Jetstar: You’ll pay to talk to humans

[rodchucker]

"Jetstar Group chief executive Bruce Buchanan said the airline expected self-check-in to be popular and predicted Jetstar was "well on the way" to its stated 100 per cent objective...........
He said all check-in staff would be retained and switched to customer service roles. but Australian Services Union Victorian secretary Ingrid Stitt said staff were worried about their jobs."


Yeah right......we trust you Bruce despite the history.
He must be getting bored with the pilots, here we go again.

[Sunfish]

It's safer to believe the reverse of what these guys say.

[RENURPP]

I for one believe he is telling the truth!

As checkin staff numbers decrease they will be offered alternative positions in the Manilla call centre that handles Jetstar bookings on Pilipino conditions. They will have to relocate them selves of course.

Does Jetstar actually have any customer service positions? If so they do a bloody good job at hiding them.

[600ft-lb]

Just give them a 2 week aircraft engineering course and they can replace their line maintenance staff. Because we all know aircraft engineers are overpaid prima donnas after all and aircraft maintenance is a mugs game.

[Ultergra]

JETSTAR passengers will be forced to pay for customer service under a new automated system.

They will also have to print their own tickets and tag their baggage under the system, to be introduced in November to cut costs.

Airport workers even had to be given panic alarms following a spike in confrontations with passengers outraged and frustrated when trying to use the new technology.


Banks do the opposite, charge you for the convenience of ATM's but a person is free. And banks make how many billions of dollars a year? And how much do airlines make? Onya Jetstar, keep selling them muffins.

[Captain Nomad]

Last time Nomad went travelling with Mrs Nomad and little Nomad, they went by QANTAS and were subjected to this 'self-check-in' process at more than one port. Luggage included a portable cot & stroller which became a major hassle.

After printing tickets and applying baggage tags (and you wouldn't believe how many people can't figure out how to put a tag on - that's what the customer service staff spend most of their time running around doing). Bags were checked in whereupon it was advised that the cot/stroller would have to be checked in via the 'oversize baggage' point. After lugging the item all the way down there the staff member scanned the tag with the little whiz-bang bar code reader and then said "Sorry mate, you will have to go and get the code activated."

Activation involved lugging the item to the other end of the terminal to a little hidden cubicle where the staff were so busy chatting among themselves Nomad had to eventually interrupt them and ask if the job was done some minutes later... "Oh yes, you can go now!" Lug the item back to the other end of the terminal again where the item could finally be checked in!

This was not a 'one-off' experience. It happened every time we had to self-check-in. Another pain is that if you are even 2kg over your baggage allowance - bang - 'pay excess please' says the computer. No kind check-in staff to make the odd discretionary waiver for a frequent flyer. The only people who are privileged enough to get to see a person during check-in are the business class travellers. QANTAS - premium flag carrier - but only for the 'important' customers.

'Self-check-in' might be great for the 'carry-on' baggage only travellers - for anyone else it is a customer service step backwards!

Not much wonder people fly with the cheapest option when the service from the traditional 'better products' is reduced to this... And that is without discussing the security issues of self check-in...!

[Mr.Buzzy]

Had enough of this "self serve" bollox.

Self serve THIS you greedy money grabbing pack of pigs!!!!

The money saved by not recruiting young Australians does not go back to us!!!

I detest that little "Thanks for shopping at Safeway, have a great day" message at the self serve supermarket checkout.

I went to a terrific new food store that has recently opened at Essendon airport. Sure the prices are a little higher but the fresh food range and service are second to none. Good on you La M@#@a, stick it to them all!!!!!!

bbbbbbzzzzzzzzbbzzzzzzzzbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Worrals in the wilds]

I used the Swissair self check in system several times with a lot of stuff and an elderly relative (not in a bag :E) and it was fine.
The key difference is that Swissair have plenty of friendly and efficient staff in the check in area to help out, who are also quick to jump in and assist when pax appear to be struggling. As you say, Qantas only care about their business class passengers and saving a buck in staff costs.

[stewser89]

What ever happened to good old service?

Everyone in a rush with self serve checkouts, self serve checkouts. Bypassing paid, real people for automated computer machines

And now they want to charge me to talk to a real person!!! Just another reason to not fly Jetstar.

[7378FE]

Am I missing something here, or do you actually want to speak to a JQ check-in chick. :confused:

[porch monkey]

Hey buzzy,ya must be a local like me then. Great place, innit?:ok:

[Metro man]

Remember the days when you actually needed to go into the bank to get money out ? These days everyone seems to be comfortable with ATMs.

