Priority boarding question

[BD1959]

A mix of the previous posts nails it:

1. Quality signage first - pax often form lines prior to any announcements so they need signage that clearly tells them where to queue

2. Crystal clear announcements - leaving people in no doubt

3. Enforcement - definitely at the scanner, and optionally patrolling the lines as well

There is always the chance that people will miss 1. and/or 2. due to to distraction/noise, but if they miss them both, 3. should 'get' them, and it will only take one or two returns to the end of the correct queue for them to 'learn'

The other "confusing element" is the red carpet which is laid at certain gates (certainly in MEL) - clearly on the "wrong side".

Regards,

BD

 

[gypsyinabigtown]

It also needs the FAs to turn people back.

Mind you I saw people push into the main line when they saw they couldn't use the premium lane.

I really agree this helps, and I worry the FAs may just not care about priority boarding (just like the baggage handlers just don't care about priority luggage) - so the tone should be set clearly. Australia is a very egalitarian country, and we Australians always love rooting for the underdog. I can see how granting someone a privilege or special behaviour is something we're not too fond of. So only this type of behaviour can help. I know the focus here is on Domestic but I've seen it work very well on Int'l.
I boarded QF 23 on April 22 on one of the downstairs gates (26, 27). The boarding was delayed; there was no jetbridge, we had to bus it out. There was a 'massive' queue even on priority boarding side, not too orderly either - and an even longer regular queue. When the bus finally arrived to the gate to pickup passengers, the FA bravely rejected a few people from the front of the PB queue instructing them to go to the back of the regular queue. Seeing that, I've seen some others leave the PB queue and join the regular queue voluntarily. Suddenly it was a much quicker and more painless PB than I feared!
RedRoo: You can take this as one positive feedback. Whichever FA was manning the PB queue for QF23 on April 22, we need more people to act like this brave lady, consistently, all the time!

 

[Flying mermaid]

I dont know why its not offered in CBR?

Possibly the PB queue would be longer than the normal one for some flights.

 

[Red Roo]

RedRoo: You can take this as one positive feedback. Whichever FA was manning the PB queue for QF23 on April 22, we need more people to act like this brave lady, consistently, all the time!

I agree that consistency is the key, so I'll definitely pass on your positive example the relevant teams.

 

[simongr]

Conversely when I walked past the boarding yesterday at gate 21 in MEL (I was inbound and thankfully not in the boarding lane) - all I saw were two very long lanes and no sign of a PB lane.

The key time when I know PB wont work is when flights are delayed. Pax get up when they think they are going to board and jam both queues - especially if the aircraft is further delayed.

 

[drewbles]

I agree that consistency is the key, so I'll definitely pass on your positive example the relevant teams.

Just a thought, but have you guys thought about the small simple sign like AA use?

It's got to be cheaper than the big roll-up banners, it's portable, and unlike the current banners, it's clearly visible when the pax approaches the gate.

I know it's been done to death that AA's 'just works' but this sign, as well as enforcement by the agents, appears to be key to AA's working so well.

 

[simongr]

I guess the QF signs are just that little bit too small. Also maybe best to make sure FAs are trained to put the big banners up next to the premium boarding lane rather than the regular boarding lane.

 

[Chucksta]

Red Roo: CX have the best priority boarding I have come across. In HKG they have clear signs, but also the staff come around and check that the people queuing in the priority lane have the credentials to be there. Also when boarding starts, the economy lane has to wait until the priority lane is almost clear, then economy is allowed to start boarding. If the priority lane starts to get busy again, economy boarding is stopped and the priority lane, gets to use both priority lane and the economy lane.

I was travelling from MEL-CNS in Business Class. There isn't even a priority lane in CNS. Just one big queue. MEL airport had signs and it was great to see a Flight Attendant turn someone around and tell him to join the economy queue! First time I have ever seen that.

 

[Red Roo]

Red Roo: CX have the best priority boarding I have come across. In HKG they have clear signs, but also the staff come around and check that the people queuing in the priority lane have the credentials to be there. Also when boarding starts, the economy lane has to wait until the priority lane is almost clear, then economy is allowed to start boarding. If the priority lane starts to get busy again, economy boarding is stopped and the priority lane, gets to use both priority lane and the economy lane.

I was travelling from MEL-CNS in Business Class. There isn't even a priority lane in CNS. Just one big queue. MEL airport had signs and it was great to see a Flight Attendant turn someone around and tell him to join the economy queue! First time I have ever seen that.

Thanks for sharing your great first hand experience with CX.

Premium Boarding is currently available at PER, SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL, CBR and OOL. However we are exploring opportunities to roll this product out to other ports in the future.

