Ask me a question!

[TheInsider]

Hey guys,

I thought i'd start this thread up seperate from my other Intro thread.

If you have any general questions regarding ground staff, ask away!

Also just wanted to say that MEL will soon (end of this month) start with the priority security.

 

[anat0l]

Anything, eh? How old are you? :mrgreen: Just kidding.....

OK now seriously...


Good to hear priority screening starting up. It'll be interesting to see how it goes, because I fear that sometimes you'll get such a backing up of premium pax (assumed to include all of QP, PS, SG and WP as well as oneworld elites, J and (connecting to) F passengers) that it might just be quicker to line up with the non-premium pax. This is especially true if they're only planning to have one scanning station there. Let me remind you that not all premium pax are good at efficiently moving through the security line!


Here's one: how often have you received a request from a pax for an upgrade (i.e. usually for "free")?


I guess the only other one I had in mind at the moment was asked in a thread I created some time earlier, which is here: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/its-not-just-me-flying-21639.html. It has to do with "sharing" the benefits of one's status with friends/family.

Finally, if you are based in MEL, here's a tip: if you see your colleagues that staff the counters in the MEL T1 QP and J Lounge, tell them to lighten up and smile more! Especially the domestic J lounge staff, they can be rather cold and stiff many times (except when softened with chocolates, so another member has piped up saying so ). I'm sure they have to put up with a lot of garbage customers....

 

[ejb_nz]

Hi and thanks for the offer!

One thing that I would love to know, does it annoy ground staff if we OLCI and then don't print the BP?

I have had varying looks and would love to know if it is just annoying or it does make the job harder.

Thanks again.

ejb

 

[TheInsider]

Here's one: how often have you received a request from a pax for an upgrade (i.e. usually for "free")?

At the 'bag drop' area, usually only about 2-3 times a day for the free upgrades (these are the type of people that travel 'frequently', who advise me that they fly QANTAS 2 times a year!), and about the same amount for point upgrades for NB's who have 'thousands of points'.

On the other end though at business/QF club check-in, you get a huge amount of Club Bronze members demanding a free upgrade due to their paid status and their DYKWIA attitudes.

Finally, if you are based in MEL, here's a tip: if you see your colleagues that staff the counters in the MEL T1 QP and J Lounge, tell them to lighten up and smile more! Especially the domestic J lounge staff, they can be rather cold and stiff many times (except when softened with chocolates, so another member has piped up saying so ). I'm sure they have to put up with a lot of garbage customers....

They do put up with alot of garbage customers and alot of others thinking that buying a QF ticket gets them access to the lounge. As per the staff, alot of the older people are just waiting for a package to come through so they can quit.
Also though a fair few of the older staff will leave when the NGCI comes in.

 

[TheInsider]

One thing that I would love to know, does it annoy ground staff if we OLCI and then don't print the BP?

Yes!!
It just makes it a bit harder to explain to the other people who use the kiosks that their queue is longer, and if you have people with the same (kiosk) BP in the OLCI queue, it makes them question it and makes them complain. Also if you don't have the OLCI bp, alot of people have lied about getting it online just to get into the shorter queue (which we can tell where they have checked in).

It too astounds me the amount of people who don't and simply won't read signs, if there is no CSA at the OLCI queue, you have everyone enter that queue, then you tell them to go over to the other queue and then they whinge even more. Sorry but there are 7 signs (2 banner/flashing LED signs, 1 big red sign, 4 queue barrier post signs, even an example of an OLCI BP) for 2 counters at the OLCI area.


Sorry if i sound like a whinging cough, just saying as it is

 

[ejb_nz]

To clarify:

I OLCI, then when I get to the airport I go to the J Checkin line and explain that I used OLCI but did not print the boarding pass, I do not use the bag drop line.

Still bad:?:

ejb

 

[TheInsider]

To clarify:

I OLCI, then when I get to the airport I go to the J Checkin line and explain that I used OLCI but did not print the boarding pass, I do not use the bag drop line.

Still bad:?:

ejb

Nah, not an issue for the J-bag drop/check-in area. Just if you have checked-in online and don't have a BP, just get it from the machine. (the main reason is it just speeds up the process). Technically if you present with nothing at check-in we require photo-id. If you have your BP on your self and present that, we do not need the ID (as generally only you would know your exact name and exact flight your travelling on)

My only real gripe is with the general OLCI bag-drop queue

 

[samh004]

Technically if you present with nothing at check-in we require photo-id. If you have your BP on your self and present that, we do not need the ID (as generally only you would know your exact name and exact flight your travelling on)

Isn’t a frequent flyer card sufficient ID? I thought it was meant to be, even though it doesn’t have a photo.

