Qantas to Introduce Group Boarding and Bag Tracking

[dairyfloss]

On my recent flight to nz it was board by bus .
You go down the escalators when they start calling your flight .

There was two lanes one for business and other economy so I think two way boarding

Yes - my last 2 to NZ were the same… except by the time we got to the area above the gates, it was fully loaded with no separate lines apparent. Queues went from the escalators back around the lifts. I just wondered if there’s a better way (which doesn’t pilfer too much of our F lounge time)

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[jpp42]

Boarding experience at DFW on Sunday for QF8:

* The AA Flagship Lounge announced boarding was commencing, but we arrived at the gate (after 6-7 minute walk) and they were only doing pre-boarding and only commenced priority boarding at least 10 minutes later. I find this slightly annoying, why do they lie about this. But at least they do make an announcement.
* At the gate, there were three lines being formed - Platinum/OWE/J and Gold/OWS/PE were formed into two separate queues on the Priority Boarding side and the regular economy queue on the other side.
* Staff were very actively checking boarding passes and redirecting people to the correct queue. At least 20-30 people got pulled out of the two priority queues and sent back to economy, and they tried to do this to my partner and very reluctantly allowed her to remain when I insisted she could board with me in the Gold/PE queue.
* The three queues were boarded in proper order, i.e. no passengers from the Y queue were allowed to board until the full Gold/PE queue was exhausted.
* There were no group numbers on boarding passes or any mention of groups at boarding.

Just another data point in case it's useful. Given everything is run by contract staff at this port (it seems even the station chief is not a Qantas employee), I suppose they are actually more likely to follow the rules compared to QF-operated locations, which is a bit sad.

 

[bussyboy]

Now if only we can solve slow aircraft disembarkation...

 

[JIMMYTHEJET]

Yes - my last 2 to NZ were the same… except by the time we got to the area above the gates, it was fully loaded with no separate lines apparent. Queues went from the escalators back around the lifts. I just wondered if there’s a better way (which doesn’t pilfer too much of our F lounge time)

Cheers,
Matt.

I think boarding priority starts at gate .
Only one escalator lol . For multiple flights leaving when I was there

 

[dairyfloss]

I think boarding priority starts at gate .
Only one escalator lol . For multiple flights leaving when I was there

Yeah, I guess that’s the crux of the issue… priority might apply once you get downstairs, but the real melee happens before you even have a chance to sight the gates! I’ll just need to leave that last sip of champers next time so I can get to the not-so-priority escalators before the masses encroach upon them

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[downgraded]

Boarding experience at DFW on Sunday for QF8:

* The AA Flagship Lounge announced boarding was commencing, but we arrived at the gate (after 6-7 minute walk) and they were only doing pre-boarding and only commenced priority boarding at least 10 minutes later. I find this slightly annoying, why do they lie about this. But at least they do make an announcement.
* At the gate, there were three lines being formed - Platinum/OWE/J and Gold/OWS/PE were formed into two separate queues on the Priority Boarding side and the regular economy queue on the other side.
* Staff were very actively checking boarding passes and redirecting people to the correct queue. At least 20-30 people got pulled out of the two priority queues and sent back to economy, and they tried to do this to my partner and very reluctantly allowed her to remain when I insisted she could board with me in the Gold/PE queue.
* The three queues were boarded in proper order, i.e. no passengers from the Y queue were allowed to board until the full Gold/PE queue was exhausted.
* There were no group numbers on boarding passes or any mention of groups at boarding.

Just another data point in case it's useful. Given everything is run by contract staff at this port (it seems even the station chief is not a Qantas employee), I suppose they are actually more likely to follow the rules compared to QF-operated locations, which is a bit sad.

I don't get the fuss. From experience QFi had been boarding in groups for years. They may not be numbered 1,2,3 or A,B,C, but they've boarded by status and row numbers for as long as I can remember.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

My BP from HKG on Monday had room for group but had a - next to it

Not sure if that means all BPs just have the boarding group section on it or they are looking to introduce globally.

 

[serfty]

I don't get the fuss. From experience QFi had been boarding in groups for years. They may not be numbered 1,2,3 or A,B,C, but they've boarded by status and row numbers for as long as I can remember.

Earlier in the year I boarded at TBIT LAX for my flight to MEL.

There were two queues, one for "PRIORITY" and the other for those who didn't join the PRIORITY queue.

They boarded both queues at the same time. (No BP, it was Facial recognition. )

 

[JIMMYTHEJET]

Earlier in the year I boarded at TBIT LAX for my flight to MEL.

