qantas fail for their B717 flights.

 

[Seat0B]

Next data point -just boarded QF692 ADL-MEL. Two lanes boarding at once. PB line very long and absolutely no faster than regular boarding. In fact the scanner for this lane was malfunctioning periodically. and they just kept premium pax waiting whilst regular boarding continued. However, they were boarding row 15 and back via tarmac and back stairs. However, many people in the wrong place = hilarious entertainment to watch. Where’s the popcorn I say!

 

[Tropic]

For me, PB is way down the long list of things QF needs to fix... I have a feeling we may see QF announcing "something new" before Xmas given the growing level of customer dissatisfaction I've noticed being expressed in other online fora ... of course could just be another "enhancement"

 

[turtlemichael]

Next data point -just boarded QF692 ADL-MEL. Two lanes boarding at once. PB line very long and absolutely no faster than regular boarding. In fact the scanner for this lane was malfunctioning periodically. and they just kept premium pax waiting whilst regular boarding continued. However, they were boarding row 15 and back via tarmac and back stairs. However, many people in the wrong place = hilarious entertainment to watch. Where’s the popcorn I say!

See my post #252 above for a similar experience. I'd describe it as a cross between chaos and mayhem

 

[Princess Fiona]

Another couple of data points.
SYD-AKL last week, priority boarding enforced for a bus gate
But hey it was the thought that counted.
Today SYD-PER. IME boarding an A330 in the priority queue is usually an absolute cough show. Not today, ground staff making several announcements, moving people out of the queue who should have been in the Y queue.
Baby steps but I think we might be getting there.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Another couple of data points.
SYD-AKL last week, priority boarding enforced for a bus gate
But hey it was the thought that counted.

So first on the bus, last of the bus and onto the plane?