Priority boarding on QF domestic - what is the story?

[Simo]

Hmmm, I too am not comfortable about just walking up to the head of the line with the expectation that the pax line is going to obsequiously part like the Red Sea and let me board.

Sorry QF that's an expectation too far removed from the self serving attitude that a lot of people have today.

I think I'll just stay in the QP a little longer.

P.S. - have just read and agree with djfuzz. I can just imagine half the line being angry with me (as a Gold) trying to jump the line. How am I to know who in the line is CL, WP, SG??

I am a WP and i have been at the boarding gate and a Gold has just walked down the side and gave his FF card to them...

If they don't have a priority line don't push in from the side.

 

[ozmille]

I am a WP and i have been at the boarding gate and a Gold has just walked down the side and gave his FF card to them...

If they don't have a priority line don't push in from the side.

I agree with the above. In my eyes it is quite rude. I have done it once on DJ where they called out before general boarding for "the Gold Frequent Flyer" to board first... Quite embarrassing walking to the front of a 160 people as only one.

 

[connieguy]

If they don't have a priority line don't push in from the side.

The issue is, that is exactly what I and other WPs have been told to do. I should add that I have also been told to go to the end of the queue.

This situation is about as unprofessional as it gets. QF needs to sort out this mess. DJ have done it and shown it can be done so why does QF let this go on?

I also note DJ have officially listed Any Time lounge access as a benefit for their Golds.

 

[TonyHancock]

Perhaps QF could issue WP's with a shiny DYKWIA badge to facilitate pushing to the front of the queue of presumably annoyed PAX.

 

[Danger]

Update: Had 2 flights domestic flights yesterday (SYD), went to the front of the line, infront of 240 other passengers on the 767. Was advised the line behind so I asked where the priority line was. She said unfortunately there are too many qantas club and status passengers on that flight. I didn't argue the point, and she didn't let me cut the line.

Your retort should have been 'Since when do Qantas Club member get priority boarding? May I suggest you go review your airline's procedures when you head home tonight'.

Was at the gate early going Adl/Mel. Very clearly heard this:

"Qantas welcomes Business, Platinum and Gold frequent flyers and OW Emerald and Sapphires to board at their convenience". I asked the ground staff at the desk how I should do that. They said just come to the head of the queue. :shock:

This statement does agree with the published OW benefit which gives "board at convenience" to OW Sapphires / QF Golds. QF needs to update their Gold and Platinum benefits web pages to reflect what their ground staff are saying.

I just don't see how 'board at convenience' is priority boarding. Unless, of course, it is in fact advocating that a passenger pushes to the front of the queue. But, as others have mentioned, who knows who else has the appropriate status in that queue.

 

[TonyHancock]

I just don't see how 'board at convenience' is priority boarding. Unless, of course, it is in fact advocating that a passenger pushes to the front of the queue. But, as others have mentioned, who knows who else has the appropriate status in that queue.

Another reason for shiny DYKWIA badges - they could be colour coded!!

 

[crum]

How long before there is a case of QF domestic queue rage reported in the news?

I have gone around to the front of the queue when I was SG once or twice...a most uncomfortable experience. Could feel the daggers in my back. Apologies if you had been in that queue.

I agree with all the sentiments here, something needs to be done about the mess.

 

[docjames]

The silence from QF on this is pathetic.:evil:

 

[TonyHancock]

The silence from QF on this is pathetic.:evil:

It is bizarre really. This seems such an easy issue to address, I just don't understand why QF is ignoring it.

Implement priority boarding or remove it as a benefit it is that simple. DJ is showing how easy it is to implement it, and QF implement it internationally.

There has to be more to this than we understand. :?:

 

[ozmille]

Another reason for shiny DYKWIA badges - they could be colour coded!!

Just a shiny sign (maybe something with flashing lights to attract extra attention) next to a separate lane would be nice

 

[connieguy]

How long before there is a case of QF domestic queue rage reported in the news?

I have gone around to the front of the queue when I was SG once or twice...a most uncomfortable experience. Could feel the daggers in may back. Apologies if you had been in that queue.

I agree with all the sentiments here, something needs to be done about the mess.

Yes it is an uncomfortable experience. I now go to the gate early, not so much as to get priority boarding but to ensure there is room for my travel suitcase in the overhead bins. Last flight I caught Mel/Adl I did wait for the boarding call in the Mel J Lounge, then walked to gate 10 to find no queue, annoyed looking ground staff (signs said the flight had closed) and no space in the lockers over my exit row seat. No locker space ahead of me so I had to stow it in the last overhead locker on the aircraft. Result was I was the last off the flight.

I guess by QF delaying the lounge boarding call to the last, they figure the boarding queue will be gone and you can just walk onto the flight, which was what happened. Small problems with full overhead lockers. So for me it seems as you can't fight it, just go with it and get to the gate BEFORE the scheduled boarding time so as to get on the aircraft sooner than later and have enough overhead locker space to store your gear.

 

[QF WP]

I agree gowatson. If one has an issue with hand luggage (size or have 2 bags), one should arrive at stated boarding time and then can use the priority boarding to make sure that one is on board sufficiently early to ensure overhead space availability. This is especially critical for exit row pax.

If one has minimal hand luggage, then one can afford to delay QC departure until final call, as there may be sufficient space under the seat ahead or in the overheads.

