Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

love_the_life said:
Friday night from CBR to MEL announced priority boarding from right lane but then boarded both lines simultaneously. Fail,
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I actually don't think I've seen two lanes or lines at CBR for years (QF or VA). One line and occasionally two staff scanning for QF but never a separate lane, and no signage.
 
SYD-MEL QF449 this afternoon success (at least at the start). There was a lone gate agent getting things ready while others were pre-boarding special assistance passengers. She announced the priority boarding and early on walked the (then short) queue prompting for J + gold + platinum only in the queue.

When two hosts emerged from the plane and the boarding started, the one manning the general queue scanner invited the first from that queue forward but our original gate agent jumped in to correct her, "priority only, priority only now!" And the priority queue boarded using two scanners. Good on her for running the show as it should - this calls for good feedback to QFF.
 
Looks as though it all comes down to crew training, or whether they really give a damn, could be having a bad day whatever.
 
My apologies, a few of you asked for my feedback template for the Qantas Feedback Form in this thread and via DM - here it is below, hope it helps make giving your feedback faster. There are two - one for it working and one for it not, I always send both.

I've sent about 20 or so to this point and I've had about 10 phone calls back from Qantas thanking me for feedback and they are sending it through to Airport Operations

So far I think Melbourne is executing the best based on all my recent flying.



DID NOT WORK LETTER:



Hi,

I would like to give you feedback about the lack of premium boarding offered on DAY DATE on QFxx_, xx_xx_ to xx_xx_X from Gate XX.

I know you have implemented a new premium boarding system recently and therefore early feedback on how it is / isn’t working is important so you can address quickly with the relevant staff.

<INSERT: Brief explanation, no emotional, factual about what I observed. I insert staff names here as well >

I know your new system is for all scanners to process the premium queue first until it is exhausted, then only when that is complete, move onto the general queue but prioritising any late premium passenger arrivals if they turn up. Unfortunately your ground staff and flight attendants on this flight did not do this today and I know you and Airport Operations need this feedback to get better.

I hope that this timely quick feedback helps you reach out and reinforce the importance of the new premium boarding procedure with the gate agents and the flight attendants involved today.

Thanks



WORKED LETTER:

Hi,

Just a quick note to give you some good feedback on how a great premium boarding experience was carried out on DAY DATE on QFxx_, xx_xx_ to xx_xx_X from Gate XX.

I know you have implemented a new premium boarding system recently and therefore early feedback on how it is / isn’t working is important so you can address quickly with the relevant staff.

Person 1, Person 2, Person 3, did a great job of making sure premium boarding was executed as per your new system and I hope this positive feedback gets back to them and their managers, it made the flight experience with Qantas a lot better.

Thanks
 
SYD-BNE this morning on QF502. As usual, people started lining up before the official boarding announcements. However, a staff member came over to the middle of the priority line saying that it was for "business class", and the other line was for "economy class". A few people went over to the proper line. She then rotated the grey sign (which states business as well as those with status) so that it was visible to everyone else in line.

A few moments later, boarding started with just the priority line being processed and the "economy only" line being held back. Seemed to work fine :)
 
Success on QF423 SYD-MEL today, although there were only three priority eligible pax at the gate including myself and SO when boarding was called.
 
Both BNE-SYD on Friday and SYD-BNE on Sunday PB worked as it should.
On a side note the last 5 QF flights i have taken have all left on time or early and all arrived early.
 
On a SYD-MEL this week, it was the “Premium Pax” who were the problem.

Two FAs doing the boarding. The one on the non-premium side was calling the Premium pax over to her, and politely waving the non-premium pax back.

The Premium guys - about five in a row - were gazing into space and remaining in their line. 😀

Eventually, I was able to queue jump and take advantage.😂
 
"Perhaps I take one at a time from each queue."
That's the line uttered by the sole gate agent using the priority queue scanner on a MEL-SYD when a few "black sheep" appeared in their own queue past the long snaking general queue. We queued as far forward as was possibly polite (or not) and triggered this reaction from the agent. Makes one wonder on which page of their SOP this line is on... 🤔

On balance, though, we still boarded before dozens of others so this niggly issue didn't blow up...
 
tdimdad said:
"Perhaps I take one at a time from each queue."
That's the line uttered by the sole gate agent using the priority queue scanner on a MEL-SYD when a few "black sheep" appeared in their own queue past the long snaking general queue. We queued as far forward as was possibly polite (or not) and triggered this reaction from the agent. Makes one wonder on which page of their SOP this line is on... 🤔

On balance, though, we still boarded before dozens of others so this niggly issue didn't blow up...
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Well ask the on board manager next time!
 
I presume OOL is not one of the ports to rectify the issue? Absolute debacle
OOL was like a zoo and the line up for QF881 OOL-MEL snaked back for quite some way. There was no sign or any mention of a PB line but one of the OOL airport staff members suggested that the dozen or so of us that were standing around puzzled should just move up to the side of where the queue started and form our own line. Once boarding was called there was no mention of PB and only one scanner and line in operation. We charged like the light horse brigade and despite some not too pleasant looks from the non PB line I managed to board within the first 20-30 pax.
I will send off a complaint as they made absolutely no attempt to provide the PB service.
 
QF89 BNE-NOU yesterday. Came down from lounge 10mins early. Two lines formed at different angles to gate with no signage, despite seeing some placards earlier. Asked someone which is the priority line and they indicated in french tainted english "this line". Great I thought standing at the end of "this" line of about 20 pax.
Once boarding commenced, announcement that boarding by rows and QF/OW status holders can board using the seperate priority boarding lane at their leisure.... both lines then started boarding together... so I was about 41st onboard and 1 of only 3 in J. Spoke to CSM who said there should be been signage and he would write it up. Seems like pax were mainly NC residents and foreign tourists so PB prob not an issue to anyone really ..but it remains a published benefit of OW emerald ...🙄
 
Mixed results for QF589 BNE-PER today.
All set up properly and appropriate announcements made.
But then the second gate agent decided to start processing the economy queue at the same time as the premium queue.
 
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QF458 on Thursday 20 Feb - kind of worked?

2 queues, both lanes started boarding Premium pax but about 15 pax in they started boarding the economy queue... the premium pax queue was still long! So I ducked into the economy line and got boarded faster than the few who were in front of me...

Half-assing is better than not assing I guess?
 
esseeeayeenn said:
Mixed results for QF589 BNE-PER today.
All set up properly and appropriate announcements made.
But then the second gate agent decided to start processing the economy queue at the same time as the premium queue.
Click to expand...


Same happened to me recently too. Made complaint but no feedback yet.
 

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