Priority Boarding/Screening lanes

[jad01]

I am interested to know what experiences other Platinum, Gold and Business Class people have had with priority boarding and screening lanes.
Personally I think it's a joke because in my last few flights half the people have joined the priority boarding lane and it seems people have caught on that the general lane stops while those in the priority lane are whisked through so you can see the masses jump lanes.

Quite peeved on a recent trip where economy was full but I was the only one in Business and after departure the crew told me there were no other platinums or golds onboard.......yet when I joined the priority lane half the passengers were in it.
Screening seems to be following the same path and I doubt that half the people travelling are business, platinum or gold.

Am I randomly drawing the short straw or is this happening too often.........What experience have other Plat/Gold/Bus had???

JASON

 

[Saab34]

Recently flew back from OOL-MEL and queue was probably 150 deep but every queue jumper was turned away to the normal line. They seemed pretty strict and they are not even contracted to the company directly they are Aerocare.

In the early days of Priority boarding I did notice alot of ground crew "giving up" when the masses boarded on the wrongs sides (sometimes they didn't even set up the priority lane). Not so much now though..

 

[Jousams]

I am interested to know what experiences other Platinum, Gold and Business Class people have had with priority boarding and screening lanes.
Personally I think it's a joke because in my last few flights half the people have joined the priority boarding lane and it seems people have caught on that the general lane stops while those in the priority lane are whisked through so you can see the masses jump lanes.

Quite peeved on a recent trip where economy was full but I was the only one in Business and after departure the crew told me there were no other platinums or golds onboard.......yet when I joined the priority lane half the passengers were in it.
Screening seems to be following the same path and I doubt that half the people travelling are business, platinum or gold.

Am I randomly drawing the short straw or is this happening too often.........What experience have other Plat/Gold/Bus had???

JASON

i have noticed these issues with the priority screening at OOL. I have left feedback, however as these are not run by VA I'm not holding much hope.

I have never had a negative experience with priority boarding, however if i was to have i would explicitly say to the boarding agent or CS that what they are doing is diluting the value or Gold/Plat/Business and they risk losing my business by doing so.

I have done this previously when a check in agent at a "priority" marked counter called 2 groups of people from the main line whilst i was waiting (and he saw me BTW).
He didn't like that someone younger than him was telling him how to do his job and was his response to me was quite rude, i then suggested he would be more suited to a job at tiger and i told him i will be sending VA negative feedback. (i was having a rough day and was maybe a bit harsh so never did send feedback)

 

[mkentwell]

Looks like you have had a rough trot. I have only ever seen one smartarse trying to jump the queue, but was told in no uncertain term to "pop back" onto the general lines. My biggest bugbear is people putting their gear above my seat when they have plenty of room above their own!

 

[Blinky]

Recently flew back from OOL-MEL and queue was probably 150 deep but every queue jumper was turned away to the normal line. They seemed pretty strict and they are not even contracted to the company directly they are Aerocare.

In the early days of Priority boarding I did notice alot of ground crew "giving up" when the masses boarded on the wrongs sides (sometimes they didn't even set up the priority lane). Not so much now though..

That's my experience too. And to the OP, no Gold or Platinums at all on a full flight? That seems amazing. Where was the flight to?

 

[RooFlyer]

For me, its generally worked OK (as in the priority queue is much shorter than the other queues for both screening and boarding). I'm usually one of the early boarders, so maybe I don't notice what's behind me in that queue

As a member of 3 other FF programs, and visitor to FT/AFF forums on them all, can I observe that the failings of 'priority boarding' is the subject of major peevishment in all of them!

 

[Noob]

I've always found that priority boarding on VA is very good, because their staff consistently use the proper method - This has also appeared to be the most common opinion online.

 

[Fruitcake]

Plenty of self-policing by VA pax as well... was dressed casually for a 7pm departure last week, two other pax in the PB queue decided I didn't look up to scratch for priority boarding and tried to sidestep around me.

They probably wished they'd been successful too - because I had used mobile checkin everything in the priority queue ground to halt whilst they printed me a boarding pass (I'd expected a 'receipt' like QF gives for mobile check-in, but instead they looked up the PNR and printed us full passes on cardstock).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

VA Priority check-in problem - once
VA Prioity boarding problem - never that I can recall
Priority screening problem - usually acceptable but occasionally woeful (especially OOL) hard to blame VA for this as the screening contractors are a law unto themselves.

