Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[Mattg]

A quick update have been through the following ports with mixed success over the last couple of day.

MEL - Preboarding announced and executed well
SYD - Preboarding announced and executed well
DRW - Preboarding announced and executed well however with no dedicated PB lane if you weren't there at the start it becomes a zoo
BNE - Preboarding announced and executed well

What happened if people arrived in the priority lane after general boarding had commenced? Would they stop processing the general queue until the priority lane was cleared (like VA does)?

 

[jakeseven7]

What happened if people arrived in the priority lane after general boarding had commenced? Would they stop processing the general queue until the priority lane was cleared (like VA does)?

MEL are pretty good at that but I’ve noticed on both airlines if they have two people on the scanners they process both queues at same time...

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I'm back to doing 2-4 sectors a week on the SYD-MEL corridor and haven't had any PB issues. I will note gate areas tend to be quiet on 5pm services given the uptick in frequencies so even getting to gate 20mins before dep there isn't much of a crowd/scrum.

 

[Ansett]

I have had no problems over the last 4 days of flights other than as noted does not have a dedicated PB Line so get in early or wait lol

 

[Ansett]

What happened if people arrived in the priority lane after general boarding had commenced? Would they stop processing the general queue until the priority lane was cleared (like VA does)?

Hi Matt I didn't see any signs of that happening or not happening

 

[BD1959]

I'll be going through BNE, MEL, SYD and OOL within the next 48hrs ... will see how that transpires.

Typical QF inconsistency over the weekend, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Good: BNE Friday night. Pre-boarding announcement made. Economy line was taped off and Priority Boarding called for the correct lane.
Bad: MEL Saturday morning: Arrived as boarding was underway. Joined the Priority Lane which was not being policed. Evidenced by the couple who had one in the economy line, one in front of me and who joined together at the priority scanner (neither had status as their Paper BPs - which they had great difficulty scanning - showed).
Ugly SYD later Saturday morning: Complete ClusterFxx_. Announced Pre-Boarding for anyone with infants or requiring additional assistance. This took about 15mins due to families arriving late but mostly due to a party requiring oxygen assistance. By the time Priority Boarding commenced there were the two lines in play through the one scanner point as the main GA was busy at his desk. As I approached I heard the FA working the non-priority line request that the two queues interweave. As the Priority passenger had been the last to be scanned and there was an elderly couple at the head of the economy queue, I waved them forward only to hear the GA bark from behind me "NO ... you two stand in line" and indicate for me to move forward. As I did as I was bid, I explained to him that his colleague had requested the two lines interweave. Of course no reaction from the GA nor the FA ... I felt embarrased for the elderly couple.
OOL: Early Sunday morning. Gate empty by the time the boarding call had been made in the lounge and the trek to Gate 8.

Regards,

BD

 

[Ade]

Are domestic flight loads back to normal when priority booking would be an issue?

Very much so, IMHO. SYD-CBR-SYD & SYD-MEL-SYD last weeks - all 4 flights full to the brim. Very few empty seats and ABSOLUTELY NO priority boarding what so ever ... Not so much overhead space either ... had to keep my bag "under the seat in front of me"

Post automatically merged: May 10, 2021

Hi Matt I didn't see any signs of that happening or not happening

Not in my experience ... the agent processes a few non-priority queue pax (say 4 or 5) and then signal you to get scanned

 

[jakeseven7]

Very much so, IMHO. SYD-CBR-SYD & SYD-MEL-SYD last weeks - all 4 flights full to the brim. Very few empty seats and ABSOLUTELY NO priority boarding what so ever ... Not so much overhead space either ... had to keep my bag "under the seat in front of me"

Post automatically merged: May 10, 2021

Not in my experience ... the agent processes a few non-priority queue pax (say 4 or 5) and then signal you to get scanned

Be good to lodge your feedback per the above posts, takes about 3 minutes depending on your typing speed

 

[nutwood]

The tricky one is PB once general boarding has commenced. I generally don't leave the lounge until the flight is called. Too often you leave a comfortable chair and then spend 45 minutes standing about because the flight is delayed. When they say it is boarding, I head there.
Usual situation is a huge economy queue, empty premium lane and two FA's scanning. Obviously they are both processing pax from the economy queue. The critical point for me is whether the FA on the priority side is keeping an eye on the premium lane. If they are, all is good. If they are not, the premium passenger is put in the position of either being rude and pushing in or standing there like a dork and watching the plane load.

