Distinctly Non-Premium Check-In ADL

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BD1959

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Afternoon All,

Sleepy Adelaide on a Sunday morning ... go to use NextGen Check-In, first machine rejects my card, second refers me to the "Service Desk". Have a bag to drop so I can't just head to the Lounge.


Wander down to "Premium Check-In" and it is a zoo (without the pandas!). Queue back to the ropes. Non Premium snakes around and looks about the same. There are three desks open (see photo below).

Slowly, inch forward. Couple behind concerned they'll miss their flight which is connecting in to BA16 and F to London - great start for them ... not. They summon one of the floor walkers who agrees to try to check them in "you continue to queue and one of us will get there first, your flight is 20mins late so we won't have a problem".

Just before arriving at desk, I glance back and see queue is still back to the ropes.

Jovial interaction with the check-in agent.

Me: "Sorry, tried to lighten your load by using NextGen but the system referred me to you guys."

She: "That's because it's asking if you want to travel earlier."

Me: "That nice, but I'll decline thanks. Have work to do in the Lounge. I've never seen such a Premium Queue before - must be why QF are returning to profit."

She: "It would be great if we had the staff to process it. As much as we provide feedback on the issue for our premium passengers, it's like this at times like this."

By "times like this" I took it to be that most were checking in for flights to either SYD or MEL to connect on to International Flights ... judging by the number of passports being flouted and the number of bags being checked.

So, some feedback for Red Roo ....

1). Is there anyway that the message provided back on the NextGen screens can differentiate between geniune issues with a check-in attempt and the option to move forward? (If I'd have known this and it's possible, I'd have simply checked the bag and headed to the Lounge) - lightening the load on the wonderful staff.

2) If QF - understandably - ferry their passengers through their International Hubs, then have they considered the impact on their Premium Passengers by cutting back on check-in staff as they rolled-out NextGen and made allowance for particular peak-times?

I realise 2) is probably an issue only for an hour or two at peak times, however maybe they need to just review their staffing assignments to move at least one of the floor walkers (there were at least two that I could see at this time) back behind the check-in desks during this period. I should imagine it's bad enough being told by QF that they're ignoring your home as an International gateway, this is then exacerbated if, first contact, you're forced to be concerned at missing check-in due to QF "initiatives". If it were me, I'd be wondering why I was using the Roo when alternatives would have their Premium queues manageable due to dedicated flights from places like Adelaide, Perth etc etc.

IMG_20141116_112740.jpg


Regards,

BD
 
Some quotes from the person not running Qantas....

"Good service can hide a multitude of sins"
"You can have the best plane, best seat, best of everything - but if the service is lousy, people won't fly with you."


 
I don't ever recall the premium line being that bad. Maybe I've been lucky or maybe everyone is escaping ADL today before the summer heat kicks in!

Only real delays I've had in ADL at checkin for the domestic leg before an international were two weeks running when people had batteries or some such in their suitcases.
 
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Sleepy Adelaide on a Sunday morning ... go to use NextGen Check-In, first machine rejects my card, second refers me to the "Service Desk". Have a bag to drop so I can't just head to the Lounge.

What was your routing - just a point to point domestic sector or did you have a connecting flight onwards? Was your ff number in your booking?

I think the most efficient way of dealing with the situation you describe is if the staff on the floor use the computers available to them print your boarding pass and/or bag tag so you can proceed to the auto bag drop and avoid the long queues at Premium checkin.

Me: "Sorry, tried to lighten your load by using NextGen but the system referred me to you guys."
She: "That's because it's asking if you want to travel earlier."

1). Is there anyway that the message provided back on the NextGen screens can differentiate between geniune issues with a check-in attempt and the option to move forward? (If I'd have known this and it's possible, I'd have simply checked the bag and headed to the Lounge) - lightening the load on the wonderful staff.

If there is a general 'flow forward' on a flight the kiosks with display your current flight then beneath that you will see one or more options for alternate flights you're eligible to select. You have the option of remaining on your current flight or ticking the box next to one of the other flights after which it will print the appropriate boarding pass (ie you are not required to see a CSA to proceed further) & you can then also print a bag tag (if you don't have a Qtag) then proceed to the automatic bag drop before heading to the lounge.

If the CSA told you "that's because it's asking if you want to travel earlier" there must have been a checkin comment to that effect. Any time there is a checkin comment for whatever reason, checkin at the kiosks will be inhibited until that comment has been delivered to the pax and then deleted.

2) If QF - understandably - ferry their passengers through their International Hubs, then have they considered the impact on their Premium Passengers by cutting back on check-in staff as they rolled-out NextGen and made allowance for particular peak-times?

I realise 2) is probably an issue only for an hour or two at peak times, however maybe they need to just review their staffing assignments to move at least one of the floor walkers (there were at least two that I could see at this time) back behind the check-in desks during this period.

