Queuing for the priority queue? What the?

[Warks]

As a SG who always sits in the window seat on DOM flights I usually get to the gate around the time it opens so I can get my seat without having to prise the aisle passenger out to sit down. Normally there are a couple of other 'status' pax hanging around near the gate but just lingering not lining up. My last few flights have seen a queue forming from well before the gate opens. I've come down from the Lounge to find half a dozen people lined up. I thought this sort of defeats the purpose. Why queue if you have priority anyway? The worst I've seen was on my recent flights to OOL (from SYD) and back. From OOL there were about three wheelchairs and a woman with crutches to go on first which took some considerable time. There were about 20 lined up by the time we could board.

I don't quite know why this bothers me but it does. Perhaps I should just stay in the Lounge a bit longer...

 

[jasecao]

Yeah I have noticed this on the 3pm flight from Melbourne to Sydney, its a packed flight and there seems to be more people with status than normal passengers...I think it just depends on how popular the flight is..

 

[Cryptarcadian]

I haven't been in this situation myself (I usually hang around at the lounge as long as possible), but I know some status flyers do queue early if they have large carry-on and need to maximise chances of stashing them easily.

 

[bean]

The people aren't status-people are starting to realise they can line up in the priority que and won't be turned away regardless.....

 

[ap_spd]

Last time I was boarding at Sydney they turned away non status pax.

 

[Pleb Status]

There were 20 to 30 lined up (myself included) prior to the commencement of boarding PER-BNE yesterday. The gate agent gave the FA operating the gate very specific instructions to reject anyone who was not entitled to use the PB line.

QF could really learn from VA how to run PB.

 

[jb747]

The worst I've seen was on my recent flights to OOL (from SYD) and back. From OOL there were about three wheelchairs and a woman with crutches to go on first which took some considerable time.

But they aren't actually in the queue. Normal boarding won't start until they are taken care of...

 

[bubblyguy]

There were 20 to 30 lined up (myself included) prior to the commencement of boarding PER-BNE yesterday. The gate agent gave the FA operating the gate very specific instructions to reject anyone who was not entitled to use the PB line.

That would have been another ground staff member as Virgin does not have the Cabin Crew board the flight at the gate.

I know both Jetstar and Qantas have Cabin Crew do the boarding, not sure about Tiger.

 

[smatho10]

Its a bit boss like..

But when I arrive to the gate, I actually wait until the status pax who have queued have been processed. Wait until the 1st or 2nd normal pax starts boarding then make my way down the empty queue. Stop the normal queue and present my boarding pass.

Always get a "look" from someone in the line...

I have to admit always 15-20 priority pax down at HBA who queue in the Priority line.

 

[bean]

One of life's great mysteries to me-why people que to board a plane with pre designated seating and why they bolt like horses from a start gate as soon as the seat belt sign is turned off.

I guess people are inherently impatient and...stupid? What's the rush to get on, only to wait 30mins for the door to close, what's the rush to get stand up only to wait for the door to open, what's the rush to bolt to the baggage carousel only to wait for the bags to arrive...

 

[Pleb Status]

One of life's great mysteries to me-why people que to board a plane with pre designated seating and why they bolt like horses from a start gate as soon as the seat belt sign is turned off.

I guess people are inherently impatient and...stupid? What's the rush to get on, only to wait 30mins for the door to close, what's the rush to get stand up only to wait for the door to open, what's the rush to bolt to the baggage carousel only to wait for the bags to arrive...

Let me enlighten you on these 'mysteries'.

Boarding early ensures any carry-on is located directly above my seat and is easily accessible during the flight (and upon leaving the aircraft). I never need to put a bag under the seat in front, ensuring maximum comfort for the entire journey. It is 'stupid' not to board early if the flight is going to be near capacity for the reasons above.

On departing the aircraft, being HLO, I am half way home before you have even left the airport if you check bags.

'Mysteries' solved.

 

[Milefest]

Let me enlighten you on these 'mysteries'.

Boarding early ensures any carry-on is located directly above my seat and is easily accessible during the flight (and upon leaving the aircraft). I never need to put a bag under the seat in front, ensuring maximum comfort for the entire journey. It is 'stupid' not to board early if the flight is going to be near capacity for the reasons above.

On departing the aircraft, being HLO, I am half way home before you have even left the airport if you check bags.

'Mysteries' solved.

Carry-on baggage is also the main reason I board early. I normally go for the window seat, which means if I board early I don't disrupt the pax sitting in the middle or aisle seats.

It also stops pax that ignore designtated seating who I hate dealing with, especially long haul.

 

[Warks]

But they aren't actually in the queue. Normal boarding won't start until they are taken care of...

