Boarding via the rear stairs - Qantas flight

[medhead]

My Qantas flight this morning (qf730) ADL-SYD had boarding via the rear stairs. A bit of a surprise but should speed things up. Coming to a flight near you, soon?

 

[anat0l]

My Qantas flight this morning (qf730) ADL-SYD had boarding via the rear stairs. A bit of a surprise but should speed things up. Coming to a flight near you, soon?

Speed things up?

That relies on the public honestly knowing that if their row number is greater than some number, they board from the back stairs.

If everyone boards at the front because they never knew any different, then it will be ineffective and a waste of time.

 

[Pushka]

Speed things up?

That relies on the public honestly knowing that if their row number is greater than some number, they board from the back stairs.

If everyone boards at the front because they never knew any different, then it will be ineffective and a waste of time.

But no more a waste of time than current. And people in Adelaide already board non Qantas flights from the rear so they'll be up to speed and can teach the slow learners.

 

[QPProletarian]

I don't pay Qantas fares to use the stairs when there is an Aerobridge... Fine if they want to sell the last 6 rows as Jetstar....

 

[BAM1748]

Very third world :mrgreen:

 

[Pushka]

Very third world :mrgreen:

They use them in Dubai on Emirates flights.

 

[cmon0005]

Very budget-ee, worse in the freezing winter or 40 degree days..

 

[Major]

You don't have to use the rear stairs if you don't want to. If you want to pay more for a QF flight then by all means use the aerobridge.

Also take plenty of time, the aircraft won't leave until you are seated

 

[BAM1748]

They use them in Dubai on Emirates flights.

Thanks for backing me up :mrgreen::mrgreen:

 

[medhead]

Speed things up?

That relies on the public honestly knowing that if their row number is greater than some number, they board from the back stairs.

If everyone boards at the front because they never knew any different, then it will be ineffective and a waste of time.

A special pre-boarding commencement announcement was made. The tail end of which detailed how rear stairs boarding was to operate. FA scanning BPs instructed the person behind me to use the stairs.

Pre-boarding announcement is something I've advocated for Qantas for a long time. It's allows Qantas to clearly outline the requirements to passengers.

As for relying on public honesty. Not at all a requirement. The experience on VA says as much. People quickly learn when they get to the back half of the aircraft and have to push against the tide.

 

[Timba-Jet]

If I find myself sitting in the back rows, then rear stairs are great. Sometimes on DJ I will purposely choose the 2 or 3rd last row, though occasionally can get stuck when rear stairs are not operationally on arrival.

For people that don't like them, you have the choice to wait and use the front exit, the wait should not be anymore than if no rear stairs.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I often fly row 29 on jq because of this. Its very handy

 

[anat0l]

As for relying on public honesty. Not at all a requirement. The experience on VA says as much. People quickly learn when they get to the back half of the aircraft and have to push against the tide.

VA is fine because they have started like that since day one.

QF has been boarding only single door via the aerobridge (or double with a larger aircraft only) for donkey's years as long as there is one available (and in the less fortunate airports like the old PER, you'd gripe if you had to disembark / embark via stairs, especially because that meant switching off the mobile device). People don't quickly learn because their explanation is not that they didn't follow an instruction, but rather this new way of boarding is a load of ******** and they should go back to the old way.

Your latter point is fine for disembarkation but not for boarding.

If it were two aerobridges rather than an aerobridge and stairs, then the situation would be different because the modes of boarding the aircraft would be the same.

In any case, my argument is no more farcical than the points in "support" of mine as requoted below:

I don't pay Qantas fares to use the stairs when there is an Aerobridge... Fine if they want to sell the last 6 rows as Jetstar....

Very third world :mrgreen:

Very budget-ee, worse in the freezing winter or 40 degree days..

You don't have to use the rear stairs if you don't want to. If you want to pay more for a QF flight then by all means use the aerobridge.

Also take plenty of time, the aircraft won't leave until you are seated

 

[serfty]

...
QF has been boarding only single door via the aerobridge (or double with a larger aircraft only) for donkey's years as long as there is one available (and in the less fortunate airports like the old PER, you'd gripe if you had to disembark / embark via stairs, especially because that meant switching off the mobile device). People don't quickly learn because their explanation is not that they didn't follow an instruction, but rather this new way of boarding is a load of ******** and they should go back to the old way.
...

No sure about Donkey's years, but QF at ADL domestic has only been using aerobridge boarding since 2006 - before that is was a tarmac walk to access that 733/734/73H/etc., and, yes, both Front and Rear stairs were available for use ...

 

[anat0l]

No sure about Donkey's years, but QF at ADL domestic has only been using aerobridge boarding since 2006 - before that is was a tarmac walk to access that 733/734/73H/etc., and, yes, both Front and Rear stairs were available for use ...

You'll have to forgive me as I've forgotten the average life of a donkey.

That all said, 9 years with aerobridges is nothing to sneeze at.

On top of that, I did say - perhaps with poor sentence structure - "for donkey's years as long as there is one [an aerobridge] available", rather anticipating if they will roll out this boarding procedure at other, perhaps more established, airports.

For most of us I suppose it matters little. Most of us sit near the front of the plane, although I guess for the odd NB amongst us (like me, soon), there may be a better option to select the back rows of the plane and board via the stairs (a la well known technique on VA for a long time).

 

[medhead]

VA is fine because they have started like that since day one.

QF has been boarding only single door via the aerobridge (or double with a larger aircraft only) for donkey's years as long as there is one available (and in the less fortunate airports like the old PER, you'd gripe if you had to disembark / embark via stairs, especially because that meant switching off the mobile device). People don't quickly learn because their explanation is not that they didn't follow an instruction, but rather this new way of boarding is a load of ******** and they should go back to the old way.

Your latter point is fine for disembarkation but not for boarding.

If it were two aerobridges rather than an aerobridge and stairs, then the situation would be different because the modes of boarding the aircraft would be the same.

In any case, my argument is no more farcical than the points in "support" of mine as requoted below:

I've not suggested anything is farcical.

My argument works more for embarkation that disembarkation. There is minimal disruption from waiting at your seat, moving to let window passenger off, to use the aerobridge to get off the plane. For embarkation the fish trying to push against the flow creates a big problem.

I think you've also missed the point that Qantas are actually doing announcements about using the rear seats. Those announcements directly address the idea that people won't know what is happening because Qantas haven't done this for a while. This is an extremely relevant point when we compare and contrast with domestic premium boarding where there were no announcements and people just ignored the whole concept.

If rear boarding happens across the network people will learn the new system pretty quickly.

As someone who has trouble with stairs and experienced a number of non status months with VA going against the flow, saying they've always used aerobridges is not an excuse.

 

[Pushka]

Don't most non Capital airports use Tarmac access? I don't get the excitement about aerobridges.

 

[TomVexille]

Don't most non Capital airports use Tarmac access? I don't get the excitement about aerobridges.

People get quite precious about having to use stairs (full stop) or walk outside.

 

[Major]

People get quite precious about having to use stairs (full stop) or walk outside.

You don't have a choice at OOL

 

[Pushka]

You don't have a choice at OOL

And most other regional airports.