It’s unfathomable why it took Qantas so long to get its’ domestic boarding process right when it does almost everything else beyond excellent! It has been a gripe of many frequent travelers of status because very often you end up either getting stuck on the aerobridge or you need to fight for overhead space!
Qantas has recently revamped its domestic boarding process and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to experience it on its first day of implementation (25th November 2019). I was flying out of Brisbane Domestic Airport and it sure was a whole new experience.
The boarding announcement was made slightly earlier, about 20 minutes prior to departure, allowing time for passengers to start making their way to the boarding gate. At the gate, the general boarding line is cordoned off whilst a staff member briefly directs passengers in the gate area to correct line i.e. premium passengers on one side and general passengers on the other.
When the plane was ready for boarding, an announcement was made inviting all the premium passengers to board first, and the rest had to wait for the next announcement. This was certainly a refreshing change because it meant no more “traffic jams” in the middle of the bridge and no fight for overhead space.
It it is to be seen if Qantas’ gate staff will strictly enforce eligibility at the gate but for now, it’s thumbs up from me!