Additional Platinum luggage allowance ignored by check-in system

[JohnK]

I just went through a disturbing experience at SYD T3 checking in for SYD-BNE-SIN return flight booked ex-SIN.

Bag was 24.6kg and golf clubs 18kgs and system wanted to charge me excess luggage above 30kgs. I don't know what the figure was but she could not complete check-in.

I know I'm entitled to 50kgs. I've done this so often. She cannot override so phones her supervisor at the sales desk a few metres away. She finally confirms that my allowance is indeed 50kgs and they go through the steps to allow me to check-in.

Apparently it's a "booking error". How? These are the return sectors of a booking where first leg was end June. Platinum/Emerald is on my boarding pass.

I know it's only 15m-20m wasted but this inconsistency cannot be good. I'd hate to think what the system wanted to charge? Probably more than the cost of a one-way flight purchased today.

 

[jpp42]

Did it honest to god take 15 full minutes for the supervisor to come over and sort it out? Or was it really more like five minutes? Given that they fixed the problem it seems you're complaining pretty strongly about a relatively minor issue.

 

[BD1959]

Hi JohnK,

Frustrating. I think I’d have played them at their own game: asked them the error I’d made during the booking process so I don’t waste return check-in staff time in future ... though I know how you sooo want to get on your way during check-in.

Regards,

BD

 

[Franky]

Did it honest to god take 15 full minutes for the supervisor to come over and sort it out? Or was it really more like five minutes? Given that they fixed the problem it seems you're complaining pretty strongly about a relatively minor issue.

I believe that had you spent the amount of time and money supporting QF and reaching the dizzy heights of a WP flier that he has, you would not consider this a minor issue. JohnK has a number of extra entitlements which he has earnt over many years and flights, it should be a no brainer to get it right. It’s written in their T&Cs. He is not a DYKWIA type of person, so I disagree with your comment that this is a relatively minor issue. Whether it was five minutes or fifteen minutes, why should he have to waste that time at a counter arguing about a basic entitlement to which he has access? Booking errors, along with other system errors happen all the time, but some of QFs systems have become a dog’s breakfast of late, as has been mentioned many times on other threads.

 

[JohnK]

Did it honest to god take 15 full minutes for the supervisor to come over and sort it out? Or was it really more like five minutes? Given that they fixed the problem it seems you're complaining pretty strongly about a relatively minor issue.

Honest to God it took around 15 minutes to complete check-in.

If you know the main Sales desk in T3 I was in the 3rd check-in counter to the right. She could not complete check-in as system wanted excess baggage charges as my allowance was apparently only 30kgs.

Petty questions like did you make the booking, and perhaps it's the EK codeshare. All irrelevant. I mentioned this was a return of a Qantas booking and had the same bag and golf clubs on outbound leg and not a word was said at the time. Any Qantas employee should know a Platinum luggage allowance travelling in economy is 50kgs. She had me doubting my rights and I checked and confirmed online but she didn't care.

She then phoned the supervisor at the sales desk who was only a few metres away. Supervisor went back and forth and eventually called her over and told her that my luggage allowance was indeed 50kgs and took her a few minutes to override the check-in system.

I'm not a DYKWIA but travel Qantas quite a lot. You add up the time of the events above as described. I was running a little late and it was getting to the point where I was about to say short check the bags to BNE and I'll transfer bags to EK.

And the issue is not a minor issue. Not for me. This is now a long series of poor service in SYD T3 this year

- Earlier this year daughter was not on my wifes booking on day of travel when I specifically called and added her to booking 6-7 weeks earlier. T3 staff promised they'd help but did nothing
- I had separate QF bookings SYD-BNE then BNE-SIN-BKK and they refused to check bags through as the connection was next day bit they've done that in the past and had no problem doing that today
- I asked check-in to add infant daughter to my booking. He refused to do it. Everywhere else it takes check-in staff about 30 seconds to add her to booking. He created an adult booking fir her and then asked me to go to sales desk to pay

I guess you'd be happy to be inconvenienced this way?

