Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[TheInsider]

Corporate or just ground crew in training.

Highly likely cabin crew. A lot of cabin crew training happening everywhere at the moment.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Highly likely cabin crew. A lot of cabin crew training happening everywhere at the moment.

I assumed Corporate as they weren't in uniform, but typical of office work.

 

[Spamam]

QF1 Changi to LHR. By the time you walk from the lounge to the gate the whole scrummage has started and there’s no signage for a premium line. Lounge laksa was awesome.

 

[DrJ]

Worked fairly well at PER this morning, though ended up with a long wait in the tunnel anyway - well functioning priority boarding is of the most benefit when where is a separate jet bridge for J...

 

[Cognac]

QF1 Changi to LHR. By the time you walk from the lounge to the gate the whole scrummage has started and there’s no signage for a premium line. Lounge laksa was awesome.

At SIN the priority boarding "lane" is normally a roped off area closer to the bridge. If you don't get through before they call regular boarding then you'll be in line with everybody else.

 

[DrJ]

While we had to wait the best part of 10 mins to start boarding this morning in BNE after the call was made in the lounge, once it got going J/WP or better first was clearly enforced. Very short wait on the bridge as a result.

 

[sudoer]

QF1 ex SYD on Friday night was a complete mess

Boarding at gate 10, there were just two boarding lanes - priority and non-priority. The priority lane was a mix of F, J, PE, OWE, OWS.

I'm not exaggerating when I say 3/4 of the completely full A380 was eligible for priority. I thought F/OWE was supposed to get its own queue? A few disgruntled F pax did push past most of the queue, and a couple of escorted pax (presumably CL or P1) were able to cut in.

 

[DrJ]

Well enforced at MEL INT gate 12 today, but since QF9 is the "WP express", still a bit of a wait, but no dramas as some good plane spotting was had though the large windows. Nice dual jetways though so quickly into the J pod after scanning the BP.

 

[DrJ]

A few disgruntled F pax did push past most of the queue, and a couple of escorted pax (presumably CL or P1) were able to cut in.

Considering actual F pax ex FRA on LH get ferried to the plane in a Porsche and then go up their own private stairs to their suite where Krug awaits, I can kind of understand their miffed-ness. Particularly now, when a client of mine told me they dropped 18K on QF J to the States recently, I can only imagine what F costs...

 

[Ansett]

AKL BNE Today well enforced and friendly

 

[RooFlyer]

and a couple of escorted pax (presumably CL or P1)

Or guests of His Majesty (or both )

actual F pax ex FRA on LH get ferried to the plane in a Porsche

I think the Porsche has been enhanced to a shared vehicle AKA a bus.

 

[DrJ]

I think the Porsche has been enhanced to a shared vehicle AKA a bus.

Sad to hear, though I guess this is a sign of the times, in manner of all the QF enhancements.
I assume the free use of a Porsche or similar to test out the nonexistent speed limits on the nearby autobahn have been nixed as well
Still, as long as the rubber duckies are still in the house, will still try to book a reasonably priced F trip out of FRA to test out the FCT in the next few years...

 

[trendwhore]

MEL > SYD Thursday, free for all

SYD > MEL today, announced many times but not really enforced I don't think

 

[SeatBackForward]

SYD > MEL today, announced many times but not really enforced I don't think

Did this today, was announced as Premium Boarding first. They took the people lined up in the premium queue first, but I am certain there was zero policing of whether the people in the line were actually eligible to be using it.

 

[tdimdad]

Did this today, was announced as Premium Boarding first. They took the people lined up in the premium queue first, but I am certain there was zero policing of whether the people in the line were actually eligible to be using it.

Could the scanners be configured to accept only certain seats and statuses??? Then switch that config as the boarding progresses. This would resolve the eligibility question without anyone needing to even think or manually enforce it because the system says no when needed...

1) Agent selects on their terminal the priority config, announces "we are now boarding J/WP/SG/OWE/OWS".
2) Once that queue is clear, the agent selects the next applicable config, announces "groups 2A/2B".
3) Agent selects the 'free for all' config, announces "groups 3A/3B and any other remaining pax".

 

[andytheturtle]

Could the scanners be configured to accept only certain seats and statuses??? Then switch that config as the boarding progresses. This would resolve the eligibility question without anyone needing to even think or manually enforce it because the system says no when needed...

1) Agent selects on their terminal the priority config, announces "we are now boarding J/WP/SG/OWE/OWS".
2) Once that queue is clear, the agent selects the next applicable config, announces "groups 2A/2B".
3) Agent selects the 'free for all' config, announces "groups 3A/3B and any other remaining pax".

The agent will most probably end up overriding the rejection repeatedly. For example, OW S brining their no-status family along to the premium lane.

There are usually at least 2 agents at the gate, no? One at each lane.
Can’t they just focus on one lane at a time: one checks the BP a few passengers down the lane, one scans the BP. Too hard?

 

[jakeseven7]

Well enforced out of MEL this morning again.

Clear announcements and a couple of ‘interlopers / asleep corporates’ sent back. It’s funny early flights some people could literally walk into a sign sleep walking lol. Not morning people.

And, a colleague is on a flight out of Brisbane on one of the new ‘trial routes’ - if they are operating? Will get a report hopefully.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Clear announcements and a couple of ‘interlopers / asleep corporates’ sent back.

I'm curious how this worked - did they check these people in the queue itself (if so, who did this)? or only once they approached the scanners? Or did something during the scan indicate they weren't in the right group?

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm curious how this worked - did they check these people in the queue itself (if so, who did this)? or only once they approached the scanners? Or did something during the scan indicate they weren't in the right group?

When reached front of priority line, showed boarding pass, not eligible, sent to back of general line (didn’t scan them).

 

[SeatBackForward]

When reached front of priority line, showed boarding pass, not eligible, sent to back of general line (didn’t scan them).

Thanks! thats interesting. I don't think I've ever observed the QF staff at gates ever actually checking each BP/Mobile. It's usually just the pleasantries as they put the barcode into the scanner and wait for the green light.

I have a few more SYD<>MEL trips in the next fortnight so will keep an eye out especially for this.