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

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  • #61
    I just received a Star Alliance Service Survey on my SIN-HKG flight. Guess what I put as very dissatisfied?

    Boarding process!!!!
    visit my blog

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    • #62
      Originally posted by SQ380 View Post
      Also, how can these "operational challenges" be Singapore Airlines specific? Wouldn't other Star Alliance carriers have similar challenges, from identical hubs operated by Singapore Airlines? Why can other Star Alliance carriers still dedicate priority boarding lanes for Star Alliance Gold passengers?
      Because only SQ has Super Priority customer (PPS, Solitaire, etc). In other *A at most they have Diamond/Plat above Gold but they get "same" treatment as Gold during boarding process, as those are *A Gold.

      for SQ PPS are beyond *A Gold
      visit my blog

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      • #63
        Originally posted by lingua101 View Post
        I just received a Star Alliance Service Survey on my SIN-HKG flight. Guess what I put as very dissatisfied?

        Boarding process!!!!
        Care to share what went wrong?

        Comment


        • #64
          Originally posted by lingua101 View Post
          Because only SQ has Super Priority customer (PPS, Solitaire, etc). In other *A at most they have Diamond/Plat above Gold but they get "same" treatment as Gold during boarding process, as those are *A Gold.

          for SQ PPS are beyond *A Gold
          That is exactly what SQ had practiced in the past, i.e. "Priority Lane" boarding was available for:

          - PPS Solitaire
          - PPS Club
          - First Class
          - Business Class
          - Star Alliance Gold / Krisflyer Gold

          So, for other airlines, Diamond = PPS Solitaire and Platinum = PPS Club?

          Regardless, Star Alliance Gold and Krisflyer Elite Gold members have "Priority Boarding" listed as a member privilege. This should be properly managed and standardised for consistency, just as the way it was, pre-2012.

          Comment


          • #65
            Yes, it finally happened to me last month.

            I was stopped for the first time as an Elite Gold member of over 10 years when I tried to board in the left lane in HKG. As usual, I waited for everyone to board first and then proceed to board as the last passenger making sure nobody was behind me. The male ground staff stopped me and asks me to board behind the unnecessary centre queue of 3 Elite Gold passengers which I didn’t noticed, probably camouflaged by the long EY queue.

            And as usual, they started boarding the EY as the Elite Gold queue started boarding..... Sigh.

            Why is it so complicated with SIA??

            No choice, I flew Cathay last weekend.....NO issue....welcomed and boarded on the left lane....

            (Audio)

            Last edited by Audio; 2 December 2013, 04:48 PM.

            Comment


            • #66
              With the elite being hired at Singapore Airlines, I am baffled by the responses from Customer Services.

              Customer Services:

              With regard to your comments on priority boarding lanes, we acknowledge
              your
              concerns and have highlighted your suggestions to our Ground Services
              Manager
              for his consideration. As part of the ongoing review on this, we are
              pleased to
              share that our boarding sequence is currently being revised, at the
              individual
              cities’ level.

              My Response:

              Customer Research, Singapore Airlines should participate and interview and / or survey its frequent and loyal customers, obtaining feedback of the “yet-to-be” revised boarding sequence.

              It is very important that whilst considering various approaches, benefits available to Star Alliance frequent flyers are not sabotaged. Please remember that the audience for Star Alliance is wider, demographically, than Krisflyer. Your committee, and Customer Research, should, other than discussing with relevant authorities the best way forward, perform in-depth studies of what other Star Alliance partners are doing, to board passengers in an efficient and non-discriminatory format.

              The board-paper that the relevant Department(s) present, should be positioned to include the findings, discuss what options are available, and highlight the pros and cons of each boarding sequence variation. Challenges faced at airports should be tabulated, with a brief of what other Star Alliance partners, faced with the similar operational limitations are doing. Is the approach something which Singapore Airlines and its Management could consider? If yes, is it justifiable; if no, why is it deemed irrelevant?

              Once cleared by Singapore Airlines Management, could you please, for the purposes of not catching us off-guard (as was the case in 2012), share what revisions would be made to the existing boarding sequence. This could be communicated to the Singapore Airlines Krisflyer community via various Social Media platforms that you have; and to the wider Star Alliance community via appropriate communication channels. I am sure that to keep it simple and efficient, there will not be numerous variations. Information could be presented in a clear format, on a city / country level with the relevant boarding process sequence being narrated.

              Customer Services:

              In the interim, we will be deploying additional staff at selected parts of
              Changi Airport to assist with queue-combing. This is with the purpose to
              direct
              our KrisFlyer Gold members that may arrive late, to the priority lanes,
              where
              possible. Additionally, your recommendations will also be considered in the

              upcoming new Changi Airport Terminals.

              My Response:

              Hopefully, what you have highlighted above, i.e. additional staff being deployed at selected parts of Changi Airport to assist with queue-combing, is only a temporary solution, whilst changes are being evaluated behind the scenes.

