New Qantas Check-in and Bag Drop - Sydney
 

Hi All

Recently flew out of Sydney and went through the process of the new check-in - bag drop. The technology looks pretty impressive, but my BIG CONCERN is, has the introduction of this new technology come at the expense of jobs. Have any customer service people at the front desks lost their jobs because of this?

Your concerns are well founded.Can't speak for SYD but at PER where the new system has been on trial for a couple of months the new check in system has reduced the number of face to face staff considerably. Where before at peak times I would estimate approx 8 - 12 check in staff operating, there are now only approx four (that I could see ) and they where assisting pax learn the ins and outs of the self serve system and assisting little old ladies .I would be surprised if the new system , once the inevitable teehing problems are sorted would support a permanent number of four operators. My guess would be 2 doing the work previously done by 8-12.

Not sure why qantas don't make you take to the aircraft and load it yourself. DIY checkin dressed up as something else.

As someone said to me - whatever the question, the answer is money!

This system is getting fairly common worldwide. It is really good and quick if you dont have any luggage! Slower if you do.

So with this new system, at what point do you prove identity ie: how do they verify the name on the ticket is the same as the name of the passenger?

NGCI hasn't cost any jobs; the staff previously behind the desks are now on the floor to assist. Identity is checked at the gate which I believe is always the case with domestic flights.

If that is true, why has the company paid for this technology if there are no savings?

As has been said above, the answer is always MONEY!

:hmm:

Identity is not checked domestically. It's entirely possible to self check in and give your boarding pass to someone else.

Would love to see what's going to happen
When the IT systems inevitably go :mad: up.
From what I have seen there are only about four
"manual" check in counters left.

This has been the case for a few years now, with the advent of on-line check-in. Theory being that everyone and their baggage gets screened, so is identity really a big issue?

topend3
Emphasis on the "Theory " bit topend?
Ever read the Wheeler Report?
How many of the over 100 security shortcomings in that report have been addressed?
Is the Secure area really secure once someone has passed through security?
No way terrorists etc could waltz through Screening on dodgy ID's and then "acquire" whatever is needed to achieve "whatever" from an "inside" accomplice now is there?
:eek:

ID's don't get checked at the screening point anyway so that does not stack up. Either have the confidence in the system that is there or change it. Knowing who someone is then won't matter at all if, as you say, people can waltz through screening undetected...

None of the relevant federal agencies were happy about the introduction of online check in, for precisely those reasons. However it's been around for a few years now and nothing terrible has happened (well not that anyone's discovered, anyway :suspect:). At the end of the day the government didn't seem to care if people substituted tickets domestically, as long as they were security screened. It's probably not as big a deal anyway, given that you can jump in your car and drive anywhere in Australia without being identity checked. Of course international travel is a whole different ball game.

With automated check in I have concerns because there's no-one to ask the dangerous goods questions in person. Ticking a box on the internet check in form isn't the same as being interviewed by a staff member, I've seen a lot of scary stuff uncovered over the years at check in (paint, resins, fireworks et al).

However, I think like online check in, it's one of those 'way of the world' things that won't change unless there's a big FUBAR caused by it. Then everyone in government will run around frantically saying that they always had issues with it, but the opposition/public pressure/big bad airlines made them do it. :rolleyes:

A good point - it's also worth noting that the technology unveiled recently by QF in SYD and PER will probably never make it's way into a regional or major airport terminal not owned by the airline.

AirborneSoon; nice observation:
However, that wouldn't necessarily be a degradation in the quality of in-flight nosh that's been brought to us by the bean-counters.

I feel truly sorry for those guys (the FAs) that have to offer floor-sweepings (muesli) for breakfast and ask if I want a bloody apple.

Nirvana was Ansett's scambled-eggs, sausage and bacon during an early morning flight after a night on the turps. These days, I politely decline the floor-sweepings (not the FA's fault) and try to defeat the hangover with a grease-fix before departure (preferable) or post arrival.

Before anyone jumps in, yeah, I realise it ain't coming back - commercial reality and all.

As for 'bag-drops,' bah-humbug, what an American term. Our boy-wonder, walking abacuses don't have an original thought in their collective heads and can only ape the declining standards elsewhere in an attempt to impress the senior bean-counter.

Skytrans do a very nice bacon and egg breakfast, but the choice of destinations are somewhat limited ;).

Re Kegs point, what is to stop someone checking in and giving their boarding pass to someone else-even under the old system you could have done this it just takes longer now, so much for progress.

Nunc

Been going on since prior 09/11- with self-check, but apparently the risk assessment model hasn't flagged it yet. There was once a time as an Operator one had to "Fail-Safe" prove the Manifest- but now the air is so much Fairer......

I'd reckon we're all safe, 'Apparently'................. Mate, if you want to buy a used Trent-900, I can point you to some people who very much want to shift one.....

Rgds
28

Well bag drop may have improved front of house productivity but nothing much has changed behind the scenery. One of my customers told me his luggage arrived in KGI tuesday 12 hours after him having done a tour of W.A.!