Next Generation Check In

[drewbles]

I notice that the NGCI enabled cards seem to have a slightly different design to those sent out to us trial users.

The trial cards don't have the shadow of the 'roo in the background, well ; not that I can see anyway.

ahh so they *do* have the silver one (see my 'new FF card' thread).

They didn't standardise on the naming convention so I missed that.

No sign of NB or QP though

 

[proskyneo]

Here's the plain old QP NGCI card, as seen in my inbox this morning!

 

[Flashback]

ahh so they *do* have the silver one (see my 'new FF card' thread).

They didn't standardise on the naming convention so I missed that.

No sign of NB or QP though

Yeh, I tried variations to get the SG/WP card but had no luck

 

[pshepvic]

. Also what people have to know, QC is that exactly, a paid membership to access the QANTAS Club, and that's what QF seems to be getting back to. A paid lounge membership and that's it, none of this extra perks, just the QC access. [/INDENT]

Except that it's a little unfair to people who bought their memberships because of those benefits as well as the lounge. For example, my parents who forked out several grand about 13 years ago for life membership. Not really great about rewarding loyalty by moving them to the back of the Y checkin queue. They may not fly enough to be gold, but have been silver on many occasions and are certainly loyal to the airline. And before you say they can use NGCI with their silver status and not queue, they are not in that generation - they'd still rather old fashioned service and have someone help. I can't see them printing out and attaching luggage tags and all that rubbish!

 

[samh004]

Just a copy and paste from another thread:

Also what people have to know, QC is that exactly, a paid membership to access the QANTAS Club, and that's what QF seems to be getting back to. A paid lounge membership and that's it, none of this extra perks, just the QC access.​

Sorry to reply to this so late, I just re-read it per the above quote. But in this case (QC going back to just lounge access) you’d expect Silver to retain priority perks, to better differentiate, but it’s been struck along with QC. So it doesn’t seem like they’re just saying they’re putting QC back to where it should be at all.

Though I do agree with that line of thinking.

QC is lounge, Silver et al is status is priorities and such.

 

[markis10]

Thank god I am close to LTG, LTS was underwhelming when it had benefits, now i dont see the point to be frank, apart from NGCI which I dont think is a deal maker.

 

[simongr]

Ok so when I get the new card/tag can I then check in using my iPhone and then switch to the Q card at the airport. That way I can make sure I am checked in but not have to use the phone as a BP...

 

[TheInsider]

Ok so when I get the new card/tag can I then check in using my iPhone and then switch to the Q card at the airport. That way I can make sure I am checked in but not have to use the phone as a BP...

Well that defeats the purpose of using mobile check-in then!

 

[notzac]

Ok so when I get the new card/tag can I then check in using my iPhone and then switch to the Q card at the airport. That way I can make sure I am checked in but not have to use the phone as a BP...

The idea being that you don't check in at all - select your seat online, swipe your card against the reader at the airport gate. No need to worry about iPhones, bits of paper / cardboard or whatever else..

 

[simongr]

Well that defeats the purpose of using mobile check-in then!

But I can then get to the airport later and go straight to teh gate knowing that I am properly checked in.

 

[TheInsider]

I'm not too sure on the process of that but i assume it won't work, b/c you have checked-in on your phone, and will have that registered as the mode of check-in.. The card doesn't have the 2D barcode as the mobile/paper has.

I'm not too sure though. Why not use the phone though?

 

[drron]

Just a copy and paste from another thread:

I'm suprised at a few of the comments over the past few days regarding the FF changes and about the NGCI.

IMO the removal of a priority queue for QC and Silver members is not really a big issue, the majority of silvers (atleast 80%) of them don't even use the priority queues at the moment, this also goes for QC members. They don't generally travel enough to know any better and just join the Y bag drop queue. Also what people have to know, QC is that exactly, a paid membership to access the QANTAS Club, and that's what QF seems to be getting back to. A paid lounge membership and that's it, none of this extra perks, just the QC access.

For the NGCI, i have spoken to alot of people that travel to PER that have come over to MEL for the weekend or day and atleast 96% of them love the new check-in procedures and ask as to why MEL still doesn't have it. They clearly see that it is faster and say it's a simple process once they know what they are doing. This is also including MANY WP's and SG FF'ers, they don't want to wait in a queue to drop off a bag, and don't care if they don't speak to a CSA. They just want to get to their destination/lounge. The ones that don't like the self service are generally the 'older' generation that feel obliged to tell everyone that they have status.

BTW not looking forward to the new baggage allowances in a check-in way, but excess baggage will be alot cheaper in some circumstances. Instead of $10 per kg over 23kgs, it will be $30 per extra item up to 23kgs.
​

Well get all those pesky free loading frequent flyers out of our lounge-after all we paid for it.
Also your assumption that QCNB members do not travel enough to know better is certainly not always right.
Yes I am one of the older generation and love to speak to a real person.But like many of my generation we do not like to show off our status-apart from the AFF and FT tags on my carryon.
Besides as a QPNB I will be using OLCI much more frequently in the future-i really do not want to wait until the airport to have seat allocation.
And yes the price we have to pay to have NGCI-only one bag-is too high a price to pay.Lets get real NGCI is not to give the pax a better service but for QF to save money and reduce staffing levels at the airport.

 

[anat0l]

Lets get real NGCI is not to give the pax a better service but for QF to save money and reduce staffing levels at the airport.

