It would be good to know what the average real percentage is of SkyPriority eligible passengers per flight.

Would work me as well... Priority lane should be open during the whole boarding process, so you can go whenever you want to.

Only problem is that if you are late, there is no space in the overhead bin, that's why I usually choose to board early. (You can't have it both ways)

Main reasons for me are not having to wait in line and finding enough space for carry on (never check any luggage if I can avoid it)

But, as many others already stated, I think the problem is not in the system but in the enforcement (or rather lack of it) in many instances - e.g. last week in VIE there was no Priority lane.

I think - overall - that AMS boarding (especially at B) has improved immensely after the introduction of the metal barriers to keep priority separated from the others. in 8 of 10 times pax have been informed by the GA what line was for whom and pre-checked BP's before letting anyone through ^

Out stations are bit different where both lines open at the same time so not much priority.

Why is priority boarding valuable to you:
- not having to stand in line;
- being sure you there is enough space left on board for your hand luggage;

Would you rather board as one of the first (which means you have to be at the gate on time, before boarding starts) or board later, using the priority lane to pass the queue?

Same answer as Goldorak : both board first if you are at the gate when boarding starts or, if you arrive later, board using the priority lane to pass the queue

Which scenario would you prefer:
The current boarding process (implemented correctly) starting with priority boarding for premium customers and boarding other passengers after that.

So KL first introduce priority boarding and then they ask us what we want it to be? Good thing they haven't started enforcing the rules, otherwise the rules couldn't be changed or introduced in the first place...

Priority boarding, in its simplest form is a separate queue which is held open. First board all pax in the separate queue ie not both at the same time. Then, only if there is no one in the priority queue board the normal pax. Any late arrivals in the priority queue will be boarded ahead of the normal queue. And, to make it all work, send people back from the weong queue to the right one. If Easyjet can make it work, so should KL.

While we are at it, enforcement means also at the holding aeas for the D gates. And how about a separate bus - but only when boarding starts, cannot keep the bus jntil all prriority pax have boarded of course.

main reason for priority boarding:

be sure to have enough overhead space

Execute the DL system with a separate SP queue and don't start boarding the regular line when there are still SP pax waiting. SP line should stay open during regular boarding for elite pax arriving late.

And while on it, at gates where after BP check you have to wait in a waiting room before actually boarding the plane, the whole exercise is completely useless when you don't offer priority boarding at the actual door when entering the plane. The way from the BP control to the actual gate is usually completely jammed by regular pax. It's all about execution!

For me, the 2 major E+ benefits are lounge access and priority boarding (if not OLCI, I'd add priority check-in).

My answers:

Priority boarding is valuable for all of the three reasons mentioned:
- not having to stand in line
- being among the first to board
- being sure you there is enough space left on board for your hand luggage

The most important for me is not having to stand in line, but the problem of hand luggage is growing. It is unbelievable how much some passengers take with them and how much space some trolleys effectively take up. For all their faults, Lufthansa does a much better job in collecting oversized hand luggage consistently before boarding.

The implementation of priority boarding is very different among airports. As others, I have found CPH particularly bad at this, except for the one time (14/9 in the afternoon) when there was a team from KLM watching Novia from baggage drop-off to boarding the plane. This, coincidentally, was also the only time where the drop-off point functioned as it should, often me queuing up seems to be a sign for other (clearly non-status) pax to jump in front of me in the priority line. I guess I don't look like a status pax :)

I would not start boarding by rows unless status passengers can still board at any time.

Firstly, I appreciate KLM asking these questions.

My ideal option is to wait in the lounge for as long as possible, and be one of the last people to board the flight (using the priority lane to bypass any remaining queue). However, if I am concerned about space for hand baggage, then I may want to board as one of the first; or if I am at the gate early for other reasons (eg: tight connection departing from a remote gate, so no time to get to the lounge; or mis-judging the time I need to be at the gate), then of course I want to be able to board first.

