When does a Premium Benefit, like priority boarding, stop being a benefit?

[malmacdowall]

The trend lately seems to be that more people enter the plane in Premium Boarding than general boarding.
When premium boarding was first introduced, you could come to the gate right on boarding and be one of the first 10 to board. A great benefit, particularly when you do 50+ flights a year.

HOWEVER NOW —- It seems to have reached the point of ridiculous. If you want to board towards the front of the premium queue, you need to be at the gate up to >20 mins before boarding.
Here’s the scene of my latest flight to illustrate my point.

So my question is “ When does a premium benefit stop being a benefit” ?
What other “Virgin Frequent Flyer Benefits” seem less beneficial now?

 

[Hvr]

Welcome to Qantas priority boarding.

 

[ozstamps]

Don't holders of the Virgin credit card - even if of zero status - get that perk?

Maybe I am confusing that bennie with United in the USA where the priority line is similarly super long most times.

 

[jase05]

Welcome to Qantas priority boarding.

Amen
Last QF flight I took from ADL-SYD I actually left the lounge early and arrived at the gate about 10 minutes before boarding commenced and still was deep in the queue.

 

[jase05]

For our MEL-HKG flight last Friday the VA staff were very steadfast in manning the Priority boarding queue and were turning away passengers who were in the wrong queue. One gentleman a couple of places ahead of us was turned away at the front of the queue and had to join the rear of the massive regular queue which gave me a quiet chuckle

 

[Denali]

My husband thinks seat 1A means hes also first to board so Ive never seen a scrum like this before.

 

[jasecao]

bet you economy x was full as well, I remember the days when your would normally have a shadow before official economy x days

 

[Mattg]

Welcome to Qantas priority boarding.

At least with Virgin, everyone in the priority queue will get on board before the first person in the general queue!

 

[Virgin Bart]

everyone in the priority queue will get on board before the first person in the general queue

I just don't understand why Qantas doesn't see this as a quick win?! It would cost them nothing and be consistent with both J and Y expectations!

 

[jase05]

It’s just staggering that it’s one of the easiest things to enforce and is a small token of respect for what supposedly is their valued customers.

 

[Pleb Status]

As proven from my VA flights last weekend, VA will generally evict the unworthy from the PB line.

How does the OP know that those who actually used the PB line (and not just standing around) were not eligible?

For a full SYD-MEL 73H flight on a weekday, I would expect at least 50-60 pax would be eligible (38 pax alone in J and YX when combined).

The easiest and 'fairest' way to thin out the PB ranks is to eliminate fake status from DSC and other 'promotions' (like Explore Gold from FB)...

 

[suze2000]

At least with Virgin, everyone in the priority queue will get on board before the first person in the general queue!

Actually last week I flew MEL-BNE in YX and they were boarding both queues at once, using two scanners. First time I'd seen it and more than a little disappointing. I've seen them in the past use both scanners for PB and THEN board the rest, but a lot of people in the PB line had no initiative to move to the other scanner when invited to, so I wondered if they have given up. And yeah, the PB queue was unexpectedly long.

 

[Jonesaus]

As proven from my VA flights last weekend, VA will generally evict the unworthy from the PB line.

How does the OP know that those who actually used the PB line (and not just standing around) were not eligible?

For a full SYD-MEL 73H flight on a weekday, I would expect at least 50-60 pax would be eligible (38 pax alone in J and YX when combined).

The easiest and 'fairest' way to thin out the PB ranks is to eliminate fake status from DSC and other 'promotions' (like Explore Gold from FB)...

I think he didn't contest if they were eligible or not, but perhaps the issue is there are too many that are now eligible, that the benefit is no better than the pleb boarding

 

[Silvia]

Priority boarding is a perk that is becoming nearly non-existent with both VA and QF

QF can’t even be bothered, VA the queues are getting longer with economy x, plus the amount of “free” (explorer gold) that have been given away by flybuys to tempt people choosing and sticking with VA

It’s probably a perk that doesn’t feel like you have that much with either program and as such focus on other parts of the deal, sad but true

 

[mannej]

I honestly don’t think Explorer Gold would have that much of an impact TBH.

 

[Silvia]

I honestly don’t think Explorer Gold would have that much of an impact TBH.

With the recent 10 000 explorer gold just given away by transferring 10k flybuys last sept? Plus several targeted offers to get the cc? I think there has been a recent influx due to the explorer gold IMHO.

 

[Mattg]

With the recent 10 000 explorer gold just given away by transferring 10k flybuys last sept? Plus several targeted offers to get the cc? I think there has been a recent influx due to the explorer gold IMHO.

I would say that giving Priority Boarding to Economy X passengers would have a bigger impact.

 

[jasecao]

syd - melb legs are always packed during the weekdays esp 4-5pm, i think this is just standard

 

[Silvia]

I would say that giving Priority Boarding to Economy X passengers would have a bigger impact.

True... Now, this where perhaps economy x should be done as a Zone 2 boarding? (Other airlines like Hawaiian who sell the economy comfort product do it). With at least +30 economy x seats, probably it would be easier to board firstly the small biz cabin, followed by plat and gold members, then economy x?

I know a lot of plats would have complimentary economy x, but perhaps by recognising status it would actually feel for passengers that their loyalty is actually rewarding. Just some thoughts.

 

[Pleb Status]

I would say that giving Priority Boarding to Economy X passengers would have a bigger impact.

I doubt that VA are selling a large number of YX seats (on domestic flights at least) to those who are below SG status to make any real difference to the PB line length. Maybe, if pax are 'upgraded' to YX, PB should not be included if they did not earn it anyway through status etc.

From the rabid frenzy that occurs around here every time a DSC promotion is announced, it is fake status which is the real problem. Family pooling of SC is also a problem on this side of the fence....