Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[summit_32]

I have a CLPO friend as they are called in the industry - CL and WP1 who averages 6000SC a year. He cares little about waiting in the gate and jet bridge. He is always one of the last to board as well.syd

Can i ask what they do for a living? 6000SC per annum is insane. Every four weeks or so, SYD-LHR-SYD in J?

 

[Quickstatus]

living

International fund manager
LHR,JFK,HND,SIN,FRA

MEL-SYD-MEL and other domestic is like catching a local suburban train.

He was not happy when at the QF presentations for fliers like him he didn't win the prize for top SC accumulator. I told him to do some DSC next time

 

[RooFlyer]

However, as a regular on the syd mel sector I really do wish they would bring in group boarding. I’m sure CLs must get over all the waiting at gates and in jet bridges

One more layer to be delivered inconsistently between ports and at the same port

 

[Matt_01]

...I really do wish they would bring in group boarding

I maybe an outlier however I like the idea of boarding groups, it seems to work well in the US.

…dividing up priority into a couple of groups would really make it more pleasant.

Why stop at 2, they have this by the lines and it does not work. I think the US has about 5 groups, I have not paid that much attention as we will normally fall into group 1 or 2 based on class of travel or OW status.

 

[serfty]

However, as a regular on the syd mel sector I really do wish they would bring in group boarding

I maybe an outlier however I like the idea of boarding groups, it seems to work well in the US.

It works well.in the US because:
- It is generally enforced, so PAX are used to it
- Non flying gate agents do the enforcement.

 

[Matt_01]

It works well.in the US because:
- It is generally enforced, so PAX are used to it
- Non flying gate agents do the enforcement.

There should be no reason this could not be adopted in AU, it wouldn't happen overnight but it could happen if the approach was adopted. I know therein lies the problem as there would be complaints and QF would back down.

 

[Quickstatus]

O

There should be no reason this could not be adopted

It requires everyone to be at the gate at the start of boarding . This p***es of some people who want to just saunter up when they please

 

[Matt_01]

It requires everyone to be at the gate at the start of boarding . This p***es of some people who want to just saunter up when they please

Not really, if you are eligible to board in group 1 or 2 sure you need to be at the gate when boarding starts. If you choose to stay in the lounge and roll up at a time you choose then you just join the line that is boarding at the time.

 

[serfty]

Also in the US, if you have not boarded 15 minutes before scheduled departure you run the real risk of being offloaded.

 

[Quickstatus]

then you just join the line

in staged boarding everyone really has he be at the gate when boarding starts because it is impossible to know the actual start of boarding.

My point is that the PB ?activists? want to have PB even when Gen boarding has started.

 

[Matt_01]

My point is that the PB ?activists? want to have PB even when Gen boarding has started.

I get your point and in my view it is simple, if you are not at the gate when boarding starts and if general boarding has started you just need to wait in line with others or wait to board last. If you board last through choice don't whinge if there is no OH bin space left. As a long term P1 I have got into a habit of getting to the gate around 5 minutes before boarding is due to commence and normally walk up to the boarding pass screening desk on the general side. IME experience (which I have posted about before) most PAX mill around at the priority/ general signs and when boarding is called make a run for the screening desk. I am the PAX that most in the priority line most likely assume that I have no idea what I am doing and I have no shame being that PAX and starting the line. Also I will normally have my iPad out and if there is a delay in boarding I can continue to work while in line.

I may have chimed in at some point in the previous 44 pages but gave up as I am fully aware that the QF boarding system is broken and is unlikely to be fixed anytime soon. I will acknowledge that over the past few years there has been a token effort to make improvements however it seems to be sporadic and short lived.

 

[Quickstatus]

if you are not at the gate when boarding starts

I totally agree.
I would get rid of the ridiculous pre boarding which is really boarding group 1.
But some people won't be happy they have been punted to group 2

The devils advocate position however is that Pb people want PB available until the last passenger.

Staged boarding will eliminate PB once and for all which will be better for most

 

[Berlin]

Qantas staff are just too lazy/ badly trained to enforce it, that’s all. Same with sending those damn cheapies from Economy to the back where they belong if they try to sneak into the J class toilets. Though admittedly, the latter I’ve seen being enforced quite regularly lately.

Maybe we get this priority boarding done one day after all, never giving up hope!

 

[The black sheep]

Best practice system I have seen was in south america. They had no fewer than 4 boarding queues, all strictly enforced, even on tiny regional routes.
In order of boarding they had:
1.- premium passengers.
2.- passengers with disabilities and/or kids
3.- economy passengers without carry-ons
4.- all the rest

It worked a dream.
And the passengers were used to this so sorted themselves out very well, boarding was quick and orderly, etc.

Just saying...

 

[PineappleSkip]

My point is that the PB ?activists? want to have PB even when Gen boarding has started.

I must be one of them. My last 2 QF flights I sauntered out of the lounge, expected PB, and got it. Just joined the empty priority queue. When noone was on it they boarded PAX in the other queue. When priority PAX got there they marched to the front. Easy peasy. There aren't any real delays in this system and late arrivals queued up in the airbridge, which I coped with admirably

cheers skip

 

[RooFlyer]

Best practice system I have seen was in south america. They had no fewer than 4 boarding queues, all strictly enforced, even on tiny regional routes.
In order of boarding they had:
1.- premium passengers.
2.- passengers with disabilities and/or kids
3.- economy passengers without carry-ons
4.- all the rest

It worked a dream.
And the passengers were used to this so sorted themselves out very well, boarding was quick and orderly, etc.

Just saying...

"Preferente" was my friend while I was on LATAM!!

 

[dylarr]

Fail on 2FEB QF471 SYD/MEL tonight. PB called but not enforced and both queues boarded at the same time.

 

[Berlin]

Fail on 2FEB QF471 SYD/MEL tonight. PB called but not enforced and both queues boarded at the same time.

Isn’t that pretty much ALWAYS the case?

I can count the numbers of times this has worked on Qantas (Domestically) on one hand.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Not in my experience, only sometimes.
27 Jan QF513, PB was happening, no impostors in queue.
29 Jan QF550, only one queue, but this was gate 7 where the hoarding adjacent where the faux 737 hull was makes two queues impractical.

 

[drron]

Worked perfectly at MCY for the 0615 service to SYD this morning. GA was fixing some problems. FA arrived and signaled the priority lane to come over and stopped the urgers in the general lane to wait.
And all the others in the priority lane were in the J cabin.