 

[Danger]

Yes it is an uncomfortable experience. I now go to the gate early, not so much as to get priority boarding but to ensure there is room for my travel suitcase in the overhead bins. Last flight I caught Mel/Adl I did wait for the boarding call in the Mel J Lounge, then walked to gate 10 to find no queue, annoyed looking ground staff (signs said the flight had closed) and no space in the lockers over my exit row seat. No locker space ahead of me so I had to stow it in the last overhead locker on the aircraft. Result was I was the last off the flight.

I guess by QF delaying the lounge boarding call to the last, they figure the boarding queue will be gone and you can just walk onto the flight, which was what happened. Small problems with full overhead lockers. So for me it seems as you can't fight it, just go with it and get to the gate BEFORE the scheduled boarding time so as to get on the aircraft sooner than later and have enough overhead locker space to store your gear.

Nowadays, though, more and more people are lining up at the gate well in advance of bording commencing. As others have noted, it's much more like the US situation where there's huge lines well in advance of the first boarding call. This is almost certainly a result of the strict baggage allowances and charges. So while it's all well and good to get to the gate before boarding is called, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get on the plane any quicker. Hence, one of the benefits of priority boarding - so you don't have to stand up in a line for 60 minutes before the flight is called (assuming boarding starts at the published time, which can often be another issue).

I agree gowatson. If one has an issue with hand luggage (size or have 2 bags), one should arrive at stated boarding time and then can use the priority boarding to make sure that one is on board sufficiently early to ensure overhead space availability. This is especially critical for exit row pax.

If one has minimal hand luggage, then one can afford to delay QC departure until final call, as there may be sufficient space under the seat ahead or in the overheads.

For me, it's also about getting on the plane and turning on the IFE. Based in Perth I'm lucky to be on A33Xs fairly often where, with the advent of gate-to-gate IFE, I wanna get on, get settled and start watching.

At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter whether you've got a rollarboard and a camera bag or just the newspaper; nor should it matter whether you get to the gate an hour before the flight or right when boarding is called. 'Board at convenience' is not priority boarding. They are two very different things. QF publishes the benefit and they're not providing it. And this is something tangible. It either happens correctly or it doesn't. It's not like the priority baggage where there's the 'your bags will be among the first to arrive' where it's all very much open to conjecture (ie. what's "among the first"?). As I've posted before, this is one of the very few benefits that doesn't come with a @, &, *, !, ~, >, }, ; . . . That in itself suggests it should be straight forward. There's no caveat like " *&%#&**^$ provided you arrive at the boarding gate 10 minutes before the stated time for boarding".

I wouldn't have an issue if it wasn't a part of their marketing for the Platinum tier but it is. If QF said I'd get an apple and an orange as Platinum and Gold got an orange and Silver got nothing, I want an apple and orange, because they've said that's a benefit. It's not about DYKWIA, it's about receiving what you're ultimately paying for.

 

[Adel_Traveller]

Yes it is an uncomfortable experience. I now go to the gate early, not so much as to get priority boarding but to ensure there is room for my travel suitcase in the overhead bins. Last flight I caught Mel/Adl I did wait for the boarding call in the Mel J Lounge, then walked to gate 10 to find no queue, annoyed looking ground staff (signs said the flight had closed) and no space in the lockers over my exit row seat. No locker space ahead of me so I had to stow it in the last overhead locker on the aircraft. Result was I was the last off the flight.
.

Couldn't agree more. The "real estate rush" is a pet peeve as everyone scrambles to get on board and claim some overhead locker space. If you take the luxury of waiting in the lounge for the boarding call it's often difficult to find any space in the lockers. Net result is that FFers (aka high value pax) end up having to queue early with everyone else battling to find a space for their bag or take the risk as per Gowatson's experience of getting off last.

The trend for other pax to just stick their bag in the first locker they find on the journey down the aisle also seems to be a growing and worrying trend for those who like to sit towards the front...

 

[cwphoto]

The trend for other pax to just stick their bag in the first locker they find on the journey down the aisle also seems to be a growing and worrying trend for those who like to sit towards the front...

My greatest pet peeve, alongside the clowns who shove a jacket or some other handbag in the roof bins plus the large roll-on.

 

[QF WP]

I think that issue is one of the reasons there has been a "change" in boarding procedures. Might mean that the top tiers who sit up the front actually get their bags in the overheads above their seats


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[djfuzz]

My greatest pet peeve, alongside the clowns who shove a jacket or some other handbag in the roof bins plus the large roll-on.

Assuming said items are placed above or behind the bag in question and not taking up space in which another bag could go, what exactly is your problem with this?

 

[Groundfeeder]

The trend for other pax to just stick their bag in the first locker they find on the journey down the aisle also seems to be a growing and worrying trend for those who like to sit towards the front...

Noticed that occuring on Monday - thankfully the FA noticed and made the gent take his bag from above row 4 to somewhere down the dark end, where presumably he was allocated.:evil:

 

[cwphoto]

Assuming said items are placed above or behind the bag in question and not taking up space in which another bag could go, what exactly is your problem with this?

Your assumption is not generally the norm, that's the problem. Light items like these should go under the seat.

 

[samiam]

Your assumption is not generally the norm, that's the problem. Light items like these should go under the seat.

That may be your norm but it's not mine. I'm entitled to use the overhead bins for my items, jacket included.