Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[pshepvic]

I had a plus fare which included it for $0.

I've found the SYD staff to be like that before. Although yesterday JQ27 was still checking in and I went to check in. THe girl was happy to but the snotty supervisor was cracking it (it must have been an effort to find the D stickers!). She waved him off and checked me in.

Ah I see

Yes they could do with a lesson in customer service!

 

[samiam]

QF needs to get this sorted as I had every right to do what I did and QF had no right to deny me access and further to tell me to get to the end of the queue, like I was some naughty school boy cutting the queue.

Note: Plant tongue firmly in cheek when reading below...

... so you proceeded to behave like a naughty schoolboy (the way you were being treated) by refusing to participate?

 

[connieguy]

Note: Plant tongue firmly in cheek when reading below...

... so you proceeded to behave like a naughty schoolboy (the way you were being treated) by refusing to participate?

It was more about making a point. All the ground staff saw the OW page and there was quite some amount of discussion via the phone before they came back to me. QF need to sort this out. I mean it is SO easy to do. I do wonder if a CL or J pax would have also be denied domestic boarding at convenience?

Red Roo stated here that the domestic J Lounge was built for WPs. So why is it so hard to extend that to having a sign next to the BP scanning stations saying "Priority Boarding >>>>". I really fail to see why QF is NOT doing this.

 

[connieguy]

Hey Red Roo,

How about using these for Domestic "Board at Convenience"?



Note the OW Emerald and OW Sapphire logos at the bottom.

 

[LiamR]

Hey Red Roo,

How about using these for Domestic "Board at Convenience"?

View attachment 2739

Note the OW Emerald and OW Sapphire logos at the bottom.

I'd really like to see these at domestic, particually in BNE.

 

[Danger]

When I fly to Mel or Syd to connect to a international flight going to the other hemisphere, summer here, winter there, I have my computer bag, max size overhead bag and a long, warm and thick coat. To get that all in the overhead bin, I try to get on the aircraft early and do the walk to the head of the queue bit. Normally no issues but I have been told to get to the back of the queue. When that happened, I did get a bit upset, did not go to the end of the queue but instead sat down in the seat nearest the BP scanning station until the flight was ready to leave. Finally the girl talked to another ground staff, came to me and said I had to board or miss the flight. I told her I was QF Platinum and OW Emerald and had the right to board the aircraft at my convenience. I told her my convenience was just before they closed the aircraft door and not a minute sooner and would she please let me know when that was to happen.

That's gold (not Gold; gold as in awesome). That almost gives me the courage to do what you've suggested with 'board at convenience' and move to the front of the queue. If denied, I'd do exactly what you did: wait and wait and wait and make all the fuss in world. Maybe that way, QF will listen.

A few minutes later another ground staff came to me and asked me why I was not boarding the aircraft. I told her the above story and she apologized but said there is no boarding at convenience for WP or OW Emeralds on domestic QF flights. I showed her the OW web page on my phone, which she took and showed to a few other people. She again returned and again apologized but said they, the ground staff, have never seen that OW web page before and only go on what QF tells them. She then said the door would be closing in 1 minute and if I wanted to fly I needed to board the aircraft, which I did.

Shock, horror. QF inconsistency and the left and right hands at odds. Knock me over with a DJ priority boarding sign! Another perfect reason to keep printouts of key benefits.

I board early (when possible) and enjoy the published benefit of priority boarding for three reason: (i) I do a lot of transcon and when I'm on a A333, I want to get straight into my IFE time, now that it's gate to gate; (ii) I want my carry on with me, at or above my seat, not 48 rows down the back, defeating one of the purposes of forward seating (ie. getting off quickly); (iii) it's a benefit, published, and I want to avail myself of the benefits.

 

[ajca]

When I started this thread I had no idea what a nerve it would strike!

