Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[levelnine]

In terms of minor gripes, I think priority baggage is far more important than priority boarding.

Boarding doesn't get you to your destination any faster, but baggage does.

It is especially bad at MEL where you frequently wait 20-30 mins for any bags to start coming out.

 

[juddles]

I usually find myself defending Qantas on many issues - have been accused of being a QF fanboi many a time, but this is a specific thing where I am absolutely perplexed as to how this debacle continues on....

If I had to state what was the biggest "joke" or failure of any airline in the world I have travelled, it would probably come down to this issue. (My other huge beef with QF has always been about the obscene co-payments for "free" awards flights - but that can be defended in some ways)

Qantas priority boarding can be simply described with one word: disgraceful.

I use the term disgraceful as the other word that leapt to mind was that it is a "joke" - but I shy from that as in my experience many who say things are a joke have no real idea.....

But it truly is a farce. As I posted years ago, I have actually seen gate staff chastise priority members when they got into the shorter non-priority queue!! I think that rooflyer is on the mark in that although it is a frequently complained about issue, Qantas cannot take on their staff who would have to suffer the indignity of actually trying to enforce it.

I agree with Eesseeyaaneenn ( ) that it is nice to just sit in the lounge and try to be the last person to board - I do this a lot, but other times I have extensive stuff that I need to have close to me so want to board early so I can secure the overhead spaces....

This issue used to not be so big to me as I only flew Qantas domestic insignificantly. But it has become a biggy for me. I find myself as a P1 having to hover around the departure gate so I can get on not just in the priority queue, but at the start of it. And seeing the non-status members getting on before me... This is just shiite.

 

[opusman]

Controversial here but should we go back to Emeralds and above for domestic PB?

The problem is that PB is a OneWorld benefit for Sapphire and above.

 

[justinbrett]

I may be alone but I actually like the the US boarding system and HL system. Saying that at worst I/ we are no further back than group 2 or 3.

I love the PB system on AA. It works every time.

 

[Captain Halliday]

The problem is that PB is a OneWorld benefit for Sapphire and above.

Good point. I wonder if not delivering a published benefit puts QF in breach of its OW agreement?

Perhaps all those advocating for complaints to be lodged would be better sending the complaints to OW.

 

[flyingfan]

SYD-MEL last week and an FA was announcing at the gate about who could use the priority lane, as well as combing it and looking at our BPs.

As mentioned (repeatedly!) in the other thread and other places, to do it properly BOTH FAs (during two-lane boarding) need to 1) process priority pax first and only when none are left do they board others, and 2) ruthlessly reject ineligible pax.

 

[opusman]

Good point. I wonder if not delivering a published benefit puts QF in breach of its OW agreement?

Perhaps all those advocating for complaints to be lodged would be better sending the complaints to OW.

My memory is that it was when the lack of PB (and therefore the breach of the OW agreement) was pointed out to QF on this forum (back in the Red Roo days) that QF grudgingly introduced PB in the first place.

I assume that's why they persist with it, even though you can tell they really don't want to.

 

[flyingfan]

As TheInsider said we need to start giving them hard zeros on the How was Qantas surveys, hitting their NPS might make them notice. The other mob does priority boarding much better (not perfect of late though) and it doesn’t faze QF.

 

[TheInsider]

As TheInsider said we need to start giving them hard zeros on the How was Qantas surveys, hitting their NPS might make them notice. The other mob does priority boarding much better (not perfect of late though) and it doesn’t faze QF.

This is what it is. If you keep on giving QF 9-10 then their score keeps going higher. Give them 0.
Every week QF is building on their NPS, and this is ALL they care about (the numbers). If the numbers don't tell them something, then QF won't change anything, what's the point otherwise?

So don't ignore the emails and surveys after every flight. Give them 0 out of 10 and put the comments in. It will take you 5 minutes.

 

[UP4014]

Better just to have two boarding lines, faster for all. If I want to get on first I'll be in line first.

I'll have a guess here, priority boarding is the most import thing for people taking suitcases on board, nothing worse than people getting on last, no overhead room, going back to put their bags up then expect others to make way at get off time so they can go back for their bag 6 rows behind.

I agree with those who say priority baggage is more important than priority boarding. Perhaps with Virgin going back to its roots they will do away with that and then QF can as well. We'll all be happy then.

 

[Buzzard]

As QF SG I get PB but if I want to be in the early boarding group with QF or as a VA nothing, I get to the gate and line up early, some times being first in line.
It's OK saying VA get it right but what they do get wrong is forward and rear door boarding. It's a debacle when you are in say row 16 and some clown in 20 something enters via the front.

 

[Katie]

My QF dom boarding experience on Monday morning was quite the contrast to my prior 6 domestic flights with AA in the US (and even the intl QF12 departure at LAX).

I wonder if part of it, which QF should be able to address by not rewarding certain behaviours, is how Australians queue? For all bar one of the AA flights, there was no queue at the non-priority boarding lane before boarding started. In contrast, the queue for QF dom flights seems to form before the aircraft arrives! (exaggeration).

Is part of our queueing culture, as well as our general inclination to believe no-one should be above anyone else, part of what makes QF's priority boarding fail domestically? Is it simply un-Australian for someone to be "better" than someone else and be able to board first, vs those who started queueing first?

 

[stm1sydney]

I think there are bigger issues they should focus on

But PB is so easy to get right. And it doesn't cost a cent, just requires commitment from management to customer service and for staff to follow a system.

 

[drron]

As QF SG I get PB but if I want to be in the early boarding group with QF or as a VA nothing, I get to the gate and line up early, some times being first in line.
It's OK saying VA get it right but what they do get wrong is forward and rear door boarding. It's a debacle when you are in say row 16 and some clown in 20 something enters via the front.

But,But.I have been that fellow and often in row 27 on VA.In the past it was when my knee would play up and there was no way I would be able to climb the stairs.Now it is occasionally my hip.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Good point. I wonder if not delivering a published benefit puts QF in breach of its OW agreement?

Perhaps all those advocating for complaints to be lodged would be better sending the complaints to OW.

You mean like not giving PAX connecting from international flights to domestic flights lounge access based on their class of travel on the incoming flight?
That sort of breach of the OW agreement?
I don't think OW has any mechanism to deal with compalints directly from PAX.
I would love to be proved wrong.

 

[samh004]

But PB is so easy to get right. And it doesn't cost a cent, just requires commitment from management to customer service and for staff to follow a system.

If it was that easy, they would have got it right. Same for priority baggage and probably a dozen other things. It's something they are deficient in and I live with that. I'd rather better F/B onboard than the ability to skip a queue on the ground, because I'm onboard far longer than I am on the ground at the departure gate

 

[woodborer]

But PB is so easy to get right. And it doesn't cost a cent, just requires commitment from management to customer service and for staff to follow a system.

Given that PB is consistently done the same way across the domestic airports Qantas have implemented it, it would seem that staff are following the system they were told to follow.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Priority boarding worked for QF582 PER-SYD today. And they used two airbridges. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[Aeolus]

OMG! OMG!! Priority boarding for QF499 this evening and for once I didn’t queue at normal queue because it’s shorter.
Winning on both fronts, time to buy the lottery tix!

 

[justinbrett]

Surely it’s not because of this thread... surely?