They still need floor walkers but I don't think it would go astray to have more staff behind the counters particularly as there's a much higher incidence of pax getting the reject slips from the SSK due to pax names having to be entered exactly how they appear in the booking. The easiest way is to use either the QF booking reference or scan the barcode on the QF itinerary to avoid the name issues.

I don't think the rollout of NextGen checkin saw a significant drop in staffing levels however since all the redundancies happening there is a noticeable reduction in the amount of staff behind checkin counters so where there may have been 8 counters and 8 staff doing checkin there's probably about 4 staff so half the counters are empty.
 
Oz,

(on mobile so pain to cut etc).

I was on domestic, point-to-point. Appreciate your comment re kiosks, I was using the NextGen plinth-things. Yes, would be brill if they could let you know what the issue is - which is my suggestion!!

Yes, for International connection they need to ensure all details etc are correct versus passport...hence a need for staff...and not long queues for those poor souls heading O/S.


...from your post, I think we're in general agreement!

Regards,

BD
 
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Maybe if QF brought back ADL - SIN flights, we would not have the scrum of people having to go to SYD or MEL to BNE to get a flight to SIN! This would help the OP's situation.
Also, if EK had a flight ADL to SIN to DXB, maybe that would help, if an ADLi dep for EK at 18.30 to SIN.
14.55 to 17.10 to jump across from SYDd to SYDi to get a 18.30 to AKL/CHC/WLG, is a scary thing, can't even imagine why QF would have that short an MCT.
At least a few months ago, QF had JQ fly ADL to AKL direct, wouldn't help the queue of the OP, but would bypass having to traipse SYDd to SYDi.
 
I'm sure if Darryl Kerrigan from 'The Castle' ever met you he'd say "I like you Poochie, you're an ideas man"!

Maybe if QF brought back ADL - SIN flights, we would not have the scrum of people having to go to SYD or MEL to BNE to get a flight to SIN!
This would help the OP's situation.

No there would just be the same queue of people checking in for the QF81 instead. :sly:

Also, if EK had a flight ADL to SIN to DXB, maybe that would help, if an ADLi dep for EK at 18.30 to SIN.

It would help from the point of view that no QF staff would be needed for the check in as it would be Toll Dnata staff.

At least a few months ago, QF had JQ fly ADL to AKL direct, wouldn't help the queue of the OP, but would bypass having to traipse SYDd to SYDi.

Actually it would help the queue of the OP as JQ pax would be checked in by JQ staff thus not be in the QF checkin line......but I think there would possibly be more ppl on AFF who would happily bypass the JQ nonstop flight ADL/AKL in favour of the traipse from QFd to QFi especially if it involved a visit the Flounge. :cool:
 
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Worth noting that there is no Premium security lane (for any airline) at ADL either so the situation doesn't improve after check-in.

Coincidentally there is no Premium transfer between QFd and QFi at Sydney either.

I'm not surprised that QF sold an itinerary with a short connection between the two terminals - I had to race to catch my SYD-PER flight after returning from Madrid via Dubai in September. Despite specifically asking the call centre staffer who changed my booking whether there was enough time and being assured I would have time to sit and relax in the lounge. I had to choose between food and drink or a very quick shower. After a 15 hour flight, the shower won. I think they seriously underestimate the waiting times for that awful bus across the tarmac.

Coincidentally I also flew ADL-SYD yesterday morning. Had no problems checking in with VA and was even given a shadow!
 
I'm from ADL.... Do we really need one? Usually I breeze through it!

Yeah you have to be pretty lucky to experience ADL as anything other than a ghost town.

I remember once going to NZ, I was concerned about leaving the QP with enough time to get through immigration. Took 30 seconds.
 
I remember once going to NZ, I was concerned about leaving the QP with enough time to get through immigration. Took 30 seconds.

The walk from the QP to the passport desk can take longer than going through said passport control and being seated.
 
I think there would possibly be more ppl on AFF who would happily bypass the JQ nonstop flight ADL/AKL in favour of the traipse from QFd to QFi especially if it involved a visit the Flounge. :cool:

Having performed that traipse more times than I care to remember to end up in the F lounge, I can honestly say I wish I had more chores like that one :cool:
 
Only the fit or those who can run should do ultra short MCT from the dom flight at SYDd to gate 15 and be able to run from the bus stop to immi and security at SYDi should do the 1hr15mins tr from SYDd to SYDi.
The worst thing is the dilly dally of the bus drivers. Chat among themselves while pax sit on the bus watching the time fly as immi and int security timings get less and less.
MAYBE IT'S A QF PLOY TO STOP US USING THE INT J OR INT F LOUNGES.
 
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