I’ve checked-in on my iPhone a few times (but through the normal site as I like to select different seats occasionally), and then can’t print a BP so need to get one, but I’d only get one at check-in if I was also dropping a bag off. Otherwise off to the QP.

 

[TheInsider]

Isn’t a frequent flyer card sufficient ID? I thought it was meant to be, even though it doesn’t have a photo.

Technically no, but very ambiguous and don't think has been updated for years, you need either your itinerary or your id. But DOM travel it's not a huge issue.

For JQ, their policy was you need atleast you itin, if not then your photo id, if not that 3 forms non-photo id.

This is all for counter person-to-person check-in.

But i'll get clarification on that, i could be wrong.

 

[nlagalle]

Nah, not an issue for the J-bag drop/check-in area. Just if you have checked-in online and don't have a BP, just get it from the machine. (the main reason is it just speeds up the process). Technically if you present with nothing at check-in we require photo-id. If you have your BP on your self and present that, we do not need the ID (as generally only you would know your exact name and exact flight your travelling on)

My only real gripe is with the general OLCI bag-drop queue

I'm one of those people who often does the OLCI and then gets a BP from the Qantas Club. Why? I have an OCD and collect my boarding passes!! lol!!

 

[JohnK]

I OLCI, then when I get to the airport I go to the J Checkin line and explain that I used OLCI but did not print the boarding pass, I do not use the bag drop line.

Still bad:?:

Why would it be bad? I use OLCI but cannot print a boarding pass (and when I do not want an A4 boarding for keepsakes)....

I'm one of those people who often does the OLCI and then gets a BP from the Qantas Club. Why? I have an OCD and collect my boarding passes!! lol!!

I have OCD as well but I have just about had enough of collecting boarding passes. Well not quite yet but you know what I mean.

 

[nlagalle]

Why would it be bad? I use OLCI but cannot print a boarding pass (and when I do not want an A4 boarding for keepsakes)....


I have OCD as well but I have just about had enough of collecting boarding passes. Well not quite yet but you know what I mean.

I may stop with the new system, but i do love having a massive stack of BP's!

 

[straitman]

I may stop with the new system, but i do love having a massive stack of BP's!

Would you like me to send you a few more :?:

 

[nlagalle]

Would you like me to send you a few more :?:

There no good to me unless nlagalle is on the ticket!! lol!!

 

[straitman]

There no good to me unless nlagalle is on the ticket!! lol!!

Just thought I'd offer.

 

[YQY]

I have a question - why do my "business" tagged bags always get delivered after priority bag/s?

Not a huge gripe - as I normally only fly domestic with carry on luggage. But I would like to know how bags are sorted on arrival.....

 

[straitman]

I have a question - why do my "business" tagged bags always get delivered after priority bag/s?

Not a huge gripe - as I normally only fly domestic with carry on luggage. But I would like to know how bags are sorted on arrival.....

Do they :?:

 

[samh004]

Do they :?:

The 4-business tagged bags came off the plane first today followed by priority and then everything else. I'm not sure why this can't always happen, but certainly seemed to work right today.

 

[anat0l]

I have a question - why do my "business" tagged bags always get delivered after priority bag/s?

Not a huge gripe - as I normally only fly domestic with carry on luggage. But I would like to know how bags are sorted on arrival.....

This was sort of answered by baggage handler syd in this post: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...-for-im-baggage-handler-24137.html#post337842.

Basically some handlers don't pay attention to the tags.

It doesn't always happen - for me, priority baggage works more often than not and enough for me to consider it still a valid benefit.

 

[Flashback]

This was sort of answered by baggage handler syd in this post: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...-for-im-baggage-handler-24137.html#post337842.

Basically some handlers don't pay attention to the tags.

It doesn't always happen - for me, priority baggage works more often than not and enough for me to consider it still a valid benefit.

My last few trips I've seen the J tagged bags come off, then priority, then the rest... given I've flown J for my last few sectors where I've had to check bags I've not stuck around for long enough to see if any got mixed up with "the rest"