Qantas's lack of comment on this is surprising. They could easily say:

1. We are not offering domestic 'board at your convenience' to OW elites (or anyone else for that matter), and update the OW site accordingly
   
   OR
2. This is a low priority for us, maybe one day we will do it
   
   OR
3. We hear you, we're going to implement it, and we are currently working out how

Either way they could sort this out in two minutes if they wanted to. There are clearly a lot of elite QF customers on here who would like Red Roo to at least comment either way.

 

[Robert K]

QF management team is probably too busy with the whole ash cloud, union strike action. And the social media team might be too low down their priority list at the moment. Can always ask them on facebook or twitter. QF is very active on there, and answers questions very very fast. (the ones that they do answer)

i'm guessing whoever's job is to roam these forums would write a report every once in a while and gives it to someone higher up the chain and they pass it on.

So instead of posting the same questions over and over again hoping that redroo will respond, why not email QF direct?!

 

[connieguy]

When I started this thread I had no idea what a nerve it would strike!

Qantas's lack of comment on this is surprising. They could easily say:

1. We are not offering domestic 'board at your convenience' to OW elites (or anyone else for that matter), and update the OW site accordingly
   OR
2. This is a low priority for us, maybe one day we will do it
   OR
3. We hear you, we're going to implement it, and we are currently working out how

Either way they could sort this out in two minutes if they wanted to. There are clearly a lot of elite QF customers on here who would like Red Roo to at least comment either way.

So we have 6 conflicting statements / actions:

1) Via Red Roo, "Currently Domestic Priority Boarding is based on a PA system. Business, Platinum and OneWorld customers are invited to board first."

2) The PA announcements which mirrors the above but also invite QF Golds to board first.

3) The QF Platinum and Gold benefits page which shows Priority Boarding but only on international gates.

Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Platinum Benefits
Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Gold Benefits

4) The QF benefits comparison page which indicates that Platinums get domestic Priority boarding but not Golds

Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Benefits & Privileges - Status Privileges

5) The OW benefits page which says that ALL OW airlines give "Board at Convenience" to OW Emeralds and OW Sapphires.

oneworld - oneworld Tier Status

6) Some QF domestic BP scanning staff do allow WP and SG board anytime access, while others do not and treat those that try to do so as naughty children who are sent to the end of the queue.

For a airline who considers themselves to be highly professional and the only investment grade airline in the world, this is about as unprofessional as it gets.

 

[connieguy]

QF management team is probably too busy with the whole ash cloud, union strike action. And the social media team might be too low down their priority list at the moment. Can always ask them on facebook or twitter. QF is very active on there, and answers questions very very fast. (the ones that they do answer)

i'm guessing whoever's job is to roam these forums would write a report every once in a while and gives it to someone higher up the chain and they pass it on.

So instead of posting the same questions over and over again hoping that redroo will respond, why not email QF direct?!

I have 3 unanswered PMs to Red Roo about this subject.

 

[Robert K]

I have 3 unanswered PMs to Red Roo about this subject.

But this forum isn't an official channel to communicate with QF. If you email them direct, you get a reference number and can follow up with them and ask why nothing was done.

 

[connieguy]

But this forum isn't an official channel to communicate with QF. If you email them direct, you get a reference number and can follow up with them and ask why nothing was done.

I see that PMing Red Roo as a official QF feedback channel. That is why he is here. Backing it up via this thread makes it transparent, which I suggest is a desirable effect.

 

[ajca]

QF management team is probably too busy with the whole ash cloud, union strike action. And the social media team might be too low down their priority list at the moment. Can always ask them on facebook or twitter. QF is very active on there, and answers questions very very fast. (the ones that they do answer)

I don't buy that. I started this thread over a month ago and the 20 pages of replies seem to indicate this is a significant issue that QF customers (particularly elites) would like an answer on.

 

[medhead]

Had you paid the $4 priority boarding fee? Or were you hoping for the best with WP status? Just curious...

