Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[doublecatered]

Good point about the other carriers not generating a receipt once scanned

I was told the reason it’s done is that it verifies you have been loaded in the system and the slip is physical proof that u have been boarded
Simply showing your phone to the crew at the door does not indicate u have actually been boarded.
That’s how it was explained to me

But then if JQ for example don’t generate a docket at the gate, I can’t see why QF can’t.
Actually I have read somewhere that a boarding receipt is not required on trans Tasman flights

 

[kermatu]

A few recent experiences this week:

Twice out of Canberra - priority boarding not even attempted! Probably for the best.

Once out of SYD - total fail. I arrived late after lounge call. Massive group of school kids lined up in both lanes.

Once out of SYD - success! Late lounge call for a two door A330 flight saw me walk on pretty much without stopping.

BNE - partial fail. I was sitting at the window in Y so left lounge early to get onboard and not disturb other pax. Boarding a bit of a shambles. More blame to tourists than QF though. Clogged the satellite boarding area.

PER - single door (with the premium lane on the right!’) but it seemed to work.

Of most interest though in Perth, the priority security screening lane. As is usual, it was interrupted by airline crew. Meaning it’s slower than other lanes. But this time the security guard manning the conveyor actually told off the staff. Said it’s a priority lane and they should not be using it.

If I wasn’t afraid of being arrested I’d have given her a hug.

 

[BD1959]

MEL 28/7 QF679 Printer on Priority Lane fails.

Rather than stop the General Lane and push Priority through (a la Purple), first few are directed to the desk to get their BPs printed. Then call goes out for only those with already printed BPs to use the Priority Lane ... fortunately I was one of the first few through who was redirected to the desk and so had only a minor delay to boarding. I didn't see what happened to those Priority Pax behind - who had checked in electronically - and would need to somehow merge with the General Lane.

Regards,

BD

 

[docjames]

Unfortunately I think on nearly every domestic flight i've been on / seen recently, two queues operate ("Priority" and regular), but both get BPs scanned at the same time (one FA each line) rather than calling pax across from / working through the priority line first.

Defeats any real priority on most flights as the queues are often of similar length.....

 

[Silvia]

Friday on MEL-BNE it was a total disgrace, but on the way back on Sunday, it was properly enforced. Both times boarding on time on the dreamliner.

 

[kermatu]

Friday on MEL-BNE it was a total disgrace, but on the way back on Sunday, it was properly enforced. Both times boarding on time on the dreamliner.

Haven’t experienced Dreamliner boarding but A330 boarding in MEL is always a fail in my experience.

 

[BAM1748]

Unfortunately I think on nearly every domestic flight i've been on / seen recently, two queues operate ("Priority" and regular), but both get BPs scanned at the same time (one FA each line) rather than calling pax across from / working through the priority line first.

Defeats any real priority on most flights as the queues are often of similar length.....

What I am amazed by is people joining the priority line when the regular line is shorter. Have seen it at the T3 security lines as well.

Some people must want to be seen in the priority line even if slower. Look at me syndrome.

 

[kermatu]

What I am amazed by is people joining the priority line when the regular line is shorter. Have seen it at the T3 security lines as well.

Some people must want to be seen in the priority line even if slower. Look at me syndrome.

Could be some of this but it could also be people in J for the first time assuming its the lane you go to, or other inexperienced pax.
I regularly see pax in J on the 737s who have no idea where the tray table is, or IFE, or even there’s a toilet up front. And even more often see many pax in J on the A330s who have no idea where the toilet is (try to push on cupboard doors, assume there’s one on the right hand side etc) or the sash belt. That must mean not everyone is an AFF level savvy traveller!

I try and avoid the priorboarding lane when I can. It is almost always a slower option if queues are roughly the same, because of electronic BPs.

 

[straitman]

What I am amazed by is people joining the priority line when the regular line is shorter. Have seen it at the T3 security lines as well.

Some people must want to be seen in the priority line even if slower. Look at me syndrome.

When we left Sydney a few weeks ago the priority line was long and the normal line was empty so we went to the start of the normal line and were amongst the first to board due to Qantas's lack of abilities at handling priority boarding.

