Years after many other airlines have done so, Qantas has seen the light, and has introduced group boarding.
This has been done for at least the last 4 years on Singapore Air, and other progressive airlines, in my experience. However the hoo-ha in the Oz media because it is being done at this late stage - but only half-assed in my opinion - by Qantas, is beyond belief.
introduced group boarding
How do we fit through the door?
Do you identify as a "group"?
Yes… My pronouns are we/they
forgot "us"
Have you missed the news about the surprise new doors on some Boeings?
i wonder how much the management/strategy consultants were paid to come up with this
"Let's go fly with Singapore Airlines ans see what they do" lol
“We know how important on time departure is to our customers, so this process is also about doing everything possible to ensure we depart on time.”
There are so many other variables that decide whether the aircraft departs on time. This won't make an ounce of difference on departure times. There will always be a few bogans who will naively block the aisles while they work out where to put their carry on and slow down the boarding process.
There are so many other variables that decide whether the aircraft departs on time.
Arriving on time would be a start…
Also calling for that long lost last passenger for 20 minutes - you aint there on time, anus holes to you.
And their check-in baggage which is already on board?
You've played this game before ;)
edit: and the flogs with 2-4 bags so overhead is full before plane is 1/2 full.
Southwest in the US was doing boarding groups until 2007 when they added boarding queue/sequence numbers. Seventeen years ago…
Did the Southwest thing. They set up poles and you stand in your area, then they board you. It is mainly based on how much you are willing to pay to book a seat.
The Southwest flight crew were terrific. They were professional but their banter was hysterically funny.
Flew trans-Tasman over the weekend and they were boarding this way and actually enforcing it. Okay it wasn't technically group boarding but boarding by rows starting at the rear and increasing in 5-row increments.
The setup was two gate agents scanning tickets and one agent checking that you are in a row that has actually been called. Brought a smile to my face to see pushy boomers being turned away at the gate because their row had not been called.
but boarding by rows starting at the rear and increasing in 5-row increments.
How does this speed things up?
In this case, passengers board from the front door of the plane.
By boarding passengers who are sitting in the rear of the plane first (eg rows 25-30), they can get on the plane, head to the back and store their carry-on luggage and sit down.
This process then repeats for the next 5 rows 20-25, then rows 15-20, and so on.
Without this process in place, some passengers from row 7 (for example) may get on first, take their time to put their carry on away and get in their seat. This will block the aisle and prevent every other passenger who are sitting in rows behind them from passing in the aisle and getting to their allocated seat. This is what slows down the boarding process.
Well done with ELI5
even if some are slow to stow and take their seat, they can call the next rows to start the process again
Its all about relieving choke points, im amazed in this day and age that a "leading airline" has only just implemented it
I have seen cows getting milked in a more efficient manner then their old system
If we’re in economy we usually wait until almost everyone has boarded then join the stragglers at the end. Our cabin luggage fits under the seat in front so locker space is irrelevant to us. If we’re flying business then we priority board to get our glass of champers. :)
Frankly they should let all the people who don’t use the overhead luggage bins on and off first. They don’t clog the aisles stuffing around with luggage.
This is the most stress-free strategy available if you have luggage that fits under the seat in front.
I do find the placement of the seat struts means that most backpacks sized bags won't fit under the seat in front if you are sitting in an aisle seat on their 737s. Middle seats seem to have the most space to store luggage under the seat in front.
We just use a day pack for onboard stuff. Never had an issue with not enough room with the aisle seats but thanks for the tip.
THey should introduce competitive boarding. The fittest/ fastest will get there first.
Hunger games style boarding, I'm here for this.
Thunderdome. Two go in only one comes out. They could run pay per view to improve profits.
LMAO!
EasyJet and Ryanair used to offer unallocated seating but ditched this in 2012 and 2014 respectively. I flew with Easyjet in 2009 and it was certainly chaotic. It used to work for LCCs because no passenger had status. Qantas has always been paralysed by the need to show obsequious deference to their high-value customers but still accommodate Bronze and unaffiliated seat-fillers.
united did unallocated on domestic as recently as 2017. Pretty sure it was them or could have been AA, one of the big 2
Every section elects a Karen and Kevin to do battle. The new in-flight entertainment.
Thanks for sharing this. I don't think we know how Qantas boarding groups are comprised and likely they're doing something that will prove effective.
As long as group boarding doesn’t translate to unassigned seating I’m down with it. I always aim to board close to last anyway unless I’m upfront.
This is nothing new nor is rocket science. Qantas is reactive all the time. And they shud improve Melb to Sydney return which is always delayed!
is group boarding that important to you?