This has been my experience too over the last 6 months flying 2-4 sectors per week. I have been avoiding the QP and hanging out at the gate (it's actually calmer than in the QP) so am there at first boarding. Never any mention of elites, and am informal line has already formed before any boarding has been announced. Once it has started boarding it would be a brave person to cut those queues.

The only time I consistently see a separate J/WP/SG line domestically is in PER, and sometimes for A330's in SYD.

I've ignored the queue a few times when at the gate when boarding commences, I've just waltzed to the front and handed my boarding pass, as if I had every right to do so (which I did). No dramas.

A few filthy looks from pax in the queue, but to hell with them.


YMMV.

And here is was thinking that "Business, Platinum and Gold Frequent Fliers may board at their leisure" still meant we had to join the queue?

Last time I saw staged booking was to Adelaide a couple of weeks ago, not that it made any difference. In fact I have never seen a person look at their boarding pass and exit the queue after one of those announcements.

I haven't heard it at PER, yet. But, l think it's a good idea to promote it.
Only on INT boarding do l hear the; F,J, Emeralds and Golds may board any time. Most of the time, they are still in the lounge, so not many WP/SG's do board.

d00t; great idea. 50,000SC for LTP and CL @5,000SC per calender year.

Asiana have a system like this. 1million BIS miles= lifetime Platinum (aka Star Alliance GOLD)
http://ea.flyasiana.com/Global/EA/en...?fid=CLUB13100 (Scroll half way down)

You get lifetime status on AF, KL, AA, UA, SA etc. nothing special. OZ is unique because you get *G without ever having to set foot on a OZ plane. But *G is a lower status than OWE IMHO and there is nobody in OW giving away top status. I wonder whether OW rules don't allow this.

~ Don't Charge WPs for exit row seats on QF INTL flights ~

At SYD T3 and just heard a MEL flight announced with "At this stage we are boarding our business class passengers, as well as Platinum, Gold, OWE, OWS" or words to that effect. I was entering the QP at the time so didn't see what effect this had on the line.

^^^^^^

Priority Boarding for J-class pax?
 

I was meaning to ask this question - if priority boarding for J class is provided for domestic QF flights.

When I flew CNS-SYD 2 weeks ago, I was directed to go to the end of the queue (50+ meters) after I walked up to the front and showed my J-class BP to the gate agent. :rolleyes:

In the USA, don't you need to hold a boarding pass to get through security? Would make anytime access for OWE in the AA scheme useless?

More benefits on JQ for SG's and WP's.

Non flying A/C members can pre-arrange access for meeting etc.. Also, they can use the A/Cs upon arrival before heading landside.

also, not all AA clubs are airside anyway. PHL comes to mind..

Not sure if there are any airports (that have an Admirals lounge) where AA share a terminal with other carriers, but the other scenario is holding a BP for another airline - like one must to access QF intl J lounges.

In any event I can't think of too many airlines that have anytime lounge access as a tier benefit. SQ used to for PPS's (travelling on another airline) but dropped it some time ago.

How about DFW for starters? Terminal B has an AC (near B6) and terminal is used by UA. Terminal D has AC (near D24) and terminal is also used by Air Canada, British Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Sun Country Airlines and TACA.

SFO is another one ...