 

[Berlin]

The tricky one is PB once general boarding has commenced. I generally don't leave the lounge until the flight is called.

Very good point- I am actually always surprised how many J class passengers who clearly would have lounge access, prefer to leave early and then sit around waiting in the plane. On an international flight, you at least get champagne, but Domestically?

I've seen situations like the one described here often enough, with the premium lane entirely empty and ignored. However, more often than not, it even gets worse (often in Sydney, from experience) where once you arrive at the gate, both lanes are filled with people of whom exactly zero have status. That's when you need to be really rude and cut in front of other people.

 

[nutwood]

That's when you need to be really rude and cut in front of other people.

How do you determine which people to cut in front of?

 

[Berlin]

How do you determine which people to cut in front of?

That's the problem, isn't it! Sometimes I manage to see the boarding passes and if they don't have status and are in a double digit seat-free game. If that's not possible, then I just push straight in front of a group of particularly clueless looking guests and hiss "Business class" or something along those lines if I have to.

Has never failed- just that my better half calls me "rude". But he thinks that anyway, it's the Germaness in me that sometimes still shines through

 

[BD1959]

That's the problem, isn't it! Sometimes I manage to see the boarding passes and if they don't have status and are in a double digit seat-free game. If that's not possible, then I just push straight in front of a group of particularly clueless looking guests and hiss "Business class" or something along those lines if I have to.

Has never failed- just that my better half calls me "rude". But he thinks that anyway, it's the Germaness in me that sometimes still shines through

I think you may have passed me at some stage - I was the one hissing "German" from the line of Plats ...

Regards,

BD

 

[nutwood]

That's the problem, isn't it! Sometimes I manage to see the boarding passes and if they don't have status and are in a double digit seat-free game. If that's not possible, then I just push straight in front of a group of particularly clueless looking guests and hiss "Business class" or something along those lines if I have to.

Has never failed- just that my better half calls me "rude". But he thinks that anyway, it's the Germaness in me that sometimes still shines through

Problem is that occasionally some of the more clueless looking guests are actually CL.

 

[Berlin]

I think you may have passed me at some stage - I was the one hissing "German" from the line of Plats ...

Regards,

BD

Oups!

 

[Cognac]

Very good point- I am actually always surprised how many J class passengers who clearly would have lounge access, prefer to leave early and then sit around waiting in the plane. On an international flight, you at least get champagne, but Domestically?

I've seen situations like the one described here often enough, with the premium lane entirely empty and ignored. However, more often than not, it even gets worse (often in Sydney, from experience) where once you arrive at the gate, both lanes are filled with people of whom exactly zero have status. That's when you need to be really rude and cut in front of other people.

In Perth, due to the FIFO crew, the PB lane is often longer than the regular lane.

 

[drron]

That's the problem, isn't it! Sometimes I manage to see the boarding passes and if they don't have status and are in a double digit seat-free game. If that's not possible, then I just push straight in front of a group of particularly clueless looking guests and hiss "Business class" or something along those lines if I have to.

Has never failed- just that my better half calls me "rude". But he thinks that anyway, it's the Germaness in me that sometimes still shines through

And from me you might get the reply -but I am life time platinum- true but on AA so just leave that part out.

 

[nerdag]

In Perth, due to the FIFO crew, the PB lane is often longer than the regular lane.

Same on the golden triangle +/- Canberra, especially during peak hour.

 

[Ansett]

Adelaide yesterday arrived at the gate with general boarding underway PB lane empty Flight attendant saw me stopped and called me straight over. This is the first time I have seen it work so well in Adelaide usually its a zoo.

 

[Mattg]

Adelaide yesterday arrived at the gate with general boarding underway PB lane empty Flight attendant saw me stopped and called me straight over. This is the first time I have seen it work so well in Adelaide usually its a zoo.

Great to hear. Sadly this didn't happen for me in SYD the other day - once again, both lanes boarded simultaneously.