Qantas to shut airport service desks, force customers onto self-service

[teamhamsandwich]

On departure upgrades, stand-by processing, IRROPs, urgent/last minute changes .... It would have to be an amazing iPhone app that could deliver all that .... I suspect as pax we will be left with significant inconvenience while Qantas saves costs.

This! I use 'fly forward' or flexible tickets as who know how long a meeting or project will take on a business trip. I often get to the airport early and change onto an earlier flight. The app/call center just isn't up to this task. This is a big fail from qantas.

 

[mts4353]

There are some interesting comments elsewhere about how the announcement has been handled from a corporate perspective - that is, quietly, on take out the trash Friday and by Phil Capps (the EGM) rather than Stephanie Tully (the CCO).

I'd love to know whether Tully is staying away from it because she wants to keep her name away from the fallout and is throwing a direct report under the bus or because there is some sort of internal disagreement about whether it is the right thing to do.

 

[sudoer]

This! I use 'fly forward' or flexible tickets as who know how long a meeting or project will take on a business trip. I often get to the airport early and change onto an earlier flight. The app/call center just isn't up to this task. This is a big fail from qantas.

This is one function the self serve check-in kiosks are capable of delivering when within QF policy.

I've had them proactively prompt to move to an earlier flight when on a flex fare or during IRROPS/flow fowarding, however if neither of those are in play then obviously no amount of sweet talking to a machine will get you onto an earlier flight....

 

[dylarr]

Me: checks seating on expert flyer, can't select seat on the app, goes to desk, says "on the app I can't select x seat but I think it might be free"
Agent: puts me in seat that can't be selected on the app. "there you go".
Has happened many, many times.

Yep. I've done this plenty of times before as well.

On departure upgrades, stand-by processing, IRROPs, urgent/last minute changes .... It would have to be an amazing iPhone app that could deliver all that .... I suspect as pax we will be left with significant inconvenience while Qantas saves costs.

A bit like when you get a schedule change notification and the system auto-rebooks you to a flight the next day .... I imagine this is the kind of experience QF has in store for us.

A “full service” airline should be just that, full service.

I think QF are totally delusional if they think Qantas.com, their app or self service kiosks can replace all of these tasks. What is clear here, is that the people making these decisions do not have to eat their own dog food.

 

[Flying Fox]

Bad move.

Service desks are great when the weather or some other event throws a spanner in the works.

How are you supposed to use a call centre for a flight change when the wait time has you on hold until after you are supposed to take off?

Maybe its a move to cut more staff until flying returns to normal and then the Service desks will reappear when they have more work to do?

 

[jakeseven7]

Bad move.

Maybe its a move to cut more staff until flying returns to normal and then the Service desks will reappear when they have more work to do?

I actually thought the same, or to transfer more power to the roving check in assitants to be able to do more in the meantime.

 

[teamhamsandwich]

This is one function the self serve check-in kiosks are capable of delivering when within QF policy.

I've had them proactively prompt to move to an earlier flight when on a flex fare or during IRROPS/flow fowarding, however if neither of those are in play then obviously no amount of sweet talking to a machine will get you onto an earlier flight....

Sometimes. Good luck getting a machine to help you fly forward on windy sydney day.

 

[Noah Count]

This is one function the self serve check-in kiosks are capable of delivering when within QF policy.

I do not use the kiosk check in so cannot comment. Sure QF have published rules around flow forward and changes on the day, however as a P1 the staff in the lounges will move/ change flights on request regardless for the fare type booked. If in the future there is a need to call the QFF line I will be interested to what that new VIP team will be able to do.

 

[flyingfan]

Methinks QF can expect a (further) blowout in hold times and when they finally answer, very stressed/angry pax.

I'd rather cuts, even severe ones, than QF going into administration but I can't shake the feeling this will do more damage in the long term.

I hope someone from QF is reading this forum & realises what complete & utter madness this is.

Very much doubt it sadly, at least from the aspect of someone sufficiently senior and empowered. For crying out loud they're removing service staff from the airport.

Perhaps I'm raging prematurely, however on the face of how the changes have been written they sound very drastic. I hate to say it but if it came down to a choice of ditching these desks or partially closing lounges, I'd probably have to give it some thought

 

[sudoer]

Sometimes. Good luck getting a machine to help you fly forward on windy sydney day.

My point was the machines are capable of it, in response to you mentioning the app/website isn't. The function may not have been properly and consistently used in the past, but a thinning of ground staff means QF are more likely to use it on weather impacted days to avoid unnecessary staff interaction.

as a P1 the staff in the lounges will move/ change flights on request regardless for the fare type booked.

I understand the P1 fly ahead policy is technically on flex fares only (which makes it somewhat pointless, all they're actually doing is waving the change fee?) but appreciate most service desk staff would grant P1s the request from Red eDeals also.

If in the future there is a need to call the QFF line I will be interested to what that new VIP team will be able to do.

Suspect they will probably still grant the request. I wonder if lounge entry staff will still have a limited ability to help with these sort of requests?

 

[aus_flyer]

Sack 100 airport staff... end up recruiting 100 more call centre staff

 

[AIRwin]

Sack 100 airport staff... end up recruiting 100 more call centre staff

Cheaper?

 

[TheInsider]

Cheaper?

Nope...
Well offshored yes.

 

[DC3]

... Maybe its a move to cut more staff until flying returns to normal and then the Service desks will reappear when they have more work to do?

I’m not reading that into it. More like permanent.

 

[DC3]

Nice to know that this enhancement is because passengers “... prefer digital interactions over face to face contact." (from the link in Post # 1)

 

[ChrisMars]

Nice to know that this enhancement is because passengers “... prefer digital interactions over face to face contact." (from the link in Post # 1)

I heard it's the same passengers that travel in mini first class.

 

[AIRwin]

Nice to know that this enhancement is because passengers “... prefer digital interactions over face to face contact." (from the link in Post # 1)

Read: It's not us, it's you...

 

[Noah Count]

How will this work for interlining luggage when connecting to/from OW flights from QF on a seperate PNR. I have previously booked reward flights for Mrs and MissM on JL or CX from either MEL or SYD and just paid for a cheap domestic QF flight from SA to MEL, Syd or whatever is needed.

 

[dajop]

Nice to know that this enhancement is because passengers “... prefer digital interactions over face to face contact." (from the link in Post # 1)

Yes, most passengers probably do, for the vast majority of interactions that are simple and straightforward. But for the ones that can't be managed digitally, most would prefer face to face with someone at the same airport than waiting on hold for an hour to speak to someone sitting in a call centre in South Africa or the Philippines.

 

[Noah Count]

I understand the P1 fly ahead policy is technically on flex fares only (which makes it somewhat pointless, all they're actually doing is waving the change fee?) but appreciate most service desk staff "would" grant P1s the request from Red eDeals also.

In my experience the word "would" can be changed to "will" or "do"

Suspect they will probably still grant the request. I wonder if lounge entry staff will still have a limited ability to help with these sort of requests?

If you need to flow forward and call up to do so this may be technically easier as I could do this on the way to the airport. In the days of SST I tried a couple of times calling SST and asking them to flow forward while on the way to the airport. From memory SST normally said no but a hold on a seat on the flight and this was only confirmed when the change was processed at the lounge.