Cathay Boy

I didn't see Y+ BP, but I saw SL, GR people line up on Biz line too, even though the sign marked "Business Class/Gold/Sapphire"

Perhaps CX is making a new sign to make it "4 lines" in the future? SL/GR/Y+ line?

g.yau

I recently flew on the HKG-ADL-MEL route and definitely did not see the 3 lines. I've been flying on CX all my life, always considering them as no.1 on my list. However to be honest I was quite shocked with the way CX handled boarding.

J pax and Marco Polo pax boarded like normal. However the Y and Y+ queue was just out of order, Y+ pax were mixed with Y pax and the seat number system was just completely ignored; the ground crew weren't even bothered to sift out the passengers that weren't suppose to be there. What made it even worse was that some passengers believed that they could cut the queue and just push infront of everyone.

The flight from ADL-MEL was much more organised, maybe it was just the ground crew from HKG. My previous flight from LHR-HKG was also very organised, I even saw the Chairman of CX waiting to board ^

correctioncx

Because Aust flights does NOT have F Class.

Yes there should be a DM queue, but given the smaller plane, the queues are not that bad.

CrazyJ82

When I saw this at HKG recently the signed said "Marco Polo" and sapphire, implying what it has always been -- every MPO member and other ow sph.

cartman7110

Based on a recent trip:

ex-LAX - three lines: First, Business, and Y+/Economy. (no MPO)
ex-HKG - three lines: First, Business, and Y+/Economy. (no MPO)
Return-HKG - two lines: First/Business/MPO (no distinction) and Y+/Economy
Return-LAX - three lines: First/MPO Diamond/MPO Emerald, Business/MPO (did not elaborate), and Y+/Economy.

The J line does have a long line but thats expected.

IMHO, I would say that the more fair approach is to have (1) F and special needs line (2) J and upper MPO tier line (3) Y+ and lower MPO tier line and (4) regular economy.

fakecd

i think priority for airline is to get people onboard asap rather than sequence of boarding by staus. 2line already suffice, mpc silver or ruby above plus rest of masses cuz agent will hamdpick first pax and move them to front

Always Flyin

If only that were only so with any regularity.

cartman7110

The problem with handpicking is that you disrupt the existing line. If there is space for additional line, why not have one line for F (and special needs) instead of having yourself move up the line and everybody else move the line back?

I think its more polite people know that passenger is F, lined up on an F line than someone escorting or instructing this PAX to be ahead of you while you were on the line way longer.

Don't get me wrong, I like the KISS concept, but CX itself (aside from the clamor of privilege for F and upper MPO status) is focusing on having priority boarding based on status and fare. So i propose we simply be fair about it.

Also, I did experience the two-line setup just recently ex-MNL. Its probably because Manila's Terminal 1 Gate 4 having such a small space thus they used the two-line setup.

Now, I am but a lowly MPO status member and when i lined up (i only lined up when they said they will begin boarding), I took the F/J/MPO line. And i was ahead of the Fs and the Js. The staff did not even bother to ask me to have an F or J move ahead of me, nor did they care.

Hey it favors me but not those who paid way more than i did.

Personally, I would not mind giving someone ahead of me who is F but it would be cumbersome for me and those behind me in line to move back just to have an F sneak or politely "cut" in the line.

And no, the staff did not care if your F but you'd probably be at the last of the non-Y line. In such a situation and i was full fare F, i'd feel a little disappointed.

In short, as a Status or Higher Fare class PAX, there is no such thing as board at your pleasure. You'd end up in a long line.

fakecd

let's put in prospective.

i think there's simple answer. Just enforce existing rules... RUBY are NOT allowed priority boarding
http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/oneworld...9BC61D0109A4AB

but so often I think Ruby end up in Business line. Also change rules on MPC green to deny priority boarding. How often have you seen guys flashing green card? (i think that's comedy personally, "do you know who I am?" with green card).

sometimes airport just don't have facility/room to have 3 seperate lines.

cartman7110

Luckily CX is going the other way and adding more lines instead of decreasing privileges.

CrazyJ82

I'm all for keeping other ow rubies out of the priority line, since it's not a published benefit.

But in general, I'd oppose any further expansion of boarding lines. Three borders on too many. Every time I travel in the U.S. I'm struck by how, in an effort to flatter elites' egos with precise gradations of priority boarding, the airlines have devised a boarding procedure that resembles a problem on an IQ test (and which most pax seem to fail). CX manages to get people onto the plane quickly, and how often has an elite here, standing at the end of a long elite line, still not found room for an overhead? (Barring some KA PVG/PEK flights where every pax is an elite of some sort.)

As for the GR...let's not start that discussion again. I think this forum has already covered it ad nauseam and we'll all have to agree to disagree with each other on that one!

dkc192

I have noticed that a few times at HKG, LAX, KUL, and maybe others, that they announced priority boarding as F, J, MPC, and OW Emerald and Sapphire, with no mention of Ruby. At KUL I have seen a Ruby or two get turned away from the priority area of the gate hold room (they segregate the hold room by priority/row number). At HKG, however, I have seen several AA Rubies board in the priority line.

Syamyael

Yup I do appreciate a diamond line. Coz I am usually pushed all the way to the back as diamond in c class. Cx allows too many members to join the priority queue.

DieselYVR

They had three lines the other day for CX828 (HKG>YYZ). This flight has no F but there were three separate lines:

J/DM/OWE
GO/SL/GR/OWS
Y/Y+

Haven't seen this before on a 77G.

midlevels

This is a real dilution of benefits. I understand on a 77H if they have a separate line for F/DM/OWE as DM/OWE are supposed to offer F class ground services.

To separate GO from J and put GO behind in boarding priority is a real slap in the face as GO is supposed to offer J-equivalent ground services.