Not having to queue... Modern air travel unfortunately involves a lot of queueing (for check-in, security, immigration, boarding, collecting baggage, etc) - which is generally 'unproductive' time (unlike being in the lounge, or even seated on the plane, where you can rest, read, work, eat, sleep, etc). So, one of the key benefits of being a premium pax with access to eg: SkyPriority is, or should be, being able to avoid these queues. However, this means that priority access actually has to work properly, at all points where queues may be encountered.
Being sure of space for hand baggage can also be important, although this varies with aircraft type and load factor, as well as with what I am carrying. I can generally fit my carry-on under the seat in a 737 or E190, so I can afford to board late - but if I need more space for some reason, then I want to be amongst the first to board, to be sure of finding such space.

I would like to be able to both: a) board first, if I am at the gate before boarding starts, and b) board without queuing, if I arrive at the gate after boarding has started. As others have said, it seems that what is needed is to maintain the current system, but implement it properly.
If KLM think they can make the overall boarding process more efficient (see here for some research on the topic), then that's great - but priority boarding for premium pax should still be maintained on top of any new system for regular pax, rather than removed.

Agreed there is difference between the different piers at AMS. In my experience, priority boarding at B and C-gates has worked reasonably well recently (but it does rely on GAs enforcing the rules, as there is normally a mad rush for the gate the moment boarding is announced - and I am sure not everyone is SkyPriority...) However, if you then have to take a bus, being first to 'board' just means you get to wait on the bus, rather than in the queue... Despatching the first bus with SkyPriority pax, rather than waiting for it to fill up with regular pax, would be a nice touch - but I can imagine there are all sorts of reasons why this would be problematic.

Non-Schengen-D is much more problematic, due to the security check at the gate, where it really is not easy to push in, even if there is a priority sign.

Of course, there is then the situation at all the different outstations... The ideal is having a lounge near the gate, and a specific boarding call for premium pax just before the gate closes. However, this isn't possible everywhere, of course.

I suspect part of the problem is that although premium pax travel a lot, and therefore tend to know which services they are entitled to, and where to find them; most non-premium pax do not fly much (by definition), and therefore may be honestly unsure about when they are supposed to board, or which queue they can use. The solution to this is both to present clear information (on written signboards, and in boarding announcements, etc), and to have GAs who are willing to enforce the rules.


One thought I've just had: another problem (both for GAs, and also for premium pax) is identifying who (else) is premium pax (and therefore entitled to use the service) and who is just 'pushing in'. This can be a problem if, say, there is a rather vague defined queue at one of the narrow D-gates, and you're not sure if it is other premium pax (so you should queue behind them), or regular pax (so you could jump ahead). Currently, SkyPriority privileges are only indicated by very small printing on the BP, and perhaps someone holding a FF card. However, if there was a specific SkyPriority-branded tag for approved handbaggage (eg: red, rather than the standard KLM yellow), it would be immediately obvious, both to GAs and to other pax, who was entitled to use the priority queue. Having such a clear marker should make enforcement much easier all round.

KLM requests your input regarding Priority Boarding
 

LOL DYKWIA bag tags by the airline! :D
But then you get the issue if you should give the tags to FB Silver/ST Elite, they aren't SP but do get priority boarding.

Ok I'm having some thoughts about the various situations, mostly because of the gate layout.
With Schengen flights, I think it's simple: two lanes with one being SP. The SP line should have been cleared before the 'normal' lane is processed and the SP lane has to be open at all times during boarding.

Now for the flights where security is done at the gate.
The current situation, I see, is something like this: (based on F gate)

http://imageshack.us/a/img222/6852/situation1.png

SP pax can use the SP lane (red arrow) from the pier (#1) to bypass the normal row (green arrow) until security. After that, there is the BP scanning (#2).
There is a so called Premium pax area but that isn't enforced. So when the actual boarding is announced, it's a free for all with no one checking who gets onboard first. (it still amazes me a GA stands with a SkyPriority sign in her hands in front of the jetway and seeing 400 pax come all at once and just stand there in ignorance).

So my idea is the following: have the premium area (#4) cordoned of with someone checking credentials for SP pax and let only eligible pax in the premium area. So there should be a division between #3 and #4 like this:

http://imageshack.us/a/img441/7310/situation2.png

So then, when boarding starts, you first clear the SP pax area, and then open the division to board the rest at leisure or maybe by row.

