Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding

[pauly7]

Well enforced out of Melbourne this morning.

I am interested to hear how the Brisbane trial is going, I’ve not experienced it personally.

 

[PineappleSkip]

QF513 (full) ex BNE. PB working, walked past a longish queue. No boarding groups.
QF544 ex SYD; no priority queue signed, but that may be because of lack of space at SYD gate 2. Maybe 60% full and the queue wasn’t long.

Wasn’t there at start of boarding either flight.

Cheers skip

 

[Spamam]

Qf545 on a Friday afternoon. The priority queue was 3 times the size of the other queue. They let both sides through anyway.

 

[Daver6]

Big fail yesterday in in both HBA and MEL. HBA while they might have called it, the entire boarding area was a total zoo. No signage for a priority queue and everyone just standing everywhere. You have to push past people standing who then just get grumpy.

At MEL priority called. Both regular and priority line merge to a single scanner. Again, people just standing everywhere so it's a shamozle. Despite repeated calls that it's priority only boarding first, they continue processing people from the regular line.

 

[MooTime]

I have to laugh each time I see ppl post about a zoo at the gate.

I picture gorillas, monkey's, elephants & lions standing around the seats/gate etc, the vision in my head is hilarious. All trying to get thru that skinny tunnel before the next animal, then to squish onto than thin metal tube, lifting bags into overhead compartment, in the way, taking too long, just a mad house, ha!

 

[Clayton]

Big fail yesterday in in both HBA and MEL. HBA while they might have called it, the entire boarding area was a total zoo. No signage for a priority queue and everyone just standing everywhere. You have to push past people standing who then just get grumpy.

At MEL priority called. Both regular and priority line merge to a single scanner. Again, people just standing everywhere so it's a shamozle. Despite repeated calls that it's priority only boarding first, they continue processing people from the regular line.

Until Qantas ensure signed and bollarded queues for the various priority groups at every gate the gate staff will do nothing to ensure orderly boarding. In Europe and Asia the airlines with clearest signage and best process trained staff end up with compliant customers, but as soon as one flight misses the signage it reverts to chaos.

 

[Daver6]

Until Qantas ensure signed and bollarded queues for the various priority groups at every gate the gate staff will do nothing to ensure orderly boarding. In Europe and Asia the airlines with clearest signage and best process trained staff end up with compliant customers, but as soon as one flight misses the signage it reverts to chaos.

In MEL there were signs. However, the roped off queue is maybe 3 metres. So in front of that it's a scrum with a sea of people funnelling in.

 

[Spamam]

My non statistically significant observations is that Mel has the most disordered queues of them all and vies with BNE for the worst domestic experience. The slow BNE priority security queue may put it mildly ahead in race to annoyingness.

 

[drron]

QF 616 today MEL BNE enforced the best I have ever seen it. Priority called and one person from general walked straight across to the front of priority line and denied several times, despite her insistence she was a priority.. Well done Qantas.

I saw this on AA out of MCO on one occasion which showed how serious AA was about priority boarding. We were in F and they first called F passengers only. One fellow immediately pushed to the front of the line saying he was EXP and a lawyer and had an important meeting to get to plus that he had been at the top of the upgrade list and obviously been bumped by someone lower down.
The FA told him to go back to the end of the line saying as you are probably aware there has been a Law conference here in Orlando. Mor than half the plane today are EXP. The plane won't get you to your important meeting no matter when you board. As to your upgrade well there were none on this flight. Apparently not all lawyers are tightwads.
And talk about a walk of shame. When that fellow boarded basically the whole of First class clapped and then laughed.

 

[doublecatered]

Until Qantas ensure signed and bollarded queues for the various priority groups at every gate the gate staff will do nothing to ensure orderly boarding. In Europe and Asia the airlines with clearest signage and best process trained staff end up with compliant customers, but as soon as one flight misses the signage it reverts to chaos.

Exactly this!! Until they throw enough resources at the issue, nothing will change.
Proper, well signed lanes is just a start.. if they are just going to continue with one ground staff and one flight attendant to board a full 737 like they currently do, it’ll be more of the same.
Unfortunately every airport gate lounge is different and combining this with outsourced ground staff and other staff that are not on the same page, it’s going to be a struggle to be consistent.

 

[AIRwin]

Unfortunately every airport gate lounge is different

This reminds me of the line "subtly every aircraft is different"

 

[RooFlyer]

Big fail yesterday in in both HBA and MEL. HBA while they might have called it, the entire boarding area was a total zoo. No signage for a priority queue and everyone just standing everywhere.