 

[attroxx]

Priority screening at OOL on 19/1 was, as everyone has noted, pathetic. There were only two lines open - one of which was priority in name only with passengers and security staff ignoring the sign entirely. I ended up taking the non-priority line and getting through far quicker which is pathetic really. Check-in and boarding however were flawless.

MEL on the 20/1 was flawless throughout - check-in, screening and boarding. When boarding started, the signage was, per normal, ignored by passengers but not by staff who made announcements and redirected people into the proper line when they ignored them.

 

[Major]

Priority boarding is usually good and well policed by VA staff. Priority screening is another matter and at OOL is not good.

I posted on another thread that complaints/feedback for OOL priority screening should be addressed to the Gold Coast Airport

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[docjames]

Priority screening and boarding worked like a charm every time i've used it (seriously, every time, n=20). Across SYD, MEL, BNE and PER all in 2012. (in SYD use lounge entry/kerbside screening not main entry).

YMMV

 

[smit0847]

Always worked a charm when I have used it numerous times in MEL, ADL and SYD. Pax seem fairly respectful of the rules and staff are very smooth in switching from scanning general to priority line.

 

[eastwest101]

The impression I get from a lot of the AFF posters is that the Priority boarding is more consistently delivered and enforced with VA than it is with QF. The priority screening is a bit more hit and miss and less enforced.

 

[Jordan94]

I have been on 2 flights so far this year and Priority Boarding they called upon Gold and Platinum members but also those guests who need assistance, the elderly and families traveling with children. Might explain why the Priority Boarding is getting crowded but I like the idea of allowing these people to enter the aircraft through priority boarding

 

[robd]

I have been on 2 flights so far this year and Priority Boarding they called upon Gold and Platinum members but also those with a disability, the elderly and families traveling with children. Might explain why the Priority Boarding is getting crowded but I like the idea of allowing these people to enter the aircraft through priority boarding

Hmmm. I'm going to disagree with you there. Apart from those needing assistance, I think priority should be premium cabins & elites.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

.....more consistently delivered and enforced with VA than it is with QF. The priority screening is a bit more hit and miss and less enforced.

At OOL, the priority screening is a combined airline affair so identical problems for VA and QF.

 

[Daggs01]

SYD I always use kerb side entry and specifically walk to it after parking anyway, cant be bothered going through the general muster PB.

PER, BNE, MEL and wait for it..., CNS! PB has never been an issue. OOL, only departed twice from there and always been 1st or 2nd in line.

CNS is the best because they don't have the PB line, you just walk up the side of the que and the ground crew push you in front of those in line, although WP bag tags does help subdue the angry mob behind.

After all, I'm 25 and always in jeans and t shirt, never a suit. I can imagine it would annoy other WP's?

 

[jneufeld]

SYD I always use kerb side entry and specifically walk to it after parking anyway, cant be bothered going through the general muster PB.

This coupled with the new gate design, in the pier extension seem to keep a lid on things in SYD. For those who haven't seen the terminal the new gates physically seperate the PB lane, on the general boarding side of the gate there are all the seats for the masses keeping them away from the lane.

 

[robd]

SYD I always use kerb side entry and specifically walk to it after parking anyway, cant be bothered going through the general muster PB.

PER, BNE, MEL and wait for it..., CNS! PB has never been an issue. OOL, only departed twice from there and always been 1st or 2nd in line.

CNS is the best because they don't have the PB line, you just walk up the side of the que and the ground crew push you in front of those in line, although WP bag tags does help subdue the angry mob behind.

After all, I'm 25 and always in jeans and t shirt, never a suit. I can imagine it would annoy other WP's?

I did MEL-BNE-CNS-BNE-MEL in J just after Christmas. PB worked in MEL & BNE. There was a call for those needing assistance and families with small children in CNS, and pretty much as soon as they were called, every man and his dog fronted up to the line. The only thing that differentiated boarding after going through the gate, was that the first few rows entered at the front door and the others at the back door of the aircraft. A cabin member took a family with two young kids (one in a pram and one on foot) to enter the aircraft by the front door ahead of us. The young child on foot kept stopping and held everyone up. Mum and Dad kept calling his name but he was only little. We couldn't get around them. It was frustrating. They weren't seated in the J cabin and it appeared that a lot of the Y cabin were seated way before us because they were so slow.

Not really a huge deal, but it was a little frustrating. If we could have just walked ahead, it would have been better.