Disappointing check-in experience - my first post-Sabre flight

[MandM]

Flew MEL-BNE-LAX yesterday. Got to the airport about 1hr40min prior to the MEL-BNE flight (7am flight). No one in the priority line so went straight to the counter only to be advised that he was unable to check me in and to follow him to another desk. Got there and there was about 50 people in line. I asked about priority check in (as SG I wouldnt usually ask, but was also taking my first ever busines class trip, so wanted the full experience) and he said it want available (at this time there were three desks open). Everyone in this line had a domestic connection to an international flight. Long story short, with 20 minutes before my flight closed I had finally made it to the front of the line with the lovely check in person telling me she had 1 minute to get me to a certain step in the processing or I wouldn't be on the flight! It took around 10 minutes to check me and my bags in. They radioed through to ensure I was still on the flight and asked me to go as fast as possible to the gate (the 2nd furthest gate of course!) I made it, but not surprisingly I'm still waiting for one of my bags that didn't...
Any one else had this happen to them? The person that checked me in said that it was due to not having enough people trained in the new system. Pretty poor - it's not like the implementation of Sabre was some unplanned surprise!

 

[here2go]

RANT WARNING. Why does checking in for an International Flight take SO LONG in this country? I had massive problems checking in for SQ flying to MUC last year on a flight that was booked by an agent running Sabre, and migrated from SQ's old GDS to Amadeus. They lost details of my daughter (below 2), and no matter how hard I tried beforehand to fix it online, they could only get the passport numbers right after half an hour of badgering with with the software and multiple people working on our checkin. In addition to taxi problems in Darwin (trying to get a taxi that would fit a family of four and luggage), it made for a stressful night.

 

[robd]

Flew MEL-BNE-LAX yesterday. Got to the airport about 1hr40min prior to the MEL-BNE flight (7am flight). No one in the priority line so went straight to the counter only to be advised that he was unable to check me in and to follow him to another desk. Got there and there was about 50 people in line. I asked about priority check in (as SG I wouldnt usually ask, but was also taking my first ever busines class trip, so wanted the full experience) and he said it want available (at this time there were three desks open). Everyone in this line had a domestic connection to an international flight. Long story short, with 20 minutes before my flight closed I had finally made it to the front of the line with the lovely check in person telling me she had 1 minute to get me to a certain step in the processing or I wouldn't be on the flight! It took around 10 minutes to check me and my bags in. They radioed through to ensure I was still on the flight and asked me to go as fast as possible to the gate (the 2nd furthest gate of course!) I made it, but not surprisingly I'm still waiting for one of my bags that didn't...
Any one else had this happen to them? The person that checked me in said that it was due to not having enough people trained in the new system. Pretty poor - it's not like the implementation of Sabre was some unplanned surprise!

Ok, so there was no dedicated Priority counter, but the initial agent knew you were on a Business ticket and SG. They should have taken you to the front of the line. So I gather you missed the relaxation of the lounge having to bolt to the gate too. Definitely not the experience anyone should have paying a Business premium. You should email off a complaint to VA. Very poor form IMO.

**Edit - Can you access The Lounge on the domestic connection of an international ticket? Regardless, still poor form.

 

[eastwest101]

Feedback required to VA if/when you have time about checkin staffing levels, staff training, priority line etc etc

Not necessarily to point the blame at any one particular person, but more maybe to alert VA that they had numerous checkin problems at MEL on that day.

 

[MandM]

Feedback required to VA if/when you have time about checkin staffing levels, staff training, priority line etc etc

Not necessarily to point the blame at any one particular person, but more maybe to alert VA that they had numerous checkin problems at MEL on that day.

I plan to do this but really wanted to get a feel as to if this was just a bad day, or if this is still the norm for this domestic-international check-in. At worst, it would have been nice to be warned that it might happen! Currently the delayed/missing bag is my main concern (which I have no doubt was related to the check-in hassle). So once that's sorted I'll get in contact about this all.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I don't fly virgin so this doesn't happen

 

[straitman]

I don't fly virgin so this doesn't happen

Care to amplify your comment Spruce :?:

 

[Bolthead]

I don't fly virgin so this doesn't happen

Care to amplify your comment Spruce :?:

Maybe thinking of the same thing.... for someone who doesn't fly VA howcome you are a Platinum... just intrigued, that's all

 

[notzac]

As another data point - I flew this route last month and it worked just fine, but the check-in agent couldn't quite handle a fly ahead request (whether a training issue or a system access issue, I don't know .. he knew what I wanted but couldn't make it happen). I was sent over to the service desk (is this where you got sent? other side of the escalators?) where everything got sorted out promptly and without queues.

 

[lovestotravel]

RANT WARNING. Why does checking in for an International Flight take SO LONG in this country?

It doesn't!

 

[here2go]

It doesn't!

My experience of late has suggested otherwise, but it seems to be whenever Sabre is in the loop. That said, Scandinavian right royally stuffed up a reservation my family had, and that was with Amadeus. Said that Mrs Here2go had already flown, and the rest of us hadn't. Very odd.