Both QF and VA gates at HBA are a bit of a challenge for queuing as there is precious little space (although QF gates at the eastern end near the QP have much more).

Were there a full number of aircraft on the apron (ie flight delays)? I think there are only one or two sets of QF PB signs and when they have to process say three aircraft/three gates in a short period, at least one gate does without. That certainly happened a couple of weekends ago when I flew out; there was a delay in boarding and during that time, two queues formed, but uncertain which would be priority! In the end they did call out priority/business etc and with a bit of ducking and weaving, it sorted itself out.

 

[Daver6]

Both QF and VA gates at HBA are a bit of a challenge for queuing as there is precious little space (although QF gates at the eastern end near the QP have much more).

Were there a full number of aircraft on the apron (ie flight delays)? I think there are only one or two sets of QF PB signs and when they have to process say three aircraft/three gates in a short period, at least one gate does without. That certainly happened a couple of weekends ago when I flew out; there was a delay in boarding and during that time, two queues formed, but uncertain which would be priority! In the end they did call out priority/business etc and with a bit of ducking and weaving, it sorted itself out.

The airport was heaving! Looked like all aircraft parking bays were full. Our flight was delayed departing due to a late inbound flight due to all the traffic (what, all 6 aircraft?!). The CSM said it was the busiest he'd seen the airport.

Literally the departure hall was totally packed. Not only all seats taken but all available standing space had people standing around.

 

[RooFlyer]

The airport was heaving! Looked like all aircraft parking bays were full. Our flight was delayed departing due to a late inbound flight due to all the traffic (what, all 6 aircraft?!). The CSM said it was the busiest he'd seen the airport.

Literally the departure hall was totally packed. Not only all seats taken but all available standing space had people standing around.

Unfortunately, that's not uncommon. It can get worse - sometimes an aircraft has to stand-off on the taxi-way and wait because all the apron spots are full (and it has also been known that when an aircraft has found an apron spot, it has to wait, because there aren't enough steps/ramps for it). I know people may go when I continually bag HBA, but the place really is a sad joke, even as a 'regional/city' airport.

The QP is on Qantas' list of lounges due for refurbishment, but it is the only one without a date assigned to the project.

 

[Ansett]

QF 629 BNE MEL today absolute disaster. Priority called but then immediately started boarding from both lanes.

 

[Daver6]

Unfortunately, that's not uncommon. It can get worse - sometimes an aircraft has to stand-off on the taxi-way and wait because all the apron spots are full (and it has also been known that when an aircraft has found an apron spot, it has to wait, because there aren't enough steps/ramps for it). I know people may go when I continually bag HBA, but the place really is a sad joke, even as a 'regional/city' airport.

The QP is on Qantas' list of lounges due for refurbishment, but it is the only one without a date assigned to the project.

After this experience it's clear you're not just full of you know what with your complaints about HBA

While sitting in the QP I noticed a door that exited onto the apron. Now wouldn't it be clever if QF boarded folks directly from the QP via that door? Obviously a little tricky to guide people to the right aircraft, but it wouldn't be rocket science. Priority boarding could actually work quite well if they did that.

 

[Seat0B]

QF 629 BNE MEL today absolute disaster. Priority called but then immediately started boarding from both lanes.

Exactly the same happened at OOL for QF 881 to MEL this arvo. It’s not exactly priority when heaps of pax from regular line are loaded before those at the back of priority line. Flight CERY full due to JQ cx and Y pax were leaving bags in J overheads as they preceded the actual J pax into the flight.
Edit because I accidentally posted before I finished!

 

[SeatBackForward]

A group of about 25 Qantas corporate observing the boarding process on my flight from SYD to MEL today.

They were all aboard the aircraft before boarding commenced, then all came out in their High-Vis vests like ducklings and stood besides the queue..

Training perhaps?

 

[Daver6]

A group of about 25 Qantas corporate observing the boarding process on my flight from SYD to MEL today.

They were all aboard the aircraft before boarding commenced, then all came out in their High-Vis vests like ducklings and stood besides the queue..

Training perhaps?

Reminiscent of the one go digging up the road with 5 guys standing around watching...

 

[Blackadder]

A group of about 25 Qantas corporate observing the boarding process on my flight from SYD to MEL today.

They were all aboard the aircraft before boarding commenced, then all came out in their High-Vis vests like ducklings and stood besides the queue..

Training perhaps?

Corporate or just ground crew in training.