Next Generation Check In

[simongr]

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 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.

Totally agree when I am travelling alone. I take about 30s max to check in - only marginally more if I have luggage.

 

[oz_mark]

Totally agree when I am travelling alone. I take about 30s max to check in - only marginally more if I have luggage.

Agreed.

Also, I don't know why some people take so long at the bag drop. Clearly much more than dropping bags off. If people were just dropping off bags, it would all work so much better.

 

[TheInsider]

Agreed.

Also, I don't know why some people take so long at the bag drop. Clearly much more than dropping bags off. If people were just dropping off bags, it would all work so much better.

Passengers are usually asking for;
-free upgrades (being NB members)
-seat changes, wants to sit at the front of plane (if avail the kiosk will show, we have same avails as kiosk)
-whinging about having 5-10kgs over their allowance and refusing to pay
-wanting earlier flights on flexible tickets (this can be done at kiosks)
-wanting earlier flights on non-flexible tickets (this cannot be done at all - only if QF is 'flow forwarding', and then can only be done at the kiosks)
-people selecting some flight they are not on and getting a 'no matching e-ticket found' on their kiosk print off.

 

[NM]

I am still left wondering how the new systems will handle my situation, where travelling using my AAdvantage FF membership number (Exec Platinum, OneWorld Emerald) but also having QF Gold status and associated RFID tags.

I assume there will be a mis-match if I try to use my QFF Gold bag tags (and hence any associated QFF Gold allowances) when the e-ticket is associated with my AAdvantage membership.

Its this type of situation that a live check-in agent has been able to manage in the past. Just show my QFF Gold card, ask them not to change the FF details in the booking, and still get the QFF Gold allowance/entitlements etc. I expect the computer system will not be able to handle that and I will have to choose:

1. Use QFF Gold membership for the flight, so no earning AAdvantage miles
2. Use AAdvantage membership for the flight, so no RFID tags or QFF Gold allowance

As someone who hold status in both programs, I believe there should be entitlement to the benefits of both - this obviously excludes double-dipping points/miles/SC earning.

I can enter a lounge using a different card/membership to that being used for the flight. I can use QFF Gold account for ODU when crediting to AAdvantage etc. So why not baggage benefits of one when using the other for earning?

 

[oz_mark]

I assume there will be a mis-match if I try to use my QFF Gold bag tags (and hence any associated QFF Gold allowances) when the e-ticket is associated with my AAdvantage membership.

The tags aren't really associated with your FF number. The tag number gets associated with your booking at the injectors. I wouldn't rule your scenario out.

 

[NM]

The tags aren't really associated with your FF number. The tag number gets associated with your booking at the injectors. I wouldn't rule your scenario out.

OK, so long as the QFF number is not the link between the PNR/Booking Reference and the Bag Tag, then I may be ok to use the tags, but still unlikely to get QFF Gold allowance when using AAdvantage membership in the booking. Its a good thing that I very rarely go over the standard basic non-status allowance for checked bags.

 

[samh004]

OK, so long as the QFF number is not the link between the PNR/Booking Reference and the Bag Tag, then I may be ok to use the tags, but still unlikely to get QFF Gold allowance when using AAdvantage membership in the booking. Its a good thing that I very rarely go over the standard basic non-status allowance for checked bags.

But as a Gold you’re still entitled to line-up and have an agent do it all for you, possibly with nothing changing to how you’re handled now. You’d only face an issue if you went to the NGCI to check-in, which you couldn’t do if your booking is not associated with your QFF account as you’re crediting to AA anyway?

 

[Ewing]

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.

From the NGCI FAQ.

If I am interpreting correctly, even if an airport doesn't have the check in readers we can still OLCI and simply scan the Q card at the gate.

Am I totally wrong? If not, I might try it on Saturday for a flight out of CBR (but bring the BP just in case)

 

[drewbles]

From the NGCI FAQ.

If I am interpreting correctly, even if an airport doesn't have the check in readers we can still OLCI and simply scan the Q card at the gate.

Am I totally wrong? If not, I might try it on Saturday for a flight out of CBR (but bring the BP just in case)

I used NGCI for the first time yesterday. At the gate they used the barcode on my FF card and it spat out the receipt. If the airport is not geared up with a receipt printer (for the boarding passes) you won't be able to use it.

 

[serfty]

... 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....

Actually, Qantas' initial implementation of bag drop a year or three ago had the PAX attaching the baggage tags themselves. There were booths installed with 2 or more scale/conveyors/terminals/printers and an agent to assist.

This failed.

 

[oz_mark]

Actually, Qantas' initial implementation of bag drop a year or three ago had the PAX attaching the baggage tags themselves. There were booths installed with 2 or more scale/conveyors/terminals/printers and an agent to assist.

This failed.

I never had the experience, although I can only guess there was some flaw in its implementation that has been fixed for NGCI. Having attached my own labels in PER, the bags have successfully made the same flight as me. It didn't seem too hard to do.

