Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[Danger]

The queue policing can work well when executed right.
I was coming back HKG-SYD on CX and they had four queues: first/OWE, business/OWS, PE/Marco Polo, and economy. Number of passengers were sent to other queues, some upwards, like myself and from my new queue couple of pax to the OWE queue. "Sir, you are welcomed to board using that queue" was all that was needed to direct people and everyone was sorted.

Once QF domestic has practiced having two queues in the first place, perhaps they can do an excursion to see well-run operations...

Qantas could merely send their staff a few hundred metres away to the Virgin gates to see how it's done right. Of course, knowing their penchant for doing things the hard way but nevertheless patting themselves on the back, I could see them sending a dozen or so execs to Hong Kong instead.

 

[flyingfan]

My first flight since this new effort and FAIL. MEL-SYD delayed (not that it should matter one jot) and both lanes boarded simultaneously.

 

[TheInsider]

My first flight since this new effort and FAIL. MEL-SYD delayed (not that it should matter one jot) and both lanes boarded simultaneously.

Now when you get a feedback email, give them 0's. Or if you don't get an email survey to complete, Then send them in feedback. Airport Customer Experience Managers really need the feedback. Not like they do much else from what I'm told.

 

[pauly7]

My first flight since this new effort and FAIL. MEL-SYD delayed (not that it should matter one jot) and both lanes boarded simultaneously.

Send all of the details to Customer Care via the feedback form. It is being passed straight onto local Aiport Operations to follow up.

 

[flyingfan]

SYD-MEL worked well in terms of only priority lane boarding first and processed by both agents. I’ll concentrate on the feedback for the fail when sending it in.

 

[Max Samuels]

Priority boarding the other day on QF616 MEL-BNE.... fail. Basically the entire boarding process was a fail. Boarding started 25 mins late with no update from the gate staff (who were just milling about and having a good old gossip). Then when it did, they did start with the PB queue but did no checking at all as to whether the correct people were in the line. Boy I have missed you, Qantas..... (not).

Then yesterday I flew back on VA..... was a complete pleasure. Went like clockwork. And my priority bags actually came out first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[maia200]

Travelled QF - BNE-SYD-SFO - SEA,LAX,SYD,BNE - all fine with priority boarding

 

[RichardMEL]

Experiences over the weekend were good.

MEL-BNE - I thought it was almost going to fail but they did call premium only first and the Y queue held back (woman at the head of the Y queue was saying something loud about "I should be in that line" but not sure if it was wishful thinking or what. She didn't seem happy.

BNE-MEL worked as expected too. No issues.

 

[flyingfan]

Now when you get a feedback email, give them 0's. Or if you don't get an email survey to complete, Then send them in feedback. Airport Customer Experience Managers really need the feedback. Not like they do much else from what I'm told.

Send all of the details to Customer Care via the feedback form. It is being passed straight onto local Aiport Operations to follow up.

Didn’t get a survey this time so sent in feedback. Got this response:

I do understand your disappointment and frustration with the lack of management of the Priority boarding system. Priority boarding is important to our customers and we continue to work with crew and ground staff to manage Priority boarding consistently.

Please be assured that your feedback will be sent through to both Melbourne airport and Cabin Crew.

 

[jase05]

Is OOL on the list of airports for QF to implement their new policy?
We were there on the weekend and I felt for the staff, absolute debacle of an airport. Maybe it was the end of holidays I’m guessing but the place was an unruly zoo. When I was walking towards our gate there was a QF flight that just commenced boarding and it resembled a Boxing Day sale at Myers with the masses trying to charge through the gates all at once, didn’t appear to be any PB or maybe the staff just gave up
Even our VA gate required staff to intervene and tell passengers to calm down and get in the correct line for boarding.

 

[dajop]

Interesting experience last night at MEL International departing on QF 37. Of course everyone has to queue to go down the escalators at Gate 9, then at bottom I saw the sign that welcomed J, WPs & SGs, and had my boarding pass scanned, and he told me that I had to join the normal non-priority queue as this was for business class only. When I mentioned to the person scanning boarding passes at the regular queue that my BP had been scanned already at the priority boarding queue, but I was directed here, the supervisor who was also there scanning, apologised saying it was her fault, she'd told the other guy only to let business pax through, but he'd taken it too literally she meant status as well ....

Never mind, it meant a few precious minutes less sitting on those uncomfortable Y seats.

 

[Basaka]

QF423 today, just boarded

They announced the line split and had a gate agent check the premium line... All good except they boarded both lanes same time.

Mentioned it to the gate agent and will drop a email off to QF later tonight.

Also what's the point of doing a single door boarding on a 330...

 

[TheInsider]

QF423 today, just boarded

Also what's the point of doing a single door boarding on a 330...

Maybe that gate only has one aerobridge? I don't know.

 

[Basaka]

Y

Maybe that gate only has one aerobridge? I don't know.

Yeah it was a single bridge, interesting they parked it at gate 4 instead of 10 or similar. Must have been all the cancellations...

 

[TonyHancock]

QF419 - SYD-MEL 10th Jan 2020 - No attempt was made to board the priority line first.
QF442 - MEL-SYD 13th Jan 2020 - Priority line boarded first.

 

[kevviek]

Yes both Dom & Int. Although I spread the love around a bit for international flights but same experience on QFi, CX, MH and on codeshares on EK or SB.
I would say usually in the first 5%, always in the first 10%. Not unusual for them to actually be the first bags off.

Not my experience. As platinum, my bags missed the connection in LAX on their way to Melbourne three out of five times in twelve months. The times they did make it would have been at least fifty percent of bags out beforehand...

 

[onemore]

QF 412 Melbourne to Sydney last Friday, priority boarding worked well for the travellers in the black signage lane, who were the only passengers checked through, now this is what I call priority boarding.
QF 19 Sydney to Manila same day, "First" was stamped on my boarding pass and once again priority boarding worked well, only the passengers in the black signage lane were checked though.

I never used to really care about the priority boarding thing, but now that my knees are giving up on me and cannot stand for too long I go and see the attendant at the gate and they let me on with the wheelchair brigade.
The joys of getting old.
cheers

 

[Aeolus]

Is it just me or the international PB has improved as well? Just did QF43 and the announcement for boarding was for J and status pax only, before Y based on seat numbers. Don’t they usually board everyone together but on different queues?

 

[onemore]

Is it just me or the international PB has improved as well? Just did QF43 and the announcement for boarding was for J and status pax only, before Y based on seat numbers. Don’t they usually board everyone together but on different queues?

Looks as though that is a thing of the past, Qantas is catching up with other airlines from all over the world, that have had this method in place for years.

 

[tdimdad]

In the true Australian egalitarian style, the PB was abolished for my BNE-SYD this afternoon: a single queue only (the priority queue was physically blocked off).
No idea if the gate called the priority pax to board first but when the convoy from the lounges arrived, we joined the end of the general queue.