BA Domestic check in ??? (April 2nd)

[Bumz_Rush]

On CNN ? or was it BBC World, (not certain, sorry), today April 2nd....BA domestic check in to be fully DIY.

If the date is correct and the story is correct, then total chaos will result.

Bumz

[Bumz_Rush]

found the thread

pax and SLF....sorry......but the confusion there just mirrors my thoughts....
Bumz

[Rainboe]

Are you sure chaos is in order? These are smaller domestic flights. As long as there are a couple of self-service units where you can select your seat after inputting your details, and a place to drop off bags, and a desk to sort out any problems, why should it not work when it has been successfully trialed elsewhere? It's the way of the future.

[BusyB]

Well Rainboe, it certainly hasn't been successfully trialled in T4. The last 2 times I've attempted to use it the machine has failed and I've joined the back of a queue in excess of 45mins long!

[dakar]

Probably getting ready to T5!!!!. Understand less checkin desks more self service, fast bag drop with more passengers checking in in line.

[Rainboe]

As far as I know it has been successfully introduced at North Terminal Gatwick. How can it not work as long as the infrastructure is in place? I don't need someone to say 'Good Morning' to me and 'did you pack your bags yourself?' and allocate a seat when a machine can print it out perfectly well. I was at Gatwick recently when the reservations computers went down- we all stood watching some 20 check-in agents sitting there yawning watching us. It is now a function that cannot be done manually when the computers go down, so we might as well leave it to the computers to do the whole thing and save their pay for low cost tickets!

[tristar500]

Trust me - I work for BA in Scotland, and it is true that from 26 April 2006, ALL domestic pax MUST check in either on-line with home/office printed boarding passes OR use Self Service Kiosks at the airport. Passengers who manage to 'Penetrate' the uni-cue leading to a check-in desk, will be sent back to the kiosks to check in. The reasons are as follows: Check in desks are being given back to the BAA for other airlines, cheaper to operate than a check in desk, and less staff required to man the operation. Also T5 at LHR is taking all the money from within the company, which itself will be mainly 'Self-Service'. All the out stations are beavering away, trying to make this work, saving money and paving the way for mass job losses!

It will not work. Self-Service targets are set on a daily basis and each station must do their best to try and meet them (most station managers are graded on this performance as part of their bonus award...) You can imagine the pressure staff are under to make it work. Passengers dont want to use the 'machines' especially the elderly and passengers who dont have credit cards or computers are being discriminated against.

My co-workers and I see it every day, and now we are being forced into making passengers use a system they clearly dont like. There is no choice now. They chose to use BA but have no choice in how to check in. The most common comment is that they would rather have the personal contact at check-in with a member of staff. Self-Service cant advise of delays, problems or anything else for that matter. Foreign passengers also find it difficult with only a handful of the most common European languages catered for. Even then, most of their credit cards (used for ID) dont work.

BA isnt offering customer service now on the ground and the number of passengers commenting is ridiculous. No care is taken in ensuring the passenger is satisfied with their BA experience. Its turn up at the airport, go to a machine, put your card in, drop your bag off if you have one, and head for the boarding gate...

Lets not forget that you need to cue to use the machines, (if it works, if not, cue to see a staff member at a recovery desk) then cue to drop baggage off, cue to get through security and cue to board the flt... Is it really a quicker way of doing things? Ask any member of staff (in Scotland at least) and the answer will be - I think not! Once again BA management you have spent millions on a system that will replace staff - and you know it - but at the end of the day, you can never have enough staff to interact with the passenger - the passenger who pays your highly inflated wages

[FLEXJET]

I am almost certain BA will loose customers because of this decision and
I agree it will cause operational problems.
Some agents today live a crazy situation : they are asked by under-pressure managers to invite all passengers to self-check while full self-checking implementation will destroy their jobs...

[FormerFlyer]

queue - so what?

Well before the advent of DIY or phone/online check in you always had to queue to see a human at a desk - so what's the huge problem if you have to queue to DIY it?

Am convinced there are now more self service machines than there were desks at some departure points - however if you've got a net connection & are flying BA then why on earth (when you can) would you not do it online from the comfort of your own home/office??

It's the only way I'll do it now, when I have the option - means I can cut arrival at airport down so I don't have to faff around as long. I've just checked in for my DOH-LHR tonight and I only have to pitch up at the terminal 75 minutes prior departure - by the time I've stood for a couple of mins in the Club World queue to pick up my boarding pass (which is where they all pick them up regardless of class of travel), got through security, splashed the rest of my cash in duty free, then found the gate I will be on my way to the a/c.

As a frequent-ish SLF BA have understood my needs - at least they've managed it once

cheers
FF

[Bumz_Rush]

the problem is not regular clients...

