Qantas trials 'all day check-in' for international flights

[QF029]

I just noticed this interesting article on AusBT.

Qantas trials 'all day check-in' for international flights - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

Qantas is trialling an early check-in system at Sydney Airport which will let passengers arrive for their international flight at any time during the day, rather then be restricted to the current 'three hours before departure' window.


The arrangement includes travellers with several bags of checked luggage in addition to those flying with only carry-on kit.

 

[RooFlyer]

That's welcome, as long as they sort out the issue of making sure luggage 'stored' for 6-7 hours makes it to the flight BEFORE they start the trial.

 

[cmon0005]

This is great news, good to see they're taking the approach of how SIN works which seems to flow well, we may yet have more efficient airports in this country slowly but surely!

 

[samh004]

F lounge magic time soon

 

[Limewood]

Soon flying out Int. depart 10.50am will get there early now to get a taste of 1st lounge.

 

[Hvr]

And I note in the article that pax are not supposed to leave the airport. Now if they do and fail to return in time can you imagine the delay getting their luggage off the plane?

The lounges will have longer stay times with the resultant increase in consumables and so on.

I think it sounds like a good idea but it will need to be monitored to ensure there aren't too many unforeseen outcomes. Maybe a five hour time limit for regular pax with unlimited for J/F and WPs?

Wonder how long it will last for and if the results will be made public?

 

[anat0l]

And I note in the article that pax are not supposed to leave the airport. Now if they do and fail to return in time can you imagine the delay getting their luggage off the plane?

The lounges will have longer stay times with the resultant increase in consumables and so on.

I think it sounds like a good idea but it will need to be monitored to ensure there aren't too many unforeseen outcomes. Maybe a five hour time limit for regular pax with unlimited for J/F and WPs?

Wonder how long it will last for and if the results will be made public?

Errr no. If pax no shows and they have to offload luggage, the luggage should be handed straight over to the authorities for possible immediate destruction.

Not that the scenario you articulate is new - it can easily happen previously via transit.

 

[ajw373]

That's welcome, as long as they sort out the issue of making sure luggage 'stored' for 6-7 hours makes it to the flight BEFORE they start the trial.

Shouldn't be too hard considering you can already do this on a domestic to international transfer.

 

[RooFlyer]

Shouldn't be too hard considering you can already do this on a domestic to international transfer.

True enough, but that's a practice that's still imperfect. Just about all my 'lost/delayed' bag experiences have been after long-ish transits (albeit overseas, not Oz).

Where bags are not 'in transit' but are 'new' and arrive down the conveyor but not going to a soon-departing flight opens up a new world of possible SNAFUs.

BTW, how Qantas is going to monitor, let alone enforce the "you can't leave the airport" thing will be interesting. They are obviously looking forward to increased (longer) lounge occupancy

 

[Melburnian1]

At Manila NAIA, PR has been allowing this for quite some time:

Philippine Airlines :: Check-in

It will be interesting to see if this copycat move by QF results in FF members being restricted in the number of hours before a flight that they can access the various classes of lounges. This would be difficult to enforce, as sometimes passengers might have a travel-related reason for wanting to checkin early, such as having been dropped off at an airport by a relative who has time constraints, or having caught an infrequent train to the CBD station to connect with the flight in plenty of time. Of course for AFFers the need to sample the latest F & B offerings is also an extremely valid reason!

I agree that checking in super early brings with it an increased rosk that one's luggage may be mislaid by an airline.

 

[Must...Fly!]

So we have some balance, there is certainly more airlines than just PR allowing all day check-in for flights at their home base(s)...

 

[Isochronous]

Not much use when all the Asia flights are morning departure only!

 

[Simo]

How are they going to police the don't leave the airport rule..

 

[Happy Trails]

How are they going to police the don't leave the airport rule..

Electronic Dog Fencing in Australia

 

[Hvr]

How are they going to police the don't leave the airport rule..

Well BA have a rule that you must clear security at least 35 minutes before the flight when checking in at LHR T5. Maybe QF will implement similar process to ensure you go through within a certain time after checking in or you are off loaded?

[h=4]Important information:[/h]

• You must pass through check-in no later than 45 minutes before your flight.
• You must have entered Security at least 35 minutes before your flight departs.
• You must be at your boarding gate at least 20 minutes before your flight departs.
• If you do not meet these times, you will not be allowed on to your flight.

 

[Simo]

I just did a quick check of international departures from SYD and there appears to be more morning departures for QF than Afternoon/Night departures.

Europe seems to be more afternoon departures

 

[anat0l]

I just did a quick check of international departures from SYD and there appears to be more morning departures for QF than Afternoon/Night departures.

Europe seems to be more afternoon departures

Obviously, there are a lot more morning departures for QF than afternoon / night departures.

Can you imagine if it were the inverse; QF would be caught in the curfew trap so many times it wouldn't be funny by any stretch of the imagination.

But generally it's all just the way it works out with logical timings and so on.

How are they going to police the don't leave the airport rule..

Simple - they can't and won't. The airport will do it first before Qantas will, if the airport was so inclined to be scared.

Think about it - you can't stop people from checking in a bag and then their walking out of the airport, even if it is only 3 hours out from departure. That's enough time to get at least a few clicks away from Mascot if your intentions were malicious.


The only other argument for not allowing check-in which is very early is baggage holding / storage space. I would like to think that's not a major issue at SYD.

 

[Simo]

Curfew would be the reason as the flow on effects for late international flights delayed for a day would be a nightmare for QF and a customer service nightmare as well

 

[Melburnian1]

anat01, having only once toured a baggage handlers' 'outwards baggage' area (not at SYD), I can only presume that one possible slight difficulty in allowing early checkin is that bags have to come off the luggage belt and be placed in an airline size container for the specific flight. If one checked in a bag at 0600 for the 1550 QF flight to LHR, there would be a lot of other containers in the area for earlier flights, so a fair bit of space would be required.

 

[JohnK]

The lounges will have longer stay times with the resultant increase in consumables and so on.

Read overcrowded lounges most times.