              Further, your assurance, by stating that “recommendations will also be considered in the upcoming new Changi Airport Terminals” provides zero comfort. I am sure that this is a misread, but based on a worst interpretation basis, your response can be read as: “Singapore Airlines will not be reviewing and changing its boarding processes, until the new Airport Terminals, i.e. T4 (2017) and T5 (after 2020) are operationally ready.” By then, wouldn’t suggestions made today, potentially be obsolete and irrelevant by 2017? Wouldn’t it be better to consider what changes can be made today for operational efficiencies and enhancements, progressively evaluating this throughout time?

              Mr XXX, thank you for the opportunity to address your concerns. We
              recognize
              that we have to remain mindful of the competition and strive to remain your

              airline of choice.

              Comment


              • #67
                .... And as for their bad email alignment, here is what they had to say:

                Customer Services:

                Firstly, we have worked with our Information Technology Department (ITD) to

                review your feedback on the alignment of our emails. Various trials and
                analyses were conducted and from these simulations, it was found that there

                were no alignment issues with the emails, up to the point when they were
                sent
                from the outgoing SQ mail server. Instead, it was found that the alignment
                is
                likely affected by the mail server at the receiver’s end and how this
                converts
                the email received from SQ’s mail server.

                While this is not within our control, we can certainly understand your
                sentiments Mr XXX. We will continue to work with our ITD to monitor this.
                We
                will also include this in our ongoing review of the system enhancements
                that we
                are looking to implement.

                My Response:

                Singapore Airlines should ensure that this is included as a test perimeter, which your IT Vendor should demonstrate; and the airline’s IT Department (ITD) should simulate in its User Acceptance Test (UAT), as one of the frameworks for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). Tests performed should be in accordance with targeted objectives. This should be progressively revisited, revised and updated where necessary, and not be based on a one standard fits all template.

                It is highly probable that Singapore Airlines is not the only global and internationally reputed clientele that your IT Vendor has engagements with. Were modifications in computer coding and language required, to fit in with the Singapore Airlines email system and server interface; or is the computer coding and language “standard” in nature, not requiring any modification(s)? If it is the former, it is likely that your existing UAT lacks simulations for test environment(s) on formatting. If the latter, I am surprised that for the past 7 years, no other client, including Singapore Airlines has raised this to your IT Vendor for it to be addressed. Formatting may be taken to be a small trivial matter with much insignificance. Take a step back, and consider what this speaks of the airline’s “image” and how your brand, painstakingly built through the decades, would project to your audience.

                I hope that Singapore Airlines will critically evaluate its IT Vendors being contracted for both in-house internal management systems and the public website and iOS applications. I am sure that your talent pool of Honors First Class graduates and experienced hires will be able to resolve this without much delay. I take pride and comfort in knowing there is a competent team handling this, since according to your CEO, Goh Choon Phong, the media was recently informed that “The website's last major revamp in 2011 was riddled with technical problems, which the airline has since rectified”. [Reference: http://www.relax.com.sg/article/news...k-in-baggage#]

                Comment


                • #68
                  Let's just now sit back and watch what happens, especially with regards to Priority Boarding for KFEG and *G travellers.

                  "We would like to assure you that we understand your concerns regarding the
                  company’s process when contracting new IT vendors as well as the benefits
                  accorded to our KrisFlyer members, particularly where priority boarding is
                  concerned.

                  We certainly share your views on the importance of conducting rigorous User

                  Assessment Tests. We also acknowledge your remarks on studying how other
                  ‘Star
                  Alliance’ carriers operate their priority boarding as well as the modes of
                  communicating any changes to or gathering insights from our loyal
                  customers.

                  Mr XXX, please be assured that we have conveyed your comments on these
                  issues
                  to our IT and Loyalty Marketing Departments for their ongoing review and
                  consideration."

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Dead horse. Flogging.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Originally posted by Kyo View Post
                      Dead horse. Flogging.
                      Exactly. Glad I'm not the only one who's had enough of this. Suggest OP keeps his correspondence to himself from now.

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Originally posted by Kyo View Post
                        Dead horse. Flogging.
                        The horse died some time ago...

                        Am I the only one who finds the tone/content of these emails to SQ absolutely hilarious?

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          I for one find it interesting. Would love it if the OP manages to get a favorable response

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            It's a rather interesting read. I applaud the efforts but SQ is going to just keep replying "I'm sorry. We are looking into the issue."

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Well. Had a chance to speak specifically about this issue ex-SIN to the VP of (redacted) dept in SQ earlier today in person - believe his reply was something along the lines of: "I was told it was to prevent overcapacity situations (ref. Changi) but I don't buy it, it's ridiculous"

                              Suffice to say, someone else is calling the shots on that idiotic decision.

                              I'm sure the regulars know exactly who this is...

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Was in HK this week and both SG and HK had priority boarding for the various classes. Wasn't a problem this time since neither flight was full but I can imagine the holiday season with everyone clamouring for cabin space for their oversized cabin bags. But that's not a priority boarding issue, it's an airline issue when they don't enforce it. KL flights are the worst.

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