Qantas implements a change to Boarding

I’m interested in change, in behaviours and organisations, and queues (I know!!).

So it was with some delight when recently boarding Qantas domestic and international flights, I got to see these two interest areas combined.

Our boarding passes contained new information, the presence of a number 1-6.

These numbers correspond with ‘Groups’. Groups for boarding.

An avid people watcher, with a fascination for the theory of constraints, I always hit peak interest when waiting for plane boarding.?

Squeezing people coming from everywhere, into a long line, to go into a long plane, to be then stopped as individuals find storage space while flight crew pass around drinks, lends itself to a few angsty moments.

Boeing tells us boarding a plane in the 1970s took around 15 minutes. Today it’s 30-40 minutes, or forever, depending on where you are in the queue, what your day’s been like, what’s waiting for you at the other end, and how many ridiculously large and heavy bags you’ve spied.?

So back to the queues.

Each number on the boarding pass aligns to a group in the plane.

1 includes Business, oh and families with kids.

2 the back of the plane

3 next to back etc etc

6 is ‘everyone else’

If everyone followed this demarcation and boarded when they were called, this system may work.

However, some people, like me, like to preserve as much time out of the plane as possible. Except for late-comers, I’m the last to board.

Then there’s latecomers. Either due to late connections or just being late. They flout the numbered group boarding system.

Then there are people within the plane that take a long time getting sorted, often still standing, blocking the aisle and slowing everyone up. So groups, numbered or otherwise, don’t help here.

The other thing happening on our flights was carry-on baggage limits were being enforced at the gate (this can only be a good thing). But it added more complexity. Cue arguments, outrage, repacking, delays. Some of the jumbo trunks people were trying to carry on now needed to be stowed, but not before glasses, kindles, laptops, snacks etc were retrieved. Another wrinkle in the groups.

The whole process contained several elements to look out for when designing change programs.

1.??????? Surprise

This change was a surprise to us, and many/most others.

We hadn’t heard about it but maybe because our flying frequency has changed and we missed a memo?

2.??????? Preparation

Past behaviour is an indicator of present behaviour. Measuring carry-on at the gates is sporadic. So, suddenly having to prove your large, been-with-me-on-every-journey bag just looks big, or heavy, but isn’t, takes a lot of mental energy and time.

Introducing a change to a process as complex as plane-boarding probably needs to come with a warning

3.??????? Experimentation

The change seems to have been introduced on all flights (as informed by the gate crew). Is this a grand experiment for a defined time period? Was this process change tried in smaller cohorts for a defined time period?

What are the measures? What are the desired outcomes?

4.??????? Co-creation

I wonder who was part of the design process? Were passengers engaged in designing this updated system?

Were other methods of faster boarding suggested?

No bags, paid carry-on, no seat numbers, boarding back of the plane to front of the plane window seats first, then middle, then aisle?

5.??????? Facilitating change

A suggestion for Qantas to better embed this system is to engage queue walkers to help identify trouble spots earlier ie if a larger-than-allowed bag is spied in Qantas Club or in the gate waiting area, that’s potentially the time to advocate a change, and to explain the change, preparing people for what’s different and why they’ve made the change. Most people will get on board (boom tish) a change if they can see a benefit ie getting on and home faster

6.??????? Sustaining change

I wonder who’s observing how the change is being implemented.

When introducing change, looking for anchor points the change is taking hold, morphing or not being adopted, is critical. ?The staff I spoke to shared the full spectrum of results to the introduction of this process over the past week.?

I look on with excitement and wonder whether this process will be in place for our return journey.? I applaud this new approach as a credible experiment to wrangle unwieldy queues.? For our flights, the situation didn’t seem much improved, but I’m ever-hopeful.?

Meanwhile, I love that there’s a new element to factor into the people-boarding-planes watching series. How many people board in ‘their’ groups versus how many still prefer the ‘in my own time’ style of life.