There were two queues, one for "PRIORITY" and the other fir those who didn't join the PRIORITY queue.

They boarded both queues at the same time. (No BP, it was Facial recognition. )

Does it know you have a platinum face

 

[Daver6]

Boarding experience at DFW on Sunday for QF8:

* The AA Flagship Lounge announced boarding was commencing, but we arrived at the gate (after 6-7 minute walk) and they were only doing pre-boarding and only commenced priority boarding at least 10 minutes later. I find this slightly annoying, why do they lie about this. But at least they do make an announcement.
* At the gate, there were three lines being formed - Platinum/OWE/J and Gold/OWS/PE were formed into two separate queues on the Priority Boarding side and the regular economy queue on the other side.
* Staff were very actively checking boarding passes and redirecting people to the correct queue. At least 20-30 people got pulled out of the two priority queues and sent back to economy, and they tried to do this to my partner and very reluctantly allowed her to remain when I insisted she could board with me in the Gold/PE queue.
* The three queues were boarded in proper order, i.e. no passengers from the Y queue were allowed to board until the full Gold/PE queue was exhausted.
* There were no group numbers on boarding passes or any mention of groups at boarding.

Just another data point in case it's useful. Given everything is run by contract staff at this port (it seems even the station chief is not a Qantas employee), I suppose they are actually more likely to follow the rules compared to QF-operated locations, which is a bit sad.

I thought SG/OWS allows you J boarding?

 

[elanshin]

I don't get the fuss. From experience QFi had been boarding in groups for years. They may not be numbered 1,2,3 or A,B,C, but they've boarded by status and row numbers for as long as I can remember.

QF a380 holds 170+ premium pax between F, J and PE. Then you have all the status passengers in Y.

In many ports the gate area isn't huge so you get huge amounts of confusion as to whos boarding all in the "priority" area and all in massive lines.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Does it know you have a platinum face

DYKWILL - Don't You know What I Look Like?

 

[sudoer]

DYKWILL - Don't You know What I Look Like?

Qantas will have to ditch the coasters for headbands soon.

 

[elanshin]

Qantas will have to ditch the coasters for headbands soon.

Apparently some security have thought the new QF things were mini pizza cutter and caused some issues at some ports.

 

[jpp42]

I thought SG/OWS allows you J boarding?

SG/OWS is Priority Group 2 in the new system, so by separating Priority into two queues I guess were following the new system in practice, even though the group numbers weren't printed on the boarding passes.

 

[Daver6]

SG/OWS is Priority Group 2 in the new system, so by separating Priority into two queues I guess were following the new system in practice, even though the group numbers weren't printed on the boarding passes.

Does this mean on a four class aircraft, F and J are now all in group 1 (along with CL, WP1 and WP)?

 

[elanshin]

Does this mean on a four class aircraft, F and J are now all in group 1 (along with CL, WP1 and WP)?

Thry could bump down PE PAX to group 3 perhaps for intl 4 class configurations.
So you have F+WP1+CL, J+WP, SG+PE, and hiwever they want with Y.

 

[Daver6]

Thry could bump down PE PAX to group 3 perhaps for intl 4 class configurations.
So you have F+WP1+CL, J+WP, SG+PE, and hiwever they want with Y.

The old system (pre-Covid) for A380 flights worked well when they have 4 groups.

1. F, CL, WP1 and WP
2. J, SG
3. PE PS
4. Y

They also used to have mutliple lines running at once. So they would board group 1 and 2 at the same time with group 1 being smaller obviously.

 

[Lynda2475]

Thry could bump down PE PAX to group 3 perhaps for intl 4 class configurations.
So you have F+WP1+CL, J+WP, SG+PE, and hiwever they want with Y.

Given A380 is only 4 class plane currently and F and J are on different levels using different doors they could easily do class via status.

Group 1 - F + CL/P1/WP in J
Group 2 - SG in J + CL/P1/WP in PE
Group 3 - remaining J + SG in PE + CL/P1/WP in Y
Group 4 - remainng PE + SG in Y
Group 5 - PS in Y
Group 6 - remaining back 1/3 of Y
Group 7 - remaining middle 1/3 of Y
Group 8 - remaining Y

 

[henrus]

Group 1 - F + CL/P1/WP in J
Group 2 - SG in J + CL/P1/WP in PE
Group 3 - remaining J + SG in PE + CL/P1/WP in Y

I can’t see them ever doing that to CLs let alone P1s.