 

[ozmille]

As for the q tags on carry on bags can someone please explain why so many people have them on bags they never have any intention of checking in (ie laptop bags etc)? Is it just to show they have a 'status'?

I don't use the Qtags at all but I have the old credit card like WP tag on my laptop bag, just for identification reasons, if we go to the pub with the colleagues there will be about 15 identical laptop bags in a pile, for me it is easy to pick mine out

 

[madrooster]

On the topic of priority boarding, there is a priority line for F/J/WP/SG for boarding at DXB (from the main terminal area itself) however you are then fed into a holding pen where there is no priority in terms of the actual boarding part of the process (ie. going into the lift to the aerobridges).

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thanks for sharing your great first hand experience with CX.

Premium Boarding is currently available at PER, SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL, CBR and OOL. However we are exploring opportunities to roll this product out to other ports in the future.

When did it start in CBR - I've not noticed it - must be well disguised!! I used it in OOL in April and it worked beautifully.

 

[simongr]

Red Roo: CX have the best priority boarding I have come across. In HKG they have clear signs, but also the staff come around and check that the people queuing in the priority lane have the credentials to be there. Also when boarding starts, the economy lane has to wait until the priority lane is almost clear, then economy is allowed to start boarding. If the priority lane starts to get busy again, economy boarding is stopped and the priority lane, gets to use both priority lane and the economy lane.

Similarly premium boarding works for int'l flights on QFi (generally) - they don't use FAs for boarding for int'l flights - similarly it is ground crew in HKG for CX. I don't think we can compare CX at HKG with QF DOM. Doesn't make QF DOM any less variable though...

 

[Red Roo]

When did it start in CBR - I've not noticed it - must be well disguised!! I used it in OOL in April and it worked beautifully.

Premium Boarding started in CBR on 26APR and is available for all our flights.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Premium Boarding started in CBR on 26APR and is available for all our flights.

Thank-you - so I'm not going senile! Our last flight out of CBR was 15 April - look forward to using it in a couple of weeks.

 

[Red Roo]

Thank-you - so I'm not going senile! Our last flight out of CBR was 15 April - look forward to using it in a couple of weeks.

Let me know how you go.

 

[RooFlyer]

Premium Boarding started in CBR on 26APR and is available for all our flights.

Red Roo, what's the issue with 'introducing' premium boarding at a particular airport? Is there anything required other than signs, roped off lanes and a script for the announcement? (Oh, and a willingness to enforce.)

I'm not being facetious here ... Why couldn't it be done, say at HBA in quick order? Twin scanners, space ok etc.

 

[flyingfan]

Red Roo, what's the issue with 'introducing' premium boarding at a particular airport? Is there anything required other than signs, roped off lanes and a script for the announcement? (Oh, and a willingness to enforce.)

I'm not being facetious here ... Why couldn't it be done, say at HBA in quick order? Twin scanners, space ok etc.

I seem to recall Red Roo mentioning in the other priority boarding thread that implementing it needed sign-off from the airport owners due to possible encroachment on traffic areas, fire exits etc. So it's not all within the power of QF - if you want to believe that or not.

 

[RooFlyer]

I seem to recall Red Roo mentioning in the other priority boarding thread that implementing it needed sign-off from the airport owners due to possible encroachment on traffic areas, fire exits etc. So it's not all within the power of QF - if you want to believe that or not.

Hmmm .. I can imagine that there may need to be some sort of facility manager's sign-off for OH&S type stuff (although I'm also pretty sure that each airline pays for its terminal foot-print, and therefore should be subject to its own OH&S stuff within those areas), but what's the proposal? Have 2 lanes roped off for maybe 10m and have 2 queues , one for status pax (while they last; 737 is the biggest aircraft to be boarded), one for the remainder.

Versus a free-for all. At the moment at HBA, there tends to be one long queue formed, snaking from the scan point out to beyond the lounge seating area, which splits between the 2 scanners only close to the scan point.

And certainly in HBA's case the QF boarding gates are against one far end of the terminal building, so even if Red Roo's purported explanation is correct, seems a pretty straightforward decision to me

I should add, that of course Virgin manage to do priority boarding very well at HBA, just the other side of the boarding gate area. Now if only they and the airport owners could manage a lounge ...

 

[Flying mermaid]

Let me know how you go.

Had a 4pm flight to Sydney on Tuesday. Mr FM and I left the business lounge together with a whole lot of other people. There wasn't a queue when we got there and the group divided in 2, so through boarding pretty quickly. Initially couldn't see a premium boarding sign, but then spotted a very small,movable one very hidden. It either wasn't used, or was removed once the queue finished. So I can't say I've been able to use it yet,but if the object is to get from the lounge to your seat very quickly, that certainly worked! We are flying to Cairns, via Sydney on Friday morning, so another opportunity to try it out.