Feasible?

(And pardon my drawing skills :D )

To make the gate agents life easier they could have different coloured boarding passes for SKyPriority passengers (like Cathay Pacific has). This may not be of help for those who do home-print.

Well, to some extent the FB PE baggage tag on my carry-on is already an airline-issued DYKWIA-tag, although most people won't actually know what it means (and for example, is a regular pax boarding an intra-European flight at AMS going to realise that someone carrying a MEA Golden Cedar tag is allowed to jump to the front of the queue...?)

Good point - although hopefully not insurmountable (yet another colour of tag?)

I think the main point is having something that is easily recognisable, to both GAs and other pax, indicating who is or isn't entitled to use the priority service (without having to read the small print on a boarding card, or being able to instantly recognise all the E/E+ cards from all ST FFPs...) If it's not easily recognisable when you look at the person, it's harder a) for GAs to enforce the rules, b) for premium pax to know whether they're going in front of regular pax (which should be OK), or in front of other premium pax (which is not OK), and c) for regular pax to understand why some other people seem to be 'jumping the queue'. If the branding on the item matched the branding on the SkyPriority access lanes, then it would be very clear which people were allowed to use them, and why.

I suggested handbaggage tags, as nearly everyone has some kind of carry-on with them, and KL already seem to be generally fairly good at getting their yellow tags on everyone's hand baggage. However, it could be something else instead: coloured boarding card, DYKWIA hat, special SkyPriority walking cane, whatever... :)

(Not that I'm trying to cultivate a DYKWIA attitude, of course - but if certain pax are entitled to priority treatment, I think it's actually easier all round if everyone can recognise that, rather than, for example, having to cut in the front of the security queue at a non-Schengen-D-gate, just waving an E+ FF card and saying "I'm SkyPriority", which I think a lot of people feel too uncomfortable to do).

Ideally, whatever this 'SkyPriority marker' is, it would be standardised across SkyTeam, not just KLM (otherwise someone say, transferring at Schiphol from an ST, but non-KL flight to a KL flight wouldn't have the right marker).

KLM requests your input regarding Priority Boarding
 

Transfer pax are a 'problem' and also people who do OLCI and not go via regular check-in if you want to give a special tag. Same for a different colour BP.

Why not put a simple scanning device in front of the closed SkyPriority line?
If you do not have SkyPriority, your boardingpass will not let you pass.
This will make things a lot easier to maintain.

I am glad to see that pretty much everyone agrees on this topic :)
Most important: Overhead bin space
Important: Not having to stand in line

Being among the first to board: I couldnt care less as long as I am sure that there will be bin space available. Seat numbers are fixed anyway so I do not find it important to be the first to board. In fact, I'd prefer to wait it out (in the lounge?) as the hours afterwards I'd be cramped in that seat anyway :)
Like everybody else: All of the above. Board first, or skip the queue when arriving later.

Boarding from the back to the front is still something that can be used for economy passenger in parallel to Priority boarding.
The options mentioned above sound interesting. At this point I do not have any ideas myself, so I realize I should not be criticizing. However i cant hold back some respectful comments: (;))

- Boarding passes are printed with black ink on existing (colored) paper stock. The machines / robots needs to be able to hold two different color BP stock in order to print both normal and Elite ones. I doubt this is feasible as currently they only hold 1 as far as I know.
- Colored luggage tags: Yes great idea. Probably easy to do as well. However most people do not get their bags tagged. I almost never do as I do not check luggage (thus do not pass by the check in desk).
- An extra BP scan/check to enter a separate area would be nice, however it will require extra personnel. Not sure if that is an option. Automatic unmanned gates will be confusing to other passengers who will try to enter too.

All in all I am not unhappy about the current setup for priority boarding, taking the C gates as an example. As long as the GA enforces the policies properly I find it fairly easy to enter the plane among the first, granted I arrive within the first minutes of boarding.

When arriving later overhead space is a huge problem though. So if something can be found for that problem..that would be very good. I doubt such thing exist though. Without drastically lowering the max-carry-on sizes and strictly enforcing them at least.

And how about SP pax' companions?