 

[kermatu]

Worked very well yet again in Cairns the other day. Having long and clearly separate lanes, with no seats nearby and not a comfortable area to mill around seems to be the only way QF can always (in my experience) get it right.

 

[docjames]

Unfortunately I think on nearly every domestic flight i've been on / seen recently, two queues operate ("Priority" and regular), but both get BPs scanned at the same time (one FA each line) rather than calling pax across from / working through the priority line first.

Defeats any real priority on most flights as the queues are often of similar length.....

Reflecting on this, I wonder if in fact there is an actual strategy here - working on the assumption that the majority of Plat and Gold will be (on a 737) seated in rows 4-15 so inserting silvers and bronzes will allow the rear half to board (find seats, stow bags etc) allowing a more even spread of pax across the plane and leading to an overall faster total boarding time. Rather than having a traffic jam in the front half meaning slow boarding, then the rear half all together also becoming slow.

This would be especially so when single door boarding. But even when dual door - the “non-status line” ends up diverting to the rear stairs and therefore doesn’t impede the privilege line.

Just a thought.

 

[kermatu]

I've actually noticed a lot more: "As this is a full flight we will board by rows" lately. maybe I've just been a the gate more often as I'm skipping the lounges a bit more regularly these days.

Lounge calls also seem to be getting later in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. J lounges.

 

[beersandwich]

Syd to OOL on friday night - people were loosely gathering around around priority line not much of a queue on the economy side. No organisation or any kind of line forming.

Before the announcement they started scanning both queues, once this started we walked up to the economy line and beat most of the 'priority' pax (I dont think all were in the right line)...

 

[TKennedy88]

SYD to MEL late yesterday I was filthy on after a long day and a short delay. 2 x lines roughly the same length (it was a 16:30), boarding starts at the same time, and the red line gets 2 FA's and the priority lane gets 1

???

 

[sudoer]

This won't come as a surprise to anyone on AFF, but boarding for QF437 SYD-MEL was a complete joke today.

Aircraft was downgauged from A330 to 738 at T-6 so anyone with row number >30 on their BP needed a new one printed to reflect their new seat. Despite staff reaching the gate 15-20 min before boarding commenced, they decided to make the downgauge/BP reprinting announcement after boarding had started with about 40 in PB lane and 80+ in general lane.

Of course no one wanted to give up their spot in the long queues, so people were being dealt with individually as they reached the BP scanners and holding the queue up. Unsurprisingly both general and priority lanes were served concurrently with one scanner each. In total boarding took over 30 mins, way longer than any 738 should take, and we departed 20 minutes late.

Downgauges are annoying but I understand they are sometimes unavoidable, but if somebody from Qantas happens to be reading this - here's what should have happened:

- When the downgauge occured, those who were already checked in AND had their seat changed as a result of the downgauge should be notified by SMS to visit a service counter at the airport for new BP.
- When staff arrived at the gate, they should make an announcement before boarding begins to check the row on their BP and notify a staff member if they need a reprint
- Start boarding by serving the entire priority queue using both scanners (obvious one, but needs to be stated because it clearly doesn't happen)
- Have a staff member run along the queues to check BPs and pull any which needed reprinting out of the queue
- Start processing the general queue once priority lane is empty

I'd like to think these steps fall under the category of common sense, but they seemed to be beyond anyone working the gate for QF437 today.

 

[vandy]

SYD-MEL yesterday evening, people from both the regular economy boarding queue and priority boarding queues were scanned at the same time by individual gate agents. The first person on the plane was actually from the non-priority line.

Amusingly and frustratingly I overheard a few people behind me in the priority queue talking about using the priority line when they aren't entitled to it. Her words were something like "it's just an honesty system they don't actually check."

Very different to flights in the US where people will be refused boarding and told to wait their turn and go to the back of the line.

 

[Pushka]

Qantas flipped the entry. The queue for priority boarding is back to the next gate lounge. There is one person in the usual queue.

 

[chooms]

What is wrong in this picture... I ended up just walking up the non-status side.

 

[11sjw]

Wow, does everyone have sufficient status now?

 

[kermatu]

Wow, does everyone have sufficient status now?

Yep.