Self check in very common overseas, at first there had to be plenty of staff on duty to guide people through but as time progressed and passengers got used to the new system, fewer assistants were required. Eventually there will be none.

Most likely passengers have used the internet to book their tickets anyway and are reasonably comfortable with the new technology. Any bongan knows how to get his dole money in cash or use EFTPOS in a drive through.

[peuce]

Don't mind self checkin for myself, but I oppose charging the elderly, infirm, blind, and illiterate for the services of a person.

In my mind, they have already bought their ticket, which presumably includes all the airline's charges for ... the cost of doing business.

Next, they'll want my grandma to pay for the new tyre when some lead footed sky god jams on the brakes too hard ! :=

[Nulli Secundus]

Now here's a thought:

What would JetStar cabin crew say if you told them "Yes, I'm a passenger, but there will be a charge to talk to you"

How ridiculous. Going cheap sort of works, but only until you hit the bare bones of your operating structure. What next? Collapse? People serving people make airlines successful - not technology. Not the brightest strategy for mine.

Borghetti will be loving it!;)

[rodchucker]

Common everyone, this isn't about the technology but the Jetstar commitment to the staff and reminding them not to "forget" what they said and not letting them forget we know what they have done in the past.
They may want to, but I certainly dont.

[starboy9]

It sounds so good. Now, if only it worked. Their kiosks never find your reservation the phone boarding pass won't read at the boarding gate. If your going to release a new system at least test it and train your staff in this new way before you enforce people to use it. They don't even use genuine windows on their laptop computers at the gate. "Humm that could cause some problems" said the staff member boarding our flight last week, while alarms where sounding from the machine.:=

People are getting angry with staff when all these things go wrong. I for one don't remember asking for or did I get asked If i wanted a machine to check me in. Yet Jetstar seem to think you want to get on a plane faster. Don't panic yet, because you can purchase priority boarding- Yeah that will get me there faster, if I pay more again to sit up front!:ugh:

Im starting to feel sorry for the Jetstar staff who have to police this new fee to check in at the counters, although it seems to be the way the industry is going. In the UK you have to pay /min to phone some airline reservations.....

No service, no staff, no security. Next time your checking in for your flight, say goodbye to your check in agent, because they may not be there next time.
Good onya Jetstar :mad:

[rocket66]

What a pack of f$&@ing clowns. Business 101 is if the pax have a GOOD experience flying with you, they will return to fly with you AGAIN!

If I am the customer and I'm having trouble working this stupid system, or want to ask a simple question and have to pay, IM GOING TO GET PISSED!

I cannot believe these people run a muli-million dollar airline. Not a chance in hell Ill ever fly Jet* again.

Rocket

[jibba_jabba]

Oh for F*ck's sake, what will happen next?

Passengers to wear electric shock bracelets?

Jetstar, WTF are you doing, your making it hard for me to justify working for you!

[plainmaker]

I can just imagine the enthusiasm our Japanese / Chinese visitors (who thought they were flying Qantas as per the Tourism Australia ads) will embrace the ' Solly, Engrish is instrukshun ranguage for check-in' without coughing up to speak to a person.

Or any tourist for that matter.

Good grief, when you catch Greyhound, you still get 'checked-in' by a staff member.

No job losses - yeh right!! It will just be that the hours per employee will go from 40 per week to 10. And I reckon a few airports will not lay down and take the loss of revenue from the common user terminals without a fight.

Plainmaker

[Alien Role]

Picture this; a full A320 with 12 Pax allocated the emergency exit rows, overwing.....
At the end of the CC's overwing exit briefing this happless CC member asks, whilst looking everyone in the eye and smiling nicely , "are you willing and able to operate this exit if required in an emergency"?

To which these 12 customers / guests / victims reply, "yes I am able, but only willing to oblige if you pay me $15 for the service"

So we now have the situation where (if Jet* will not pay the service fee), those pax not "willing to operate the exit" legally must be removed from those seats !!!

After some delay / confusion, those pax are re-allocated seating and a substitute 12 pax seated in the emergency exit row...........yes you guessed it. At the end of the exit row briefing, same question asked - same response given......hhmmmm, BB we have a bit of a problem here.

So Jet* have a situation where their aircraft do not legally depart or they have to rouse up 4 CC to go for a ride to sit in exit rows.

People Power..!! :p:p:D:D