Qantas to Introduce Group Boarding and Bag Tracking

[fletty]

I don't expect to have my flight called in the lounge, make everyone wait to make my way down, and then move through the groups.
If I want to be boarding with group 1 I make sure I'm at the gate 10 min prior rather than stuffing my face with beer and snacks

 

[malwcal]

I don't expect to have my flight called in the lounge, make everyone wait to make my way down, and then move through the groups.
If I want to be boarding with group 1 I make sure I'm at the gate 10 min prior rather than stuffing my face with beer and snacks

More times than I care to remember I have headed down to the gate 10 minutes early to find out there is a delay - sometimes a long delay. Time better spent in the longe! So I head down when its called in the lounge!

(Although I may walk down early in Sydney and Melbourne if there is a bit of a hike to the end of the pier)

 

[Daver6]

The main difference between AA and QF boarding is the latter has a culture of staying in the lounge until called, and then walking to the gate. There hasn’t historically been a concern for overhead space as we tend to pack lighter than the yanks (and weight limited unlike AA).

With AA, flights aren’t called, F/Group 1/2 etc are at the gate ready to board the minute it opens. A lot of elites don’t even have lounge access for domestic flights. There is a motivation for a lot of pax to board early to ensure overhead space.

I think if you want the AA experience then we give up staying in the lounge until the last minute and collectively all be at the gate the minute boarding commences. You can’t rely on gate phone calls to the lounge.

The other difference though is AA actually board when they say they're going to board. There is a count down timer in the app so you know precisely when to be at the gate.

More times than I care to remember I have headed down to the gate 10 minutes early to find out there is a delay - sometimes a long delay. Time better spent in the longe! So I head down when its called in the lounge!

(Although I may walk down early in Sydney and Melbourne if there is a bit of a hike to the end of the pier)

Exactly to avoid this scenario. QF are notorious for either starting to board early or you're at the gate on time and land up standing around.

How about they announce in the lounge 5 minutes prior to boarding commencing? Solves everything

 

[justinbrett]

The other difference though is AA actually board when they say they're going to board. There is a count down timer in the app so you know precisely when to be at the gate.

Exactly to avoid this scenario. QF are notorious for either starting to board early or you're at the gate on time and land up standing around.

How about they announce in the lounge 5 minutes prior to boarding commencing? Solves everything

I think AA now board at T-40. So this all comes at a cost. Quite a considerable cost really.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the AA boarding process but nobody is going to say it’s more expeditious.

I think QF has its about right with the environment it operates in.

 

[Daver6]

I think AA now board at T-40. So this all comes at a cost. Quite a considerable cost really.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the AA boarding process but nobody is going to say it’s more expeditious.

I think QF has its about right with the environment it operates in.

I think the other difference is departure time for AA means they actually push back from the gate. QF seems to mean they hope to perhaps have completed boarding by that time, but usually not.

 

[justinbrett]

I think the other difference is departure time for AA means they actually push back from the gate. QF seems to mean they hope to perhaps have completed boarding by that time, but usually not.

They mean the same thing - doors close.

 

[Daver6]

They mean the same thing - doors close.

QF are usually still boarding at departure time. AA tend to have boarding completed (based on two recent flights) a good 10-15 minutes prior to departure time.

 

[justinbrett]

QF are usually still boarding at departure time. AA tend to have boarding completed (based on two recent flights) a good 10-15 minutes prior to departure time.

The OTP for QF and AA are very similar (low 70s).

I’ve been on my share of delayed AA flights I can assure you!

 

[clifford]

I'm not sure why anyone gets excited about AA. At least in Australia.

 

[jase05]

I'm not sure why anyone gets excited about AA. At least in Australia.

Only very limited experiences with them and yes whilst boarding was efficient and the flights were mostly on time everything else screamed LCC on the routes I flew but again pretty limited experiences of half a dozen or so flights

 

[BenP]

With AA, flights aren’t called, F/Group 1/2 etc are at the gate ready to board the minute it opens.

Last time I was in the US one of the flights I took the gate agent actually asked my why I waited to board with a later group considering I was in group 2 in a generally curious way. I just had a back pack so I wasn't worried about bin space so I was happy to just walk around for a bit longer

 

[Beano]

I always found i wasn't the first at the priority gate even 10 minutes early!

 

[RSD]

Only very limited experiences with them and yes whilst boarding was efficient and the flights were mostly on time everything else screamed LCC on the routes I flew but again pretty limited experiences of half a dozen or so flights

That pretty much sums up my experience with them too - but to add that when the weather turns wintery they will happily put you on a flight that is couple of hundred miles from your ticketed destination - without telling you!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm not sure why anyone gets excited about AA. At least in Australia.

Not about the boarding… but comfortable seats upfront, crews usually very friendly, and the double serves of spirits even on some very short sectors means a pretty haply flight

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I'm not sure why anyone gets excited about AA. At least in Australia.

Their treatment of Oneworld Emerald (Qantas Plat, etc), is excellent. Flagship check-in with concierge to cut the security line in LA, 96kg free baggage even on economy flights with no ticketed allowance, Flagship Lounge even on domestic flights (also for Gold), etc. The typical economy experience may be urgh, but they treat Qantas elites very well. They even bought me a new wardrobe when one suitcase was delayed by a couple of days (as in, clothes, accessories, etc - they reimbursed every cent of shopping). Even got a free upgrade on my last AA long haul flight. When they're good, they're great.