the system will sort people by onload and upgrade category, so the system does select the order
I was told over the weekend that it's not working very well at
all.
Plenty of staff travellers complaining, plenty of staff not getting on when seats are available and the staff at the airport are complaining as well.
Examples:
Old Dedicated Staff Check-in:
· Single staff member checks in, thinks they are OK as they have highest priority of 9 staff listed for flight with 5 Y class seats only. (pax 1)
· Single staff member checks in, has 2nd highest priority of 8 staff listed for flight. (pax 2)
· Family of 4 check-in knowing things may be tight and are advised of that by the experienced check-in staff. (pax 3 to 6)
· Staff member (of family) advises check-in staff that they are happy to return tomorrow if they do not all get on.
· Single staff member checks in, thinks they are OK as they are travelling alone, knows that a family of 4 are ahead of them (according to staff travel web site) in on load category. (pax 7)
· Staff and partner check in with a lower category than family of 4, also aware that things are tight. (pax 8 & 9)
· Flight closed- no late commercials & no, no-shows etc, still 5 Y seats & 9 staff:
- Pax 1 & 2 receives boarding passes, (3 seats left)
- Family of 4 advised that only 3 seats available and they in turn, advise that they will return next day.
- Dedicated and experienced check-in staff simply call pax 7, 8 & 9 and issues boarding passes,
This is apparently how it worked.
New Non-Dedicated Staff Check-In.
· Pax 1 to 6 asked to return to enquiry counter in 45 minutes.
· Pax 7, 8 & 9 advised immediately that they will not get on,
· Flight closed- no late commercials & no, no-shows etc, still 5 Y seats & 9 staff – although pax 7, 8 & 9 have given up thinking that check in know their stuff and staff travel web site showed that they may not get on anyway.
- Pax 1 & 2 receives boarding passes, (3 seats left)
- Family of 4 advises that they do not wish to travel separately,
· Flight closes – 2 staff have boarding passes, 3 seats available.
The scenario above shows Y class only but is happening in all classes.
What else is happening is staff are provided with upgrade boarding passes i.e. check-in at Y counters, pass through immigration and get to gate only to be told that J & W are full. No problems except, it has happened where Y is now full because staff in Y who are not entitled to upgrade are happily waiting to board but then get called and told you have been off loaded!!
Flow on – staff have to trudge back and clear immigration, bags have to be retrieved but not always (which adds additional costs in retrieving them from an overseas port, refunds arranged (full refunds for staff who now decide not to travel and for staff who have purchased J tickets but travel in Y only).
All because 1 new manager has decided what happens at domestic can also work at SIT.
When I was told about this on the weekend, I asked how it happens overseas and the reply was simple, it works OK simply because no other station has the volumes that SIT has each day. Lady from SIT also told us that QF will introduce the JQ thing where full paying pax can purchase available J class seats when checking in, making staff travel even less desirable.