Priority boarding for OW Elites?
Jun 8, 2012, 8:47 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA EXP, UA GLD, Bonvoy Titan, HH Dia, WoH Exp
Posts: 2,673
Priority boarding for OW Elites?
I have seen signs near gates for priority boarding for OW Emerald only and not for OW Sapphire members. Does QF allow priority boarding for other OW elites besides OWE?
I know BA allows OWE and OWS members to board "at leisure" and AA has priority boarding for all OW elites in their priority access lanes, but was unclear what QF's boarding policies were.
I know BA allows OWE and OWS members to board "at leisure" and AA has priority boarding for all OW elites in their priority access lanes, but was unclear what QF's boarding policies were.
Jun 8, 2012, 9:42 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QF Gold LTG (ow Saph), HHon Silver, Marriot Gold
Posts: 2,927
QF restricts domestic boarding to Plat/OWE only as otherwise on some flights there would be more with priority boarding than without. As it is, it is fairly inconsistently done with limited policing and signs often in the wrong place.
Internationally it is also offered to Gold/OWS
Internationally it is also offered to Gold/OWS
Jun 8, 2012, 9:58 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA EXP, UA GLD, Bonvoy Titan, HH Dia, WoH Exp
Posts: 2,673
I see. I suppose on routes like SYD-MEL, there would be a lot of elites. However since some flights board from both the front and rear of the plane, it seems like priority boarding is not a major benefit. As a OWE on a domestic business ticket, I was asked to wait to board once because they were only boarding passengers from the rear door initially.
Jun 8, 2012, 10:36 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP/LTG | UA P
Posts: 13,530
I see. I suppose on routes like SYD-MEL, there would be a lot of elites. However since some flights board from both the front and rear of the plane, it seems like priority boarding is not a major benefit. As a OWE on a domestic business ticket, I was asked to wait to board once because they were only boarding passengers from the rear door initially.
If you want priority boarding, get to the gate early.
Jun 8, 2012, 6:36 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 168
I have seen signs near gates for priority boarding for OW Emerald only and not for OW Sapphire members. Does QF allow priority boarding for other OW elites besides OWE?
I know BA allows OWE and OWS members to board "at leisure" and AA has priority boarding for all OW elites in their priority access lanes, but was unclear what QF's boarding policies were.
I know BA allows OWE and OWS members to board "at leisure" and AA has priority boarding for all OW elites in their priority access lanes, but was unclear what QF's boarding policies were.
Jun 8, 2012, 8:36 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
Time traveller: I see you are from the USA. In Aust, for many, priority boarding means boarding last, spending more minutes in the QF club and not crammed in some small metal tube. Aust is not like the USofA
Jun 8, 2012, 10:33 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: USA
Programs: AA EXP, UA GLD, Bonvoy Titan, HH Dia, WoH Exp
Posts: 2,673
I would be interested to know what percentage of elites are on board an average QF flight vs an average AA flight - my suspicion is very high % on QF and very low on AA. I've always enjoyed (as PS) the priority boarding on AA, and it's always seemed to me like a small queue of people. On QF, as PS I don't get it, and it's usually an enormous queue - sometimes it seems like more than half the plane is priority boarding.
However if you look at SYD-AYQ, I assume most are leisure passengers with few elites. On my AYQ flight, I was only 1 of 2 passengers in business class. They boarded and disembarked from both the front and back of the plane at AYQ. Too bad they don't have a QF Club at AYQ, since I wouldn't have minded boarding last
Jun 8, 2012, 10:40 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP/LTG | UA P
Posts: 13,530
Jun 9, 2012, 12:19 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,156
On other routes the number of elites can be as low as about 10 out of over 100, or even less...
(It's relatively easy to tell roughly how many elites based as the size of the First class upgrade list, which is available on their website)
Jun 9, 2012, 7:47 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
And, despite boarding last and minimising the uncomfortable time on board the aircraft, still having a reasonable chance of finding space to stow one's cabin baggage.
Jun 9, 2012, 7:05 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
And, despite boarding last and minimizing the uncomfortable time on board the aircraft, still having a reasonable chance of finding space to stow one's cabin baggage.
Jun 9, 2012, 8:44 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP/LTG | UA P
Posts: 13,530
Several decades ago, I was late for checking in for an AR domestic flight (a 727) at AEP. After check-in, I was told that although the gate had closed, I could still go out to the plane (a remote stand) by crawling through the bag converyor and then running to get on before the steps were pulled away. The door was closed behind me and I got seat 1C (all Y seating). Ahhh- the days before paranoid levels of security!
Jun 10, 2012, 8:41 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,348
Whilst I understand why QF does not offer priority boarding for oneworld Sapphire on domestic flights, they are technically going against oneworld policy; http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/oneworld-benefits/
Jun 10, 2012, 5:13 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
I have a suspicion that the full meaning of the oneworld rules may be that Sapphires from other airlines should be offered whatever priority boarding the airline offers its own Sapphire-level members - ie QF couldn't give QF Golds priority boarding but refuse other Sapphires. If QF restricts priority boarding to QF Platinums and other Emeralds, it might well be that that's consistent with the oneworld rules, even if that chart isn't explicit about the detail.
Jun 10, 2012, 5:30 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Wellington
Programs: QFWP (LTSG), NZ (Jade), TG ROP (Forgotten), OZ (Silver), AA (Cardboard), EK (Lowest of the Low)
Posts: 4,669
Whilst I understand why QF does not offer priority boarding for oneworld Sapphire on domestic flights, they are technically going against oneworld policy; http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/oneworld-benefits/
So why does QF deny priority boarding to OW Saphires - bescuase it is all to confusing and will delay boarding as the gate agents explain why the QF Golds cannot priority board domestic flights but OW Saphires, except QF SG, can.