 

[TonyHancock]

Actually, Qantas' initial implementation of bag drop a year or three ago had the PAX attaching the baggage tags themselves. There were booths installed with 2 or more scale/conveyors/terminals/printers and an agent to assist.

This failed.

I sense a need for QF to improve the quality of their passengers!!!!

In all seriousness I'm looking forward to NGCI, and I have to give credit to QF for pushing this.

Whilst I do give a lot of stick to QF for some of the more recent "enhancements" I think this is a good move.

 

[Ewing]

From the NGCI FAQ.

If I am interpreting correctly, even if an airport doesn't have the check in readers we can still OLCI and simply scan the Q card at the gate.

Am I totally wrong? If not, I might try it on Saturday for a flight out of CBR (but bring the BP just in case)

Just to clarify - I had a chat with the lovely lady at the lounge. The web site is not accurate - as I suspected you can only use the card to board at ports equipped with the pole check in readers. She did make a quick call to double check as well.

She was going to report it (and was on the phone talking to someone about it when I later walked past). Hopefully the site is updated because there will no doubt be confusion as distribution of the card continues.

 

[samh004]

Just to clarify - I had a chat with the lovely lady at the lounge. The web site is not accurate - as I suspected you can only use the card to board at ports equipped with the pole check in readers. She did make a quick call to double check as well.

She was going to report it (and was on the phone talking to someone about it when I later walked past). Hopefully the site is updated because there will no doubt be confusion as distribution of the card continues.

I saw your tweet too, but that means that you wont be able to use your Q-card at the gate everywhere until probably mid-2013, if their schedule for rolling out technology to airports continues at the rate it’s been going.

 

[Standby]

Has anybody used the NGCI at T3 in Sydney. Inoticed it being used yesterday as I dropped the missus off on her MEL day trip. She had done OLCI and no bag so it didnt impact her.
I'll give it a go when I'm off to the cricket in BNE soon

 

[medhead]

Just wanted to share my experience last night. Did OLCI to get my preferred seat. When I got to SYD T3 I swiped my card just to check out what would happen. Messages displayed "checking your booking", "your already checked in". I then went up to the lounge and told the service desk that I think I need a BP. They happily issued one.

Then at boarding I used my card with the BP in my pocket as backup. After a first false start getting the scanner to read the card, it work. Beep, shopping docket printed out. So it seems that OLCI doesn't prevent the use of NGCI (I think this has already been reported here) and also the card can be used even if you have a BP.

 

[moa999]

Used SYD NGCI travelling up to BNE this morning.

Poles and terminals on both the left and right hand side of the terminal. Old gates are now surrounded by fencing and from the escalator view appear to being dismantled.

Walked past the pole initially as your eyes take you to the much larger check-in and bag ticketing terminal.

Back to the pole, out with the card for the tap. Pole actually has a small 3 or 4" LCD screen in it (running WinXP embedded by the look (had a menu pop up on the screen). Couple of seconds. Checked in, proceed to bag drop.

Over to bag drop with my suit bag.
Tap the card. Answer a couple of questions no (oversized, carry tray) then the machine weighs the bag (11.7kg in my case) and obviously is meant to print out a receipt.
Mine didn't! (The main conveyer behind had stopped a few seconds before so the error was put down to that).
Supervisor wrote down details on a sheet (only the 4th entry on the sheet) then went over to a terminal and printed a ticket for me.
Ticket identifies flight number and bag tag number.

SMS received by phone confirming flight details and seat number.

Used card without an issue as the gate. As previously reported it is not wireless at the gate, they scan the barcode on the back.
Medhead thanks for confirming that card works if you have used OLCI (website also reports it works using OLCI and MOCI)

On the plane saw my bag sitting on the trolley (737 so hand load). SAw one of the handlers actually point to the tag to some of his work colleagues.
Front bin full so they drove it round the back with most of the Business tagged bags.

Arriving at BNE, quick coffee in J Lounge (arrival access!). Set of golf clubs first out on the carousel. My bag out second.
Onto the Airtrain and off to the GC.

So all in all pretty happy with the experience.

 

[medhead]

Medhead thanks for confirming that card works if you have used OLCI (website also reports it works using OLCI and MOCI)

No worries. I probably could have skipped that redundant information. More interesting that, at least for now, it is still possible to get the card BP - for those collectors of such things.

 

[Ewing]

Just to clarify - I had a chat with the lovely lady at the lounge. The web site is not accurate - as I suspected you can only use the card to board at ports equipped with the pole check in readers. She did make a quick call to double check as well.

She was going to report it (and was on the phone talking to someone about it when I later walked past). Hopefully the site is updated because there will no doubt be confusion as distribution of the card continues.

And further to this - the lounge lady was wrong - it does work.

Curiosity finally got the better of me this morning so I scanned the card at the gate in CBR. Slip printed with my seat

 

[samh004]

And further to this - the lounge lady was wrong - it does work.

Curiosity finally got the better of me this morning so I scanned the card at the gate in CBR. Slip printed with my seat

Same for me