They were certainly milling into a queue while the disabled folks were being taken care of, edging towards the gate... just a few more steps... maybe I can get on...

Only slightly related but I found it odd that they seated the woman on crutches in the aisle seat in row 6 (my row). I had to get her up to get into my window seat. Then later the middle seat guy turned up and she had to get up again. Then on landing I was worried about her having to stay seated until she could get her crutches because I had a train to catch to get to parent-teacher night (yes!). But she was good enough to get up when the row in front of her cleared and sat down again in row 5. I thought she should have been seated in a window seat or maybe in one of the extra legroom seats. Perhaps she didn't have it on her profile though.

 

[bean]

Not really a mystery solved-I've never had a overhead locker that wasnt within a row or two-hardly an inconvenience. And how is hand luggage of any relevance to people rushing out of their seat when the seat belt sign goes off-everyone still has to wait for the door to open.

Hand luggage to checked luggage is a whole other story.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

Its a bit boss like..

But when I arrive to the gate, I actually wait until the status pax who have queued have been processed. Wait until the 1st or 2nd normal pax starts boarding then make my way down the empty queue. Stop the normal queue and present my boarding pass.

Always get a "look" from someone in the line...

I have to admit always 15-20 priority pax down at HBA who queue in the Priority line.

Regarding HBA this can be too true sometimes, I swear sometimes there are more status pax than normal. Funny story. I was down there a few weeks ago with a work college he's a bit of a full hardy guy who just powers on and we meet up at the end and he has never done the HBA trip before. So he sees the line up of 20 odd people in the priority queue and just assumes they are all lining up in the wrong lane, he powers around them and then straight the front of the normal queue, I can just see how agitated he is getting as they start boarding priority (he still thinks they are just normal pax) so he finally pushes out he's boarding pass with a few words that I can only assume where "Im priority" to which I assume she answers "yes sir, so are all these guests" anyway she lets him board and the rest of the priority lane continues. We where in 2A and 2C it was pretty funny all up and he got quite a few stares from status pax and business class guests who he had pushed in front of.

 

[RooFlyer]

Not really a mystery solved-I've never had a overhead locker that wasnt within a row or two-hardly an inconvenience. And how is hand luggage of any relevance to people rushing out of their seat when the seat belt sign goes off-everyone still has to wait for the door to open.

Hand luggage to checked luggage is a whole other story.

Lucky you re your locker availability. Have you never seen the dweebs who board last hunting back and forth for locker space and end up having half of it at their feet because there is none. No thanks!!

I board early, even in business class, to guarantee that my stuff is accessible to me. I can be reading or working on my phone until the door closes so I'd rather be there, settled, drinking a juice rather than standing in a queue at the gate.

As for standing up as soon as the plane stops - yes that is a bit pointless although I do stand as soon as the sign goes out as I like to stretch my legs. But once the door opens, as mentioned above, we are on our way while the late boarders wait and wait till they can access their gear.

Still a mystery to you?

 

[bean]

Before I was gold status I would sit in the lounge until the last minute to board-never once was I one of those 'dweebs' you refer to, though I'm sure it does happen. Re rushing to stand-lol in most cases you have been sitting for a couple of hours, what's another 5 minutes...

It's funny, you and the other bloke seem offended with your condescending responses. Either way you keep rushing, I'll sit and relax and meet you at the taxi rank/car park calm and relaxed and within 10 seconds of u

 

[RooFlyer]

The replies may have been coloured by being called ' ?stupid ' by the post being replied to, especially when the 'board early' thing is very common amongst us here. Comments like that are provocative and presumably got the reaction sought.

And as for condescending responses - care to read the post above this one? "U" can do your thing and we'll do ours, without resorting to calling in people ?stupid, or to writing like a texting sub teen.

 

[Pleb Status]

Not really a mystery solved-I've never had a overhead locker that wasnt within a row or two-hardly an inconvenience. And how is hand luggage of any relevance to people rushing out of their seat when the seat belt sign goes off-everyone still has to wait for the door to open.

Hand luggage to checked luggage is a whole other story.

You do not fly very often then on busy routes and/or at peak times.

 

[samas]

If I wait till the lounge call boarding and immediately head to the gate the normal lane is already well through boarding so you get stuck with some of the issues already mentioned above. (people in seat, overhead bins)

Before there were two boarding lanes priority boarding used to work by calling it in the lounge, all the status pax walked straight down boarding and on to the plane, then they called regular boarding. It seems to me the lounge call boarding much later than they used to so I no longer wait for their call and usually leave a few minutes before i expect boarding to start. Also will usually go for a walk past my gate to stretch the legs before the flight and back to the gate to wait with the other priority queue dwellers.

If the lounge called boarding so that you could actually board before general boarding I wouldn't dwell at the purple lane.