Has anyone seen anybody kicked out of the priority check in counters?

[MEL_Traveller]

Does me [almost] getting kicked out of the priority counter count?? The QF business class queue at MEL was about a 30 minute wait (maybe longer) - stretching right out to the doors of the terminal. The silver/PEY queue was empty. I went straight down that line and was served immediately. The agent said 'you should be in the business class queue' to which I mumbled something about me thinking as a silver i was only entitled to check in at the silver counter (but thanking the agent very much for their advice which I would use next time )

 

[theblank]

Has anyone seen anybody turned away by the check in agent?

everytime I fly (Virgin gold) I see at least one person turned away at both check in, and the gate.

and last time in Brisbane the check in agent personally escorted me to the oversize baggage point, and introduced me to the attendant, and then directed me to the back door entry to the lounge.

 

[gaz0303]

I was the only one 'saved' and I can only presume it was because I was Caucasian and well-dressed!

I have found this to be true in some SE Asian ports especially, and status never checked. And in some ports like Balikpapan, the treatment of status passengers is fantastic.

 

[RooFlyer]

Reverse experience at SCL, checking in to a domestic LATAM flight to Easter Island in J as a WP. The agent at the queue entrance, (I think it was the Y queue - the only one) checking docs said I could go to the 'Preferente' check-in.

Now I knew this was at the entrance to the very nice international lounge, but upstairs and quite a way from this check-in and the opposite direction from the domestic gates. I quizzed whether I was understanding her correctly, she said yes, so off we went (was travelling with some friends). I then assumed that the Easter Island flight left from the international gates, for some reason, and looked forward to some quality time in the international lounge.

Umm, no. They checked us in OK, but then sent us back to the main terminal, and the very long way to the domestic security and gates. .

By the time we got near the actual departure gate, it wasn't far off boarding.

 

[Boca68]

I've seen it many a time. Priority check in isn't enforced until people get to the counter so often. Then they are told to go 'over there' Usually leads to discussion...

But, I've seen the reverse at LIM, preferente check in for LATAM, is now outside the main check secure area. A couple of months ago, not sure why, but the main check in area was relatively quiet, preferente was backed up out the door. Leading the manager to poke his head around the corner and say (in spanish) " don't send anybody around here, you guys are quiet, we are backed up" . I won't repeat the next sentence, which goes along the lines of, you lazy S.O.B.'s....

And to be fair they were backed up, 2 counters about 40 people, after I checked in, walked around the front and the Y check ins had about 20 counters with maybe 12 pax tops... Anyway, might have been an interesting conversation during the dinner break in the staff room.

 

[ermen]

i always thought that you could use a lower check in counter if you wished? or that is what is logically implied

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i always thought that you could use a lower check in counter if you wished? or that is what is logically implied

Of course. But there can sometimes be problems with a lower desk not having the right boarding pass stock, priority tags or lounge invites. But these days with generic boarding passes it’s not so much of a problem.

 

[Happy Dude]

Boarding for SIN in CBR, the lines weren't well controlled and several people were refused priority boarding. The problem was then exacerbated when they didn't leave enough time between priority and general boarding announcements resulting in a scrum across all the lines. Tough buns for priority pax arriving at the gate a bit later.

And in DPS the other day, a middle aged chinese couple were told to go from the priority boarding to the very lengthy general queue. They refused and were let through anyway, presumably just to avoid holding up the priority queue any longer.

 

[Gremlin]

A few years back, when the mini-Gremlins were three and five respectively, I was travelling with the Gremlin family and approached priority check in at BNE Domestic. We were heading to a beach location and already dressed for it. Upon approach I was quite rudely told that "This desk is for Priority Check In only. Only people that are eligible can use it. You need to go to general check in over there." This was followed by a wave of her hand in the vicinity of a very long check in queue on the other side of the hall. Her gaze then moved beyond us to the next person in the priority queue.

I turned to my kids, Miss Three and Mr Five, and asked them to hand over their FF cards to the lady. When they handed over their SG cards, closely followed by MrsG and my WP cards, the look on her face was priceless. Her supervisor had witnessed the whole thing and came up and apologised profusely to me (in front of her) after she'd finished checking us in.

 

[straitman]

I first posted this just after it happened.
We had exactly the opposite situation in December 2014 when flying LAN from SCL to IQQ. We arrived at the airport and there was no signage for priority passengers. Our daughter, who speaks Spanish, asked about it and suddenly a path was cleared through the masses and were taken to the front of the line.
Once checked in we were politely forgotten about again but it was worth it as it saved a huge amount of time.