The one time I did JQ35, on the cheapest fare, I was surprised to see a sign I sign and lane at the gate that say priority for WP. Unexpected, but I used it and no one objected.

But this forum isn't an official channel to communicate with QF. If you email them direct, you get a reference number and can follow up with them and ask why nothing was done.

I've been emailing the official feedback channel every couple of months since shortly after they removed anytime access. The response has been either we provide that or it should be provided. Every call has also resulted in a short lived attempt at the airport to do it. I have the advantage of catching the same 2 or 3 flights every week so it is easy to measure the response to my feedback and provision of the benefit

 

[connieguy]

The one time I did JQ35, on the cheapest fare, I was surprised to see a sign I sign and lane at the gate that say priority for WP. Unexpected, but I used it and no one objected. I've been emailing the official feedback channel every couple of months since shortly after they removed anytime access. The response has been either we provide that or it should be provided. Every call has also resulted in a short lived attempt at the airport to do it. I have the advantage of catching the same 2 or 3 flights every week so it is easy to measure the response to my feedback and provision of the benefit

Flew Mel/Adl today. Boarding announcement was something like, "Qantas invites Business, Platinum, Gold, OW Emerald and Sapphire guests to board at their convenience". Yes they did say "Board at their convenience". No extra lane though. So I held back a bit until there was a bit of a queue, placed my WP card over the BP and walked to the side of the head of the queue. The kind ground staff saw my WP card, reached over, scanned my BP, which did not scan. The opup gods smiled (thanks to TT filling up the Y cabin), gave me a J BP and I boarded the aircraft.

SO maybe we are 50% of the way there. Anyone else heard the words "Board at their convenience" now being used?

 

[medhead]

That sounds promising. Not sure about qantas, will have to see Thursday. But I did have 3 guys, heavierly laden with QP tags stampede the gate for my DJ flight yesterday right when they were making the pre-boarding call

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I see that PMing Red Roo as a official QF feedback channel. That is why he is here. Backing it up via this thread makes it transparent, which I suggest is a desirable effect.

Red Roo is under no obligation to answer any questions by any AFF member, let's all keep that in mind. I think that this has been mentioned several times.

I showed her the OW web page on my phone, which she took and showed to a few other people. She again returned and again apologized but said they, the ground staff, have never seen that OW web page before and only go on what QF tells them.

You'd be surprised at the level of knowledge that AFF members have compared to FA's in regards to QF/OW tiers and benefits.


I have asked them (FA's) about WP and SG tiers etc etc, most of them;
a) Don't have a clue
b) Couldn't give a toss either way.

Just the way it is....

 

[markis10]

Flew Mel/Adl today. Boarding announcement was something like, "Qantas invites Business, Platinum, Gold, OW Emerald and Sapphire guests to board at their convenience". Yes they did say "Board at their convenience". No extra lane though. So I held back a bit until there was a bit of a queue, placed my WP card over the BP and walked to the side of the head of the queue. The kind ground staff saw my WP card, reached over, scanned my BP, which did not scan. The opup gods smiled (thanks to TT filling up the Y cabin), gave me a J BP and I boarded the aircraft.

SO maybe we are 50% of the way there. Anyone else heard the words "Board at their convenience" now being used?

That phraseology has been in use for as long as WP has been around, more so at international gates but I have also heard it used at domestic gates on a regular basis, it's not a sign of progress.

 

[medhead]

That phraseology has been in use for as long as WP has been around, more so at international gates but I have also heard it used at domestic gates on a regular basis, it's not a sign of progress.

It is progress in so much as they actually made an announcement and the FA doing the scanning didn't just point to the nearest passenger and say "come on let's go"

 

[markis10]

It is progress in so much as they actually made an announcement and the FA doing the scanning didn't just point to the nearest passenger and say "come on let's go"

How, they have been making that announcement for over ten years, and occasionally holding back people to let SG/WP board as a priority, nothing new here, just inconsistent QF service which in itself is consistent!