As a Qantas Platinum frequent flyer, if you're traveling with a friend/partner/spouse etc.

As a Qantas Platinum frequent flyer, if you're traveling with a friend/partner/spouse etc. who is not a frequent flyer, can you board together through the priority boarding lane or do you have to split up to board? (Assuming you're traveling in the same class, sitting next to each other etc.)

Trevor, whenever I travel with my wife and two girls (who have no status with QF), we board together through the priority lane.  Never been a problem as long as I hand over all four boarding passes.  On a more general note, and it's probably rude to do so, but I nearly always at least try to board throught the priority lane with any airline, even if I've got no status. This is particularly iimportant to try in the USA where everyone else is carrying huge amounts of hand luggage to avoid paying extra for checked.  The overhead bins fill up as they call to board with a series of status numbers from 1-5.  I usually go about "2" when the boarding staff are not quite so meticulous!  Works most times for me.

It's no problem if you hold status to use the priority lane. 

I find it extraordinary the social conditioning of a great number of passengers in not even attempting to use the priority lane for boarding. In most cases there isn't even a member of staff vetting passengers using the priority lane - people voluntarily  choose not to use it!

Is it the "shame" of being told off or does it say more about society's implicit acceptance of hierarchy that ensures compliance?

Are you talking about people who do have the right to use it or people who don't (but could since no one ever checks?) 

If latter: maybe it's because some people want to follow the rules and not just do whatever is convenient for them even if its against the rules. I've heard of many stories where people make up fake birthdays and anniversaries to get room upgrades etc. Society wouldn't function if everyone thought like that. 

You're right spinoza. Abiding by the rules is a form of social conditioning which allows society to function. But what is it about airline passengers flying Qantas, where this rule is obeyed without any active enforcement by Qantas?  We know we're not suppose to jay walk but we still do don't we? What makes these passengers compliant?

I think it's just the fear of being caught and embarrassed in front of your fellow passengers who you may have to spend a few hours with in the air.  

TheRealBabushka, when travelling Qantas domestically, I have seen people who have used the priority lane for boarding who did not have status and were told to use the other line (refused entry in priority lane and send to the back of the queue) so interestingly enough, some of the FA's do get uppity every now and then!

You are correct regarding your comment about "society's implicit acceptance of hierarchy" - most people are sheep.

I reckon you ll be fine.

Trevor, you'll be fine.