Rear Door Boarding/Disembarking at All Ports

[dk4]

Qantas seems poised to start using tarmac boarding/disembarking at all it's terminals with aerobridges. I witnessed a soft launch in MEL T1, where everything was set up and the aerobridge door left open for passengers to use, but no announcements made in the gate lounge to use the tarmac to board via the rear doors.

I didn't take the picture until after push back, but you can see - A) the doorway from the aerobridge, leading down to the passenger stairs, B) the mobile staircase that gets moved to the back of the aeroplane, C) the pedestrian markings on the ground & D) the wound up tape marker used to keep passengers walking around the wing.

I only noticed it as the people boarding in front of me instinctively walked out the open aerobridge door, when they saw it open.

 

[TheInsider]

They have been using it for quite a while now in MEL as well as other ports. Also when the door is opened for the rear-stair boarding, the boarding staff would be telling the passengers sitting from rows 15-30 to use the rear stairs.

This process of boarding helps greatly and makes it a lot more efficient.

 

[kermatu]

Yep, been happening for quite a while in places like ADL and CNS. But I have seen in the past month much greater use in MEL and BNE (including one instance of J passengers entering from the stairs at the back of the plane - which kind of defeats the purpose - but just a simple mistake).

FAs have emphasized that people can still use the aerobridge if they prefer.

Haven't seen it in CBR yet (when an aerobridge is used) but would seem perfectly possible here too.

 

[mviy]

I usually get seats in the front half of the plane, but in some ports smaller planes are used if the flights are lightly loaded and everyone has to go onto the tarmac.

 

[njba]

It does rather give boarding a distinctly LCC feel.

 

[spiredturnip]

It does rather give boarding a distinctly LCC feel.

As others have noted, it's not in any way enforced and pax are still free to use the aerobridge. QF were planning on introducing 35 minute turns this FY, haven’t paid too much attention if they’ve achieved it or not, but did say this would deliver about $80m in benefits during the FY as a result. Part of that is achieved through dual door boarding, so it's not something to be sneezed at.

It does seem to be rather sporadically applied though, I have seen it in MEL and ADL but not SYD or PER over the last fortnight.

 

[juddles]

..... QF were planning on introducing 35 minute turns this FY, haven’t paid too much attention if they’ve achieved it or not, but did say this would deliver about $80m in benefits during the FY as a result. ....

I suspect you are on the money and it is solely about turnaround times.

Scheduled turnaround times are not the only factor - a speedy boarding can help play catch up after a delay also. Indeed, nothing to be sneezed at.

 

[Buzzard]

It does make disembarking quicker but you just wait longer at the carousel.

 

[njba]

It does make disembarking quicker but you just wait longer at the carousel.

The truth of air travel: hurry up and wait.

 

[medhead]

Been around for a while. Apparently since January 2015, in one form or other. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....am/boarding-via-rear-stairs-qantas-65738.html

 

[BD1959]

The truth of air travel: hurry up and wait.

Isn't that the truth!

City to City scheduled journey times getting longer; LH aircraft cruising slower ... the more air travel progresses, the more it goes backwards!!

Agree with comments to date, though. Following the successful trial at ADL last year, QF announced they would roll this out across the Domestic Network. And - yes! - it does have a LCC feel about it (which in truth, is exactly what it's there to do: lower the cost to the airline).

Regards,

BD

 

[Boris spatsky]

It was in the QF announcement to the ASX last year i think. Allows turnarounds on 737 of 35 minutes, vice 40. Across a day this can allow QF to squeeze in an extra sector on some airframes.

 

[kermatu]

Are there restrictions on when passengers can be moving around on the tarmac (albeit within defined lines)? I am sure (but not certain) that pax were disembarking a QF flight at the gate in CNS, including from rear stairs, at the same time as the VA 737 in the gate right alongside was pushing back. Just remember thinking that felt odd.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Are there restrictions on when passengers can be moving around on the tarmac (albeit within defined lines)? I am sure (but not certain) that pax were disembarking a QF flight at the gate in CNS, including from rear stairs, at the same time as the VA 737 in the gate right alongside was pushing back. Just remember thinking that felt odd.

I am not sure to be honest, pax boarding and flow across the tarmac is up to ground staff.

 

[smeacs]

I haven’t used it at ADL for ages but when the option is available I’m a huge fan especially when disembarking from near the rear.

 

[Anna]

What happens when rows 16-20 use the rear stairs for boarding and rows 21-end use the aerobridge because the FAs say they can? Surely it can't speed anything up when people are jostling to move in different directions along the aisle.

 

[anat0l]

I don't know about the LCC feel, though for some of us that are NBs, sitting at the very back gives some sort of possible option if getting on and off the aircraft quickly is desired.

Of course, it would not be desirable to be forced upon the tarmac if it were blustery and pelting down with rain.

There's something romantic to be had about boarding aircraft via the stairs, approaching the fine craft up close......


As for consistent 35 minute turnarounds by QF, that's a big call if they can consistently keep at it.

 

[anat0l]

What happens when rows 16-20 use the rear stairs for boarding and rows 21-end use the aerobridge because the FAs say they can? Surely it can't speed anything up when people are jostling to move in different directions along the aisle.

What kind of scenario could there be for that kind of call to be made?

At that point, rows 16-20 might as well board via the bridge as well.

 

[JessicaTam]

What kind of scenario could there be for that kind of call to be made?

At that point, rows 16-20 might as well board via the bridge as well.

Using the rear stairs is optional, so a pax from row 21 could legitimately being going 'against the flow'.

It does make disembarking quicker but you just wait longer at the carousel.

I don't understand the concept.

 

[anat0l]

Using the rear stairs is optional, so a pax from row 21 could legitimately being going 'against the flow'.

They could, so the "chaos" situation would assume that there are enough random people who would not prefer boarding according to the recommended flow pattern and choose to do so via the bridge.

It's a possible scenario, but I haven't seen it yet (on VA, anyway, not QF), and certainly not to the extent that blocks of rows seem to alternate for and against the standard flow.