Qantas to Introduce Group Boarding and Bag Tracking

[SYD]

Our flight was 3 hours late and we had to run to the gate, so wasn't all that surprising.

That was our BA—>QF experience. Delayed out of ATH, then on approach LHR reversed ops and we went around!

Somehow SYD+1 still managed to drop off a VAT refund envelope as we ran to QF2 (fortunately it was all T3)….

 

[RooFlyer]

This is how ET is reporting it, using terms like "will", implying they know.



Will boarding (and de-boarding??) using the rear door be new for QF, at least of late and when at an airbridge? I'm pretty sure at HBA they use the rear stairs (no airbridges available).

Seems to work pretty well for Virgin - although I'm sure not everyone who should go down the stairs, does. Wonder if QF will enforce it better?

 

[SYD]

This is how ET is reporting it, using terms like "will", implying they know.

View attachment 331566

Will boarding (and de-boarding??) using the rear door be new for QF, at least of late and when at an airbridge? I'm pretty sure at HBA they use the rear stairs (no airbridges available).

Seems to work pretty well for Virgin - although I'm sure not everyone who should go down the stairs, does. Wonder if QF will enforce it better?

QF were using rear stairs in MEL today (that I could see from the lounge). On arrival in SYD they announced the possibility of stairs - for the handful of people sitting down the back.

 

[TheInsider]

QF were using rear stairs in MEL today (that I could see from the lounge). On arrival in SYD they announced the possibility of stairs - for the handful of people sitting down the back.

QF have been using stairs for years, even years prior to covid.

 

[justinbrett]

Will boarding (and de-boarding??) using the rear door be new for QF, at least of late and when at an airbridge? I'm pretty sure at HBA they use the rear stairs (no airbridges available).

Seems to work pretty well for Virgin - although I'm sure not everyone who should go down the stairs, does. Wonder if QF will enforce it better?

No, QF has been using stairs on the rear door (when parked an an aerobridge) for at least 5+ years.

Edit - 2015 it seems. Qantas Rolls Out 737 Rear Door Boarding - Fly Stay Points

 

[RooFlyer]

No, QF has been using stairs on the rear door (when parked an an aerobridge) for at least 5+ years.

Thanks - never had to use them .

 

[justinbrett]

Thanks - never had to use them .

You can use the aerobridge regardless of your row if you can't deal with stairs

 

[Vic]

Ok I stand corrected...

I flew economy main cabin earlier this month on several AA flights.

Main cabin... that's funny

 

[Vic]

QF have been using stairs for years, even years prior to covid.

yeah, I know. who else remembers flying into Adelaide in the 1990s... lol

 

[Volando]

I might be an outlier here, but I think boarding by zone is a solution in search of an actual operational problem. I guess QF is sick of complaints from Golds and above that our egos don't feel sufficiently stroked when Bob and Barb Bronze back in row 28 step aboard before we do.

It rarely takes more than 20 minutes to board a narrow body in Australia. When there are delays it's due to too much cabin baggage. Overcomplicating boarding isn't going to solve that. The yanks still take 40 minutes+ to stuff themselves and their life's possessions into a 737 despite their zones and gate agents who shout a lot. ("Thank you for your service to those of you in group zero" notwithstanding).

VA have had decent priority boarding for years. Have a lane for status pax and keep it clear of the hoi polloi. Easy. QF just haven't bothered to make the simple process work properly. It's further compounded by the combined facts that on many triangle flights a huge proportion of the plane is SG or above and all those status pax arrive at the gate at different times. Some are gate lice, others consider a boarding call in the lounge as the cue to grab one more beer.

 

[Quickstatus]

It's further compounded by the combined facts that on many triangle flights a huge proportion of the plane is SG or above.......others consider a boarding call in the lounge as the cue to grab one more beer.

Boarding Zones will fix that.
Either stay in the lounge for one more drink and join Boarding Zone 5 with the hoi polloi or get down and join Boarding Zone 2.

Yep a significant number of these flights will have a massive Boarding Zone 2/3. But you are right, in the end everyone boards and the flight takes off more or less on time. It's only a thing because some people feel more important if they get on the aircraft before the adjacent passenger. They don't want to board first - otherwise they would be a gate lice. They only want to board ahead of the people next to them whom they consider unsavoury.

 

[Beano]

I've only experience boarding groups in the USA on domestic flights; and always thought it was organised such that rear seats boarded first - does status trump the seating order?

I know that southwest which doesn't do allocated seating allow you to pay more to board in an early group because of the inevitable bin space shortage.

Rather than boarding groups prefer they just police carry-on allowance (so overhead bin Tetris doesnt delay flights), clear the priority lane (and strictly police who is in priority) first.

With boarding groups there is a risk of all the overhead bin space being taken by bronzes sitting in last 10 roes before a WP sitting in row 6 can even board. Plus number the bins and do not allow breachers to use more than their allocated bin space (plus penalty if they have to check a bag because it doenst fit).

 

[Beano]

Currently I am in Europe. To get here I travelled EK from Mel and they had Zone channels in DXB. I flew Easyjet and Iberia and it was Group boarding. I still have Lufthansa to go and EK teturn. Travelling J but enjoying Zone 1 and Group 1. There were more people on Easyjet in G1 than G2 and the Zone n Ek was just a different door. Not sure how boarding was policed in DXB because we came directly from the lounge where boarding seemed later than the regular crowd..

 

[levelnine]

The other day I was on an absolutely full domestic 787 JAL flight that boarded in less than 10 minutes — probably closer to 5.

It was a sight to behold. I've never seen such an efficient use of boarding groups and such efficient boarding pass scanners. Unlike the Qantas ones that take 2-3 seconds to scan and register, the JAL ones scanned and registered quicker than a grocery store scanner. Incredible stuff that shows you a better world is possible, but not one that'll ever come to QF.

 

[Daver6]

This is how ET is reporting it, using terms like "will", implying they know.

View attachment 331566

Will boarding (and de-boarding??) using the rear door be new for QF, at least of late and when at an airbridge? I'm pretty sure at HBA they use the rear stairs (no airbridges available).

Seems to work pretty well for Virgin - although I'm sure not everyone who should go down the stairs, does. Wonder if QF will enforce it better?

And the entire process will fall apart when the weather is poor. Who is actually going to board via stairs when it's raining?

 

[Quickstatus]

Who is actually going to board via stairs

And what's the actual number of passengers who actually board and de-board via the stairs?. Often the stairs arrive after the aerobridge.

 

[Daver6]

And what's the actual number of passengers who actually board and de-board via the stairs?. Often the stairs arrive after the aerobridge.

No idea. I'm not familiar with the rear half of an aircraft

 

[Quickstatus]

rear half three quarters

Corrected

 

[dairyfloss]

No idea. I'm not familiar with the rear half of an aircraft

Exactly! As far as I can tell, this is what the QF 738 must look like from the outside?

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[jakeseven7]

VA have had decent priority boarding for years. Have a lane for status pax and keep it clear of the hoi polloi. Easy.

Yup agree it used to work pretty well for us but clearly wasn’t working ‘well enough’ for the Bain/VA2 bean counters who just modified it to very mixed / annoying results per the other thread.

So I guess both models were not working for either airlines in some capacity It is a little funny if you think about it!