SIA "Priority Boarding" - Krisflyer Elite Gold & Star Alliance Gold

[Bat69]

I spoke with SQ Customer Services on Monday, 18 June. They have confirmed that the airports currently on trial are Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing. According to the airline, the trial has been ongoing for the last six months, and a decision has yet to be made in terms of how to improve the boarding process. The reason why we are boarding from the "normal" instead of "priority" lane is because of complaints from the Solitare, PPS, PCL and JCL pax who found the queue lane too "long" for their liking.

SIA has confirmed that Krisflyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold pax will continue to board with "priority" but from the "normal" lane. Though boarding will be ahead of EYCL pax, Krisfler Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold pax will be "called" for boarding, only after the announcement has been made for Solitare, PPS, PCL and JCL pax. These "premium" pax will board from the "priority" lane.

On the same logic, why can't they maintain boarding from 'priority' lane for kf gold, but make the call for premium passengers to board ahead, so they would not have to 'wait too long' ?

[SQ Queen]

On the same logic, why can't they maintain boarding from 'priority' lane for kf gold, but make the call for premium passengers to board ahead, so they would not have to 'wait too long' ?

Indeed, especially when there is typically a mass of passengers already clustered around the economy lane during the priority boarding stage, as everyone moves forward in anticipation.

[SQ380]

From a reliable source:

"..... for airports where there are two boarding lanes (eg. Changi Airport), one will be for Suites/First, Business class and PPS Club members to board while the other lane will be for Star Gold and Economy class passengers. *After the boarding announcement for Suites/First, Business class passengers and PPS club members, staff members will then invite Star Gold members to board before inviting the other Economy class passengers. We will continue to monitor the situation and to ensure that our service partners carry out the proper boarding sequence on ground."

[concept|infinit]

Not an expert on this as I only have a few flights on SQ a year- exclusively at the back of the plane.. but why not have a more systematic albeit hierarchical structure for Prority Boarding?

I notice the Priority and "Normal" lanes but it doesn't make sense if all the PPSes and FF Elite are in one lane- would the Solitaires like being in the same queue as Elite Gold- where is the exclusivity in that? Maybe that's SQ's reasoning her. Don't flame me though, just being a devil's advocate!

Why not have the priority boarding in phases e.g.
Phase 1. Solitaires & other F pax
Phase 2. PPS & other J pax
Phase 3. KF Elite Gold, S* Gold

[SilverChris]

There you have it - "Priority" for PPS. So stop complaining.

[jbflyer]

Yes. SQ staffs let business class customers and PPS members get into the plane first and follow by KF EG members.
That was what I got in Hanoi last week.

[firebear]

Just fly SQ from Shanghai (weekend), Gold member board on "normal" lane but when announcement was made, queue was already form. The issue was the ground crew let in everyone irregardless if gold member or not. i question the ground crew but they keep quiet. I made a complained to SQ thereafter.

[Bat69]

Was on SQ12 yesterday or is it today :0 messy...messy....both in Changi and Narita....I see KF Gold jostling with Y pax to get to front of queue....I give up complaining to SQ, flying UA next trip(s).

[jjpb3]

Was on SQ12 yesterday or is it today :0 messy...messy....both in Changi and Narita....I see KF Gold jostling with Y pax to get to front of queue....I give up complaining to SQ, flying UA next trip(s).

You don't think jostling isn't part of the UA boarding experience? I haven't experienced more hassle at SQ boarding compared to UA boarding (not over the same routes, though, so, honestly, can't speak for shared routes).

Have fun at UA.

[9V-SIA]

Just fly SQ from Shanghai (weekend), Gold member board on "normal" lane but when announcement was made, queue was already form. The issue was the ground crew let in everyone irregardless if gold member or not. i question the ground crew but they keep quiet. I made a complained to SQ thereafter.

PAXs in PVG don't care about status or boarding priority in my experience. They're communists

[firebear]

PAXs in PVG don't care about status or boarding priority in my experience. They're communists

kind of agreed haha

Also in China domestic airport, gold member's luggage sometimes is the last batch to be out.

actually not just there, go to Changi T2, when announced for PPS....gold member...etc to board first, anyone check? NO. basically anyone can just board the plane. (my many times experience)

[CarbonMan]

PAXs in PVG don't care about status or boarding priority in my experience. They're communists

Hilarious!

[Bat69]

You don't think jostling isn't part of the UA boarding experience? I haven't experienced more hassle at SQ boarding compared to UA boarding (not over the same routes, though, so, honestly, can't speak for shared routes).

Have fun at UA.

If you were on SQ12 at A5 gate Changi, you would understand why I said what I said. Even PPS & Solitire had to part the wall of Y pax to get to their priority queue.

UA boarding at Narita was very organized when I flew UA late 2011, by row numbers for Y and it worked because the boarding staffs were efficient in getting people to avoid crowding the boarding lanes.

SQ can't seems to be assertive enough in that respect, especially so with the new boading sequence for KF Gold.

[jjpb3]

If you were on SQ12 at A5 gate Changi, you would understand why I said what I said. Even PPS & Solitire had to part the wall of Y pax to get to their priority queue.

UA boarding at Narita was very organized when I flew UA late 2011, by row numbers for Y and it worked because the boarding staffs were efficient in getting people to avoid crowding the boarding lanes.

SQ can't seems to be assertive enough in that respect, especially so with the new boading sequence for KF Gold.

I'll reply taking your previous posts into account.

On the same logic, why can't they maintain boarding from 'priority' lane for kf gold, but make the call for premium passengers to board ahead, so they would not have to 'wait too long' ?

If QPP and TPP pax had to 'part the wall of Y pax', then it wouldn't have mattered if EG got access to business class lanes, right? Q/TPPs already did have priority lane access and still had to contend with impatient Y pax.

The other posts in this thread indicate that ground staff at other airports / gates are better at enforcing the boarding sequence than those who were at Changi A5 (for SQ12 on the date that you travelled). That has been my experience as well.

If you consider your NRT experience to be representative of the UA boarding experience overall, and priority boarding is a deciding factor in your airline choice, then it does make sense for you to move over to UA. My experiences with UA do not indicate that such orderliness is necessarily par for the course. YMMV.

[SQ380]

Was on flight SQ851 today and it seems that Singapore Airlines has now reinstated "Priority Boarding" in the same lane as PPS Club and JCL passengers.