 

[jpp42]

Thanks for the additional detail. I'm just wary of people exaggerating waiting times in situations like this.

I've never had to deal with the sales desk fortunately. I do agree the inconsistencies on policies are a constant Qantas theme though. Totally different topic, but on two different flights recently, one an A380 and another a 747 (so different cabin crew organisations), as a WP sitting in economy I was offered by the CSM, the use of noise cancelling headsets from Y+/J. On another flight just a few days later I asked about this and was told this was absolutely impossible and it was a serious violation of policy for them to bring things from another cabin. I am happy if that's the policy - I didn't complain any further - but it was strange how strongly one stadf member can insist on what the policy is when others seem to know nothing of it.

 

[boomy]

Thanks for the additional detail. I'm just wary of people exaggerating waiting times in situations like this.

No one likes ppl who exaggerate but when a senior member like JohnK who is also big QF FF for many years opens a thread about QF service issues you know it’s serious.

I had my own service issues with junior/inexperienced QF check-in staff over the years and know first hand how frustrating and time consuming it can be.

 

[TomJones]

I agree. We've all read our fair share of rants and exaggerated recollections, but when a member of 13 years with 40k posts raises an issue, it's probably best to listen.

 

[opusman]

You'd think it's all run by computers and everything would be predictable but sometimes weird things happen.

A month or so ago MrsOpusman and I were flying out of HEL. Showed boarding passes at lounge, were all set to turn left when the woman directed us right to the business lounge. Queried it, and it turns out our FF details (and status) had not been printed on the boarding pass. This was the 2nd leg of a 4 leg booking, first leg had been fine and the 2 remaining legs also had no problem. Gremlins in the system!

 

[docjames]

Agree it should have been simple to sort without drama.

I do wonder sometimes how hard/easy the systems are to manipulate, with so many "blocks" to prevent staff doing "favours" for family, friends and the like. I had the comment from the ADL QP the other day "we cant move you for free unless there's a problem, the system wont let us". Now clearly this is bulldust (!), but i suspect more they're worried they'll be held to account and some/all are "audited".

Similarly, recently AY checkin with family, entitled to 4pc plus extra for me (OWE). Checked in three bags plus stroller. Later in lounge I was looking at the bag tags, one bag was 25kg (I saw on weigh scale at checkin), one bag 21kg. Both bags had been entered as 23kg (presumably as easier to manipulate the computer than to try and override a 2kg excess charge).. I did contemplate what happens if too many bags are incorrectly weighed and the swiss cheese lines up.....

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I can't even get MMB to show my correct allowance half the time for anything other than a simple return domestic itinerary. And when it is wrong the website 'helpfully' suggests I purchase extra allowance.

 

[RooFlyer]

Even when it's correct the QF website suggests the purchase of additional baggage!

I honestly can't see what the fuss is about here. If I posted about every inconvenience I experienced that got sorted, I'd be on AFF full time.

 

[Sdtravel]

I agree this is frustrating and not on.
At a remote port where their are contract staff it might be ok for staff to be unfamiliar with allowances. But at home base this really isnt on.

 

[JohnK]

No one likes ppl who exaggerate but when a senior member like JohnK who is also big QF FF for many years opens a thread about QF service issues you know it’s serious.

For me there's a trend emerging at SYD T3 and I'm not the only one to notice.

P.S. The issue was sorted. Not a major inconvenience but instead of relaxing before my flight I'm at the check-in counter stressing and trying to fix an issue that should not be an issue. This is a QF booking. I'd already flown the outbound legs. What's hapened to my booking since and why?

 

[boomy]

For me there's a trend emerging at SYD T3 and I'm not the only one to notice.

P.S. The issue was sorted. Not a major inconvenience but instead of relaxing before my flight I'm at the check-in counter stressing and trying to fix an issue that should not be an issue. This is a QF booking. I'd already flown the outbound legs. What's hapened to my booking since and why?

I remember you had similar issue at SYD T3 few months ago, in February IIRC. Good to see that QF (not) taking steps to fix their ongoing service problems...