You're right on the money here on the staffing thing.

Save for priority lines and status before, if I can check-in faster then I wouldn't care much for being able to talk to a human or not. (Mind you, even with priority lines, at times these are painful enough to wait for and the Y queue - might as well set up a deck chair).

I always thought OLCI (let alone SSCI) left a lot to be desired when you couldn't drop bags without the help of an agent. This is why when NZ went to a similar system I thought it was a brilliant idea. Admittedly, NZ have a better thing going as their bag drop doesn't involve injectors, which speeds the process (but admittedly adds a lot to pax's inconvenience if they try and drop a bag which is too heavy). But if lines start building up at injectors or we start having "priority injection" then I think we've done something wrong here.

Frankly I'm also glad that if getting rid of humans means less pretentious idiots trying to finagle upgrades at check-in or argue about the weight of their baggage (and allowances), then I'm all for it! There isn't enough rage that you could generate that could exceed the way I feel about these kinds of morons taking up valuable time at check-in, especially in the premium line. Absolute idiots, they are, and an absolute waste of time (you can take that last clause to mean the actual time or the said person's existence - up to you).

If NGCI speeds up check-in then I'm happy to drop the human interaction. If that sounds anti-human or unfriendly to any of you - whether young or old - well, so be it. You probably only have enough time in most cases now to ask "how's the weather" with an agent before your procedures are complete, if even that. If you and/or the agent are taking any more time than that and it's merely chat, guess what - you are wasting time. Get out.

 

[drron]

Sadly anat01 you are right.I have never asked for an upgrade or extra baggage at checkin but have often received it.The last time with QF in BNE-a particularly nasty example of the type you portrayed was in front of us.But a cheery hello and commiserating how terrible some pax are and our overweight bags were no problem.Cant see a machine doing this for us though.
I really do wonder how some people can take so long checking in.What will they do with NGCI?:shock:

 

[anat0l]

Sadly anat01 you are right.I have never asked for an upgrade or extra baggage at checkin but have often received it.The last time with QF in BNE-a particularly nasty example of the type you portrayed was in front of us.But a cheery hello and commiserating how terrible some pax are and our overweight bags were no problem.Cant see a machine doing this for us though.

Don't get me wrong - I wasn't implicating you as one of the "bad apples", drron. But there are so many ways that an idiot can hold up the line with a human compared to a machine (to a certain extent, before they go and attack the first QF staff they see).

A machine can't tell you that they're having a sh**ty day or that your hair looks lovely, but at least it'll mean you get out of the rat race quicker.

I really do wonder how some people can take so long checking in.What will they do with NGCI?:shock:

I do feel rather sorry for the older generation. As for the younger generation, they really don't have an excuse, what with all their ability to work out an iPhone, Facebook and the rest of that stuff.

 

[anchew]

Ok so when I get the new card/tag can I then check in using my iPhone and then switch to the Q card at the airport. That way I can make sure I am checked in but not have to use the phone as a BP...

From Next Generation Check-in frequently asked questions

Can I use mobile or online to check in, then use my card as the boarding pass at the gate?

Yes. You can choose to check-in by any of the check-in methods available to you and then use your Qantas card to board the aircraft. This includes ports not equipped with Next Generation Check-in technology.

 

[straitman]

My new card and baggage labels arrived today and though I am not sure when I will get to use them appropriately.

 

[dk4]

If NGCI speeds up check-in then I'm happy to drop the human interaction. If that sounds anti-human or unfriendly to any of you - whether young or old - well, so be it. You probably only have enough time in most cases now to ask "how's the weather" with an agent before your procedures are complete, if even that. If you and/or the agent are taking any more time than that and it's merely chat, guess what - you are wasting time. Get out.

While all this is valid for you (and possibly even me), I would like to point out, that after years of hacking away at front line staff, large Australian retail banks have discovered - forcing customers onto ATMs and "other technological enhancements", wasn't the cost & service utopia they had hoped for. And now, are having to refocus on what their customers ACTUALLY want - face2face service with flat management structures (i.e. empowered staff, making real business decisions, unbound by red tape), with the people they know, in local branches! I'm jus' sayin', is all...

 

[anat0l]

While all this is valid for you (and possibly even me), I would like to point out, that after years of hacking away at front line staff, large Australian retail banks have discovered - forcing customers onto ATMs and "other technological enhancements", wasn't the cost & service utopia they had hoped for. And now, are having to refocus on what their customers ACTUALLY want - face2face service with flat management structures (i.e. empowered staff, making real business decisions, unbound by red tape), with the people they know, in local branches! I'm jus' sayin', is all...

I'd like to think that's a little broad brush in a way.

For example, there are many things (essential services) that can't be achieved through a bank's ATM. Deposits are a big one. Apply for loans and credit cards are another. So face to face service is required there.

It could be a generational thing but most of the people still in the thick of the rat race do not want to be waiting in line, especially if it is only to withdraw ~$500 in cash. And why even the ATM; what of internet banking....

The problems you point out were that banks were doing the cut and thrust at the height of technological "advances" at the cost of neglecting the services that required face to face interaction and that couldn't be offered through an ATM or the internet.

 

[dk4]

...most of the people still in the thick of the rat race do not want to be waiting in line...

I agree, whether that queue is for an ATM or a teller, a check-in rep or bag injector! But one thing will always ring true, most people prefer people, it's human nature! (Even if the AFF view is majorly swayed by tech-heavy psyches.)