Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[Princess Fiona]

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

Yup, pretty much

 

[esseeeayeenn]

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.

Were they using two aerobridges to board the A330 in SYD?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Were they using two aerobridges to board the A330 in SYD?

Yes they were

 

[JessicaTam]

Another couple of data points.
SYD-AKL last week, priority boarding enforced for a bus gate
...

UL enforce PB for bus gates. It means you get a seat and others stand. Of course at the base of the steps up to the aircraft cas returns.

 

[Seat0B]

Just boarded QF 692 MEL-CBR. Working like advertised. 2 lane of PB pax boarded first. Then remainder. Used back stairs over the tarmac for row 15 back. No one here was confused. Everyone where they were supposed to be. Very fast and straightforward. It seems it’s only taken a week to get all pax into the new mode of operation. Well done QF MEL!

 

[RooFlyer]

UL enforce PB for bus gates. It means you get a seat and others stand.

UL for business class PB supply a bus just for business class - as do FlyDubai, S7 and any number of others. The great unwashed get bussed out, while J pax relax in err, the gate lounge . The the J bus delivers its pax and the doors close soon afterwards.

 

[JessicaTam]

UL for business class PB supply a bus just for business class - as do FlyDubai, S7 and any number of others. The great unwashed get bussed out, while J pax relax in err, the gate lounge . The the J bus delivers its pax and the doors close soon afterwards.

Sometimes it an an exclusive bus for J, other times shared. I am about 50/50 so far.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sometimes it an an exclusive bus for J, other times shared. I am about 50/50 so far.

If some of the great unwashed board ‘your’ bus, have you tried yelling at them? Works most of the time.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Sometimes it an an exclusive bus for J, other times shared. I am about 50/50 so far.

EK have it down to a tee for the remote gates in DXB. The F bus, sumptuous leather seats and sea of gold bling, which waits for the F pax, followed by the J bus for the J pax. Only falls down if you’re embarking in J and miss your bus.

I would be impressed if QF bung on priority buses. We deserve such.

Cheers skip

 

[monoccular]

I must say that whilst Qantas has for many years totally ignored the priority boarding promised in their advertising, over the past few weeks they appear to be getting their act together (at least for inter capital flights) at MEL BNE and PER and calling priority PAX first and also in enforcing the priority lanes when there are priority PAX boarding.
It remains to be seen if this will last, or if it will ever be extended to the regional flights from the capitals, or from regional airports (though these are not major concerns to most of us).

 

[RooFlyer]

It remains to be seen if this will last, or if it will ever be extended to the regional flights from the capitals, or from regional airports (though these are not major concerns to most of us).

Just getting it extended to all the capitals will be an achievement.

 

[nutwood]

Some recent data points. Boarding Mel/Syd 26/11; I approached the PB queue and took note of another pax joining the alternative queue at the same time. Both queues boarded together and the economy queue passenger was about four in front of me.
Same experiment Syd/Mel on the 29th, I was neck and neck with the economy passenger.
Syd/Mel yesterday (6/12), by the time I got to the gate, only the economy lane was boarding, so I presume they had boarded the priority lane first. I went up the priority lane and was passed into the air bridge queue immediately. Interestingly, when I got on the plane, only two seats in J were occupied. I had left the lounge before the flight was called, so presumably most of the priority passengers would not have gained any benefit, unless they'd made the effort to be at the gate ahead of time. Given the potential for delays, I can't see that many would have bothered.

 

[mflyer100]

Another data point, HBA this past Friday. Priority boarding went through both scanners as regular boarding was taped off so I had to wait with my fellow "great unwashed"

 

[DC3]

Another data point, HBA this past Friday. Priority boarding went through both scanners as regular boarding was taped off so I had to wait with my fellow "great unwashed"

How humiliating to be watching the elites breezing on board.

 

[nutwood]

How humiliating to be watching the elites breezing on board.

Sounds like the elite were queuing with the rest....

 

[drron]

Mel-BNE today.premium queue boarded first though only 6 of us in that queue.
Premium baggage though back to normal.To be fair 3 more bags came out after mine.

 

[RooFlyer]

Another data point, HBA this past Friday. Priority boarding went through both scanners as regular boarding was taped off

That's great, and amazing, as HBA wasn't scheduled to be included just yet.

 

[DC3]

That's great, and amazing, as HBA wasn't scheduled to be included just yet.

Possibly a glitch?

 

[DC3]

Possibly a glitch?

....or they thought that RooFlyer was boarding.

 

[nutwood]

Mel-BNE today.premium queue boarded first though only 6 of us in that queue.
Premium baggage though back to normal.To be fair 3 more bags came out after mine.

I'm wondering if they are smoothing the way by calling for premium pax to board, before issuing the boarding call in the lounge?