Qantas forcing everyone to use self-service check-in kiosks in AKL

[dajop]

For a premium airline if you’re flying in J it’s illogical to be forced to use a kiosk

Having it as an option is great. But I agree that for a premium class on a premium carrier there should be a staffed option as well.

IMHO, the day that you front up to a kiosk, stare into the camera and it recognises you straight away and spits out your boarding pass* (perhaps asking you a question about baggage and issuing appropriate number of baggage tags as well) is a good kiosk experience. Mucking around with passport scans and/or entering PNRs is not necessarily something that everyone wants to bother with when paying a significant premium.

* or a reminder of your seat number via printout, email or message, as I assume same technology could recognise you when boarding thus you wouldn’t need a boarding pass.

 

[wandering_fred]

How is it illogical to get a boarding pass and then drop off the bag though?

Domestic connection to international multi-segment flights
Mobility assistance is required to get from check in to the gate area.
Extra baggage fees are required (and known in advance)

I am certain more reasons can be envisaged.
Qantas management should do more interesting wandering
Fred

 

[sap1l]

To add to the list of “can’t use a kiosk” reasons, if your passport doesn’t have a last name field in the MRZ you can’t use the kiosks for international flights.

 

[Rangalad]

How is it illogical to get a boarding pass and then drop off the bag though?

Having it as an option is great. But I agree that for a premium class on a premium carrier there should be a staffed option as well.

IMHO, the day that you front up to a kiosk, stare into the camera and it recognises you straight away and spits out your boarding pass* (perhaps asking you a question about baggage and issuing appropriate number of baggage tags as well) is a good kiosk experience. Mucking around with passport scans and/or entering PNRs is not necessarily something that everyone wants to bother with when paying a significant premium.

* or a reminder of your seat number via printout, email or message, as I assume same technology could recognise you when boarding thus you wouldn’t need a boarding pass.

Had a similar experience at HKG.
OLCI, outbound immigration check via e-channel.

Got to the gate, lined up in front of the camera, machine beeped.
Had to go to the service desk.
This is the first time (excluding the outbound security check) when I got to interact with a human.

I was entering Taiwan on a one way ticket. Separate booking ex TPE.
Showed the agent the booking ex TPE and was manually boarded.

 

[Rangalad]

How is it illogical to get a boarding pass and then drop off the bag though?

In the good old days, we'd accept the customer's baggage first, tag it, then print the boarding pass.

New technology reverses the workflow.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

One thing that has been bugging me. At WLG QF pax connecting to USA, Indonesia, and maybe some other countries, are required to check in at a desk not the kiosks. Presumably to check entry eligibility. Does the same not apply ex-AKL?

 

[markis10]

One thing that has been bugging me. At WLG QF pax connecting to USA, Indonesia, and maybe some other countries, are required to check in at a desk not the kiosks. Presumably to check entry eligibility. Does the same not apply ex-AKL?

Probably explained by the ground handling at WLG handled by Menzies vs in-house QF at AKL, different access to QF systems

 

[milehighclub]

vs in-house QF at AKL

AKL is also Menzies

 

[AIRwin]

Looks like this happened in front of the QF check-in in SIN and involved a kiosk:

Woman arrested at Changi Airport check-in area for abusing public servant

She was seen hitting a self-service baggage check-in machine, a traveller said. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

str.sg

 

[anat0l]

Looks like this happened in front of the QF check-in in SIN and involved a kiosk:

Woman arrested at Changi Airport check-in area for abusing public servant

She was seen hitting a self-service baggage check-in machine, a traveller said. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

str.sg

Do certain staff who work at Changi count as public servants? Headline is a bit confusing.

 

[LondonAussie]

Story is also a bit confusing... pinned down by three police officers and taken away in handcuffs for "using abusive language". Has to be more to the story surely?

 

[anat0l]

Story is also a bit confusing... pinned down by three police officers and taken away in handcuffs for "using abusive language". Has to be more to the story surely?

I know they don't take to using abusive language lightly in Singapore (cf. in Australia that is usually no where near an arrestable offence in and of itself).

I guess I'm confused about the "public servant" bit, but also while it seemed to involve a kiosk (i.e. the latter being used or struck), we obviously have no idea what brought about the incident, and more fundamentally for this topic, does it have to do with kiosks being "forced" to be used on passengers by staff (viz. does this "forced" policy account for this aggresor's behaviour to the point that QF is partly responsible for the abuse hurled)

 

[NZflygirl]

I had a reply back from Auckland airport that kiosks were a Qantas initiative. No response from QF to date but Auckland will pass feedback on to Qantas.

 

[johndoe]

When I asked Qantas staff - they said Auckland airport wants all airlines to start using kiosks. It was a disaster (maybe exaggerating) when i was there, two counters at the front with not enough space for manual check in. Everyone queuing there, and because the two staff members were busy, no one directing anyone to the kiosks. We had kids gear etc which supposedly couldn't be checked in on the kiosk, lady helping us was what I might say newish. Real povo experience to be fair...might just fly Air NZ out of Akl (if they can leave on time) - though they also just use kiosks in premium check in

 

[iflyineconomy]

I love the Kiosk if I'm not in the mood to chat but appreciate the human if that's what I want.

I think most premium service businesses are struggling with the correct format at the moment. I've noticed many Australian hotels are similar offering kiosks obviously in a move to reduce labor cost but cheapens the experience in most cases.

 

[jastel]

Its the same at Maccas and Woolworths...I am not paid by you so am not doing your job for you.
Especially if you use cash, I am not lining up twice at Maccas.

I am not a complete technogumby but I know by the time I figure it out a trained human could process 2 or 3 people. Then at the end half the time you get "Error - seek assistance"

Have them for people that want them, but dont force us to use them.

 

[justinbrett]

I had a reply back from Auckland airport that kiosks were a Qantas initiative. No response from QF to date but Auckland will pass feedback on to Qantas.

I heard it was Menzies (QF’s ground handler).

 

[AviationNZ]

Real povo experience to be fair...might just fly Air NZ out of Akl (if they can leave on time) - though they also just use kiosks in premium check in

If you're in Business or an Elite Airpoints member, you have access to the proper premium check-in lounge down the right hand side behind the frosted glass, which has kiosks and also has a handful of staff at desks with seating for customers. Definitely a more high touch premium experience.

 

[johndoe]

If you're in Business or an Elite Airpoints member, you have access to the proper premium check-in lounge down the right hand side behind the frosted glass, which has kiosks and also has a handful of staff at desks with seating for customers. Definitely a more high touch premium experience.

two staff desks - but usually find only one is staffed at the best of times unless you're lucky (or evenings for USA flights). It is more peaceful though

 

[dajop]

Its the same at Maccas and Woolworths...I am not paid by you so am not doing your job for you.
Especially if you use cash, I am not lining up twice at Maccas.
\

Maccas has been rolled out extensively not only because of savings in labour. I've read articles suggesting it actually leads to people purchasing more than they would at a counter .. it makes more options available and people are less embarrassed to purchase extra food than they would at a counter.

I very infrequently go to McDonalds in Singapore (they have an OK Chicken Burger with coleslaw and pineapple ), but never in Australia. in SG there is no option now to order at counter, you must order via screen even if paying cash. But I hate and detest them because people dither and take forever to decide and place their order. As a result I've probably gone down to 5-6 times/year to 2-3 times/year. I think they really want you to order via their app.

I guess this is going way OT for airline, but essentially machines are great for "vanilla" transactions. Off-script or problem solving or something a little tricky, then humans are usually much more effective still.