Qantas Platinum FF membership card as a boarding pass?

[anat0l]

Indeed. They print out a slip at the gate on presentation of the card.

I was thinking more along the lines of these:

• The slip of paper or boarding pass is apparently used by the FAs meeting the boarding pax as the last line of defence to verify that you are on the correct flight, and then of course you are directed to your seat correctly (not that that is too difficult, but anyway).
• For those seated in Business or accorded with the benefit, the FAs generally ask for your BP or paper slip if they take something of yours to hang in the coat locker (they attach this to the hanger or insert it in a pocket so that they can correctly return it to you).
• A BP or slip would supposedly be useful in case someone tries to sit in a seat they are not assigned in, aside from consulting the manifest (which doesn't arrive until the end of boarding).

What might be cool is if FAs and their electronic systems on board (e.g. iPads) can receive information about boarding passengers as they are scanned at the gate. They might have a screen called "Boarding" which populates with passenger names (and the essential detail, e.g. status, class and seat) as they are scanned in at the gate and this information is transmitted. When a passenger presents themselves at the aircraft, they either show their BP or their card, which the greeting FA can then verify off the list of names (perhaps then the name can be "marked" as removed by swiping or pressing a button). This removes the need for the slip for those going paperless, and the data can be quickly recalled on the device to resolve any seating issues (unless the passenger claims that they were assigned the wrong seat by the system and they have no way of checking this since they have no paper). Coat hangers can be pre-marked with seat numbers.

The skill would be in the FAs using the system efficiently so that (a) it doesn't look like they are struggling with the technology, and (b) they still maintain as much eye contact as possible and not feeling like they are fixated on the screens. And with QF boarding at two doors, this means 2-3 FAs would need that many iPads that are accurately synchronised with the gate data to carry this out. Finally, there always, always needs to be a backup plan if the communications or device(s) fail!

In any case, one could argue, if all of that were possible trouble, why not ditch the whole idea and just use the tried and tested boarding passes......

 

[kitkatff]

I feel like the only one using my phone ... I did use the card once when the boarding pass didn't come up on the phone.

 

[opusman]

It's a Qantas "quirk" that the FAs check boarding passes on the plane as well as at the gate. Many (most?) airlines do not bother with this extra step.

Of course the biggest problem is needing some record of what your seat allocation is. I can't see that changing from a simple paper receipt any time soon.

 

[BD1959]

I've used the mobile check-in/card scan for a few years now, my preference being an exit row seat it's easier to use mobile check-in than the plinths or kiosks and I found my phone would sometimes switch to the apple-wallet when the FA took it to scan. No issues using my card at MEL, SYD, ADL, HBA, DRW, CNS, ASP, OOL.

Regards,

BD

 

[Mule]

No prob unless the printer chucks a wobbly or runs out of f'n paper at the gate.

Your well organised day goes out the door. Checking a bag, then always ask for a printed boarding pass.

 

[calmelb]

I always thought it was a CASA requirement that paper based boarding passes had to be on board. Which is why whenever you use a mobile method of boarding you get a paper slip

 

[anat0l]

I always thought it was a CASA requirement that paper based boarding passes had to be on board. Which is why whenever you use a mobile method of boarding you get a paper slip

I never thought of it that way, but then I'd be interested to know why CASA have that requirement.

 

[calmelb]

I never thought of it that way, but then I'd be interested to know why CASA have that requirement.

From memory I think it's to do with having proof midflight where there's no internet & phones may run out of charge to prove you were the one to board. For all I know it could be from before phones were allowed to be on airplane mode

 

[NZflygirl]

My main concern would be if crediting flight to another FFP and it doesn't credit, you need to email some sort of evidence.

 

[anat0l]

My main concern would be if crediting flight to another FFP and it doesn't credit, you need to email some sort of evidence.

If you were crediting to another FFP, you wouldn't be able to use your QF FF card as a boarding pass.

If you need evidence, you would either have your ordinary BP or a copy of the digital BP on your mobile (if you used that to board). That said, it will depend on which partner programme as to whether a boarding pass is required as evidence for missing credits claims in the first place.

 

[Pleb Status]

I always thought it was a CASA requirement that paper based boarding passes had to be on board. Which is why whenever you use a mobile method of boarding you get a paper slip

This cannot be true as VA is completely paperless if you use your phone as your boarding pass.

 

[BD1959]

Checking a bag, then always ask for a printed boarding pass.

Really - why?

If you use the mobile/card for bag drop/card for boarding, you get issued with a paper bag-tag anyway - still no need for a paper BP.

Regards,

BD

 

[dk4]

CNS was the only one who seemed to not be as familiar but they still tried it.

When FF card boarding was first introduced nationwide, CNS didn't have the technology upgrade required to do it (presumably as it is a common use terminal/gates). After a while, and many southerners trying to board with a card (QF's most FFers quite rightly expected it to be at all ports), CNS implemented a hybrid strategy where they printed a physical boarding pass at the desk next to the scanners, then scanned it and gave it to the passenger. (As you can imagine this took a little bit of time, and slowed down boarding.) Finally, last year IIRC, they implemented full FF card scanning & boarding slip printing at the gate in CNS, and caught up with the rest of the domestic network...but, as you can see, it was a bit of a journey for them to catch up!

 

[eminere]

This cannot be true as VA is completely paperless if you use your phone as your boarding pass.

I just completed a couple of VA flights and observed this to be true. Made me wonder why QF has to print the paper boarding receipt actually.

 

[anat0l]

I just completed a couple of VA flights and observed this to be true. Made me wonder why QF has to print the paper boarding receipt actually.

This must be a recent change.

I boarded my VA domestic flight in June of this year and used a mobile boarding pass (can't remember if it was the BP image itself or .pkpass file). It was scanned at the gate which auto-generated a boarding pass for me.

In any case, now I am confused as to what the deal is with the piece of paper if it isn't really CASA.

 

[ivanhoe]

This must be a recent change.

I boarded my VA domestic flight in June of this year and used a mobile boarding pass (can't remember if it was the BP image itself or .pkpass file). It was scanned at the gate which auto-generated a boarding pass for me.

In any case, now I am confused as to what the deal is with the piece of paper if it isn't really CASA.

It's because you can use your card at the gate (where this thread started). As it doesn't show what seat you're in, you then need the printout to show to the FA when you board. On Virgin you just show your phone or paper BP. If you couldn't use your card, there would be no actual need for the print out.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I think this whole thing is a great example of using technology just for the sake of using technology.

The whole process is easier, more reliable and less prone to problems if you simply have a printed BP.

 

[anat0l]

I think this whole thing is a great example of using technology just for the sake of using technology.

The whole process is easier, more reliable and less prone to problems if you simply have a printed BP.

See, one time I was making a similar argument that was talking about USB versus Lightning connectors; viz. USB is universal, tested and easier.

The reaction was that my statement was anti-innovation, i.e. if people like my opinion kept on being accepted, no one would be encouraged (in fact, they would be punished) for taking risks and/or attempting to innovate.

 

[Mule]

Really - why?

If you use the mobile/card for bag drop/card for boarding, you get issued with a paper bag-tag anyway - still no need for a paper BP.

Regards,

BD

Because I've been the victim of printer malfunction and paper outage on several occasions. You wait off to the side of the gate while everyone else boards until a staff member prints a full boarding pass for you at a service desk and brings it back to the gate.

 

[Pushka]

I think this whole thing is a great example of using technology just for the sake of using technology.

The whole process is easier, more reliable and less prone to problems if you simply have a printed BP.

For you. I disagree re the technology. This worked for me I can keep the card in my wallet. The boarding pass is too large.