Flight VA810 from sydney to melbourne 7.15 am Tuesday July 9 2109 I was boarding this flight with 3 friends at 7 am...there was a man boarding immediately ahead of us and also someone behind us i.e. we were not the last to board, though admittedly running a bit late. We were not seated together. My friends were directed through the front boarding "tunnel", and I was directed to the door leading down the stairs. Having walked through the OPEN door and got to the base of the stairs, I found the door to the tarmac locked. I went back up the stairs and found the door was now shut, and LOCKED. I again went down to the door leading to the tarmac and checked it: locked. Two of my friends then came through the TOP door and said they had been directed to board from the back of the plane instead. Before I could warn them, the door shut behind them and all 3 of us were then trapped in the locked-off stairwell. We shouted, we hammered on the top door, we kicked the top door to make as much noise as possible. Nobody heard us. I then started pulling and pushing on the doorhandle in the hope that someone would see the door shaking. No go. Getting panicky, I then yanked with all my weight on the doorhandle and managed to open the door, which set off an alarm. Running to the front of the plane to baord and handing over my boarding pass to the hostess, I commented that "Oh my God, we have been trapped inbetween doors in the stairwell and thank goodness we got out. Her reply?? "How are you today?". Really?? Nice to know they are genuinely listening. How could this possibly happen?? Surely there are procedures and checks in place and an order in which things like closing doors is supposed to be done. I am not particulartly claustrophobic, but even I started to get panicky. I can imagine someone having either a full-blown panic attack or even a heart attack in that situation. I want this explained thankyou : it is really inconceivable how that could have been allowed to happen. Sincerely, Libby Stenning Travelling with Amanda Halstead, Penelope Turnbull and Penelope Bligh (the last two also being trapped in the stairwell with me)