....but the non computer, possible non literate passenger who needs reasurance that all is well.

Also what about the situation when the ticket was issued on line, and the credit card was a company officer, and the company did not know the FF number.

I have several times received a phone call from my company giving me a flight number, and a locator number. This is not enough to take the DIY route.
If this is the only route to actually get on board the aircraft, where do I stand in relation to actually being permitted to board. (reference the out stations statement).

Flexjet can keep us up to date as to the efficiency of the out stations.

Bumz

[FormerFlyer]

Originally Posted by Bumz_Rush

....but the non computer, possible non literate passenger who needs reasurance that all is well.
Also what about the situation when the ticket was issued on line, and the credit card was a company officer, and the company did not know the FF number.
I have several times received a phone call from my company giving me a flight number, and a locator number. This is not enough to take the DIY route.
If this is the only route to actually get on board the aircraft, where do I stand in relation to actually being permitted to board. (reference the out stations statement).
Flexjet can keep us up to date as to the efficiency of the out stations.
Bumz

So what on earth do you need to DIY at the terminal then? Online I only need to remember my PNR & flight number - the rest I know (where from & on which date I'm flying!). If terminal DIY kiosk needs more info then someone at BA IT needs to have a look & sort it - seems stupid needing different info depending how you wanna check in.

cheers
FF

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Bumz_Rush

I have several times received a phone call from my company giving me a flight number, and a locator number. This is not enough to take the DIY route.

Me too but I find it is enough to do the DIY route. If you have BA Exec card it finds you in one go. If not put credit card in then enter locator and/or flt no and name.

[gdiphil]

WHBM - you say "put credit card in then enter locator and/or flt no and name." Will any credit card do? What if I've got a flight booked by my company on account? Can I still use my personal credit card to access the BA system?

[Bumz_Rush]

in the dim past...

...I remember that the booking must have been linked to the specific credit card, OR the FF card...

So any old credit card would not work....now what happens if you have lost the original credit card, and had a new one issued...OR AND not a BA FF, but an alliance flyer.....

Bumz

[Crepello]

Bit of an echo:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=218190

To my knowledge, the latest generation of check-in software can read any credit card or affiliated FF plastic - it's just looking for the name.

As banks discovered with ATMs, automated check-in can be a service enhancement if it's done right. Hopefully BA have their act together and will prove the doomsayers wrong.

[Llademos]

Crepello's correct - the machine (BA, anyway) is only looking for confirmation of identity, so any CC, debit card etc will do.

The fallback is that, if the machine breaks, doesn't get the right (or enough) information etc etc it will tell you to go to a Customer Service (was check in) desk ... which should only have a short queue as most people can check in online.

I hope this will also speed up the current misnomer that is 'fast' bag drop too.

I think this will be the airline equivalenmt of chip and pin - dire warnings of doom and gloom before it's discovered that other people aren't as dim as we all like to think.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by gdiphil

WHBM - you say "put credit card in then enter locator and/or flt no and name." Will any credit card do? What if I've got a flight booked by my company on account? Can I still use my personal credit card to access the BA system?

Yes. As long as the card matches the reservation name, nothing to do with the original booking card nowadays (although they used to work this way). So whether it's MR. A. B. Gdiphil or MR Y. Z. Gdiphil doesn't matter, even though the booking may have been made by JKL Industries Ltd (in your name of course). This is why the extra questions are asked about the flight compared to your BA Exec card, which can obviously pick up your res in one go. I don't know how it handles multiple Mr Smiths on one flight.

First time users seem to think they are going to be charged for something. They're not of course.

[Railgun]

Originally Posted by Llademos

Crepello's correct - the machine (BA, anyway) is only looking for confirmation of identity, so any CC, debit card etc will do.

Debit cards ie switch and maestro dont work in the machines. I believe the new softwear to be introduced this month will possibly solve these issues.

If the Reservation is made as Mr T Day and the card name reads Mr Tomorrow Day it will not link the card to the reservation at present. I am not sure if this will change. Probably not i would have though.

[Crepello]

First time users seem to think they are going to be charged for something.

Maybe charge them for talking to desk agents if they're too dim to use the machines...

(Just kidding.)

[bealine]

Crepello's correct - the machine (BA, anyway) is only looking for confirmation of identity, so any CC, debit card etc will do.

This is only true for Travel Agents' or Third Party Bookings. Bookings made using ba.com require authorisation which the self-service kiosk carries out behind the scenes. For these bookings, if the correct credit card is not used, the passenger will be referred to a check-in agent who, if he/she doesn't see the right card, will need to get the Ticket Sales staff involved!