Qantas to Remove Domestic Boarding Pass Printing from Kiosks

[CMA222]

Asked the Club to print out the BPs. The printer jammed...

Standard operating procedure these days for anything involving QF customer interaction.

 

[RooFlyer]

No, there’s still manual checkin or print at home/work options but you could argue that it’s discriminating against those occasional domestic flyers who don’t have a phone etc.

Put it this way. What Qantas is doing is the equivalent of supermarkets taking the ability to pay cash from checkouts, except by finding a rare person who might be findable or not.

Everyone has a credit card, right? So what’s the problem?

 

[Vic]

Btw you can get a digital boarding pass and check in online just using a mobile web browser, no app needed. I believe they SMS you the link when OLCI opens.

Sure, maybe. Perhaps you're missing the point. The person had no interest in participating in electronic boarding passes, or installing apps. And it was the youngest, most tech savvy person in the group.

I'm not even sure how the sms would help. I checked in the entire booking with my phone. I might have got an sms, to my phone. I know for certain I had my BP. But the reason I thought there might be a problem was I didn't see anyone else's BP. I guess I could've sms'd the link onwards.
But see point 1: They were not interested in playing the game.

I'm sure you'll say group bookings are not representative. Fair point.
I still see the whole experience as showing the system isn't working well. The BP kerfuffle is just icing on the cake of the "1 checked bag is over your allowance" error.

Standard operating procedure these days for anything involving QF customer interaction.

I think it was a real problem, not deliberate. The printed BP were available when we left the club.

 

[RealtimeY]

This is limited to domestic checkin only (so only QF from QF terminals) but anyway hasn’t RyanAir (and others) acclimated Europeans to do online checkin before arriving at the airport?

You might expect this from a LCC, but I think people generally expect more check-in choices from a carrier touting itself as "full service" and charging a premium.

 

[CMA222]

I think it was a real problem, not deliberate. The printed BP were available when we left the club.

OT I know. I was not intending my comment as referring to the specific example of a non-operational printer - it was meant to be a general comment about the QF experience generally of late - the QF system and the resulting experience is jammed.

 

[PumaPilot]

I'm flying from the Sunshine Coast Airport soon back to work in Broome, they still use "old school" checkin procedures, god I love it. A human being to interact with at the desk and not a baby Darlic driving me too drink !! Issues are sorted out on the spot and not having to queue to speak to the the 1 and only Qantas staff member inundated with passengers with problems that can take 30 minutes to resolve.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Then your possibly not logged in to your account or the frequent flyer number isn't in your booking then.

But I was logged into my QFF account, as the booking is in the MMB.
If I didn't enter my QFF # number, I would not have been able to go through with the booking to burn my points though.
Anyway, its now my turn to feel and see the QFd J MEL lounge for myself.
Though, (hopefully) its open between new year eve this year and new years day next year.

 

[TheInsider]

But I was logged into my QFF account, as the booking is in the MMB.
If I didn't enter my QFF # number, I would not have been able to go through with the booking to burn my points though.
Anyway, its now my turn to feel and see the QFd J MEL lounge for myself.
Though, (hopefully) its open between new year eve this year and new years day next year.

You can use your points and not have your frequent flyer number entered (under passenger names) when making bookings. Like I suggested, maybe your number was not added to your booking under your name.

 

[Must...Fly!]

You can use your points and not have your frequent flyer number entered (under passenger names) when making bookings. Like I suggested, maybe your number was not added to your booking under your name.

I have also had occasions where new bookings haven't shown up in the app and points balance not updated. Takes several force closes of the app and/or logging out then back in to force a sync

 

[Ade]

And it was the youngest, most tech savvy person in the group.

Re-iterates a point I made in the very early days of this thread. Age is not a good indicator of tech savvy-ness ... I have seen teens and 20's something that did not know that their smartphones come with a Digital Wallet that can be used to hold different cards, let alone use the Wallet to make payments, store BPs etc.

I checked in the entire booking with my phone.

I'm not sure if you had mentioned if all the pax were in the same PNR. If they were, then when you checked-in for the trip using your phone, you'd have got (in your case) 4 SMS from QF with unique link to each of the pax's BPs. I have done this before for my parents and I got all the BPs to my phone with a link and (in my case, iPhone), the link automatically open the BP in the Wallet app.

Everyone has a credit card, right? So what’s the problem?

Cannot even count the number of times senior citizens struggle to remember their pin numbers when making a purchase using CC. I have seen so many people not buy anything and offer to put merchandise back to the aisle simply because they can't buy them because they don't remember their PIN. Now, there are ways to set payments in a way that PIN is only needed for purchases over $100, but I guess, to be fair, given their age, someone they know (or the bank) would have put in additional security for payments under $100 as well.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re-iterates a point I made in the very early days of this thread. Age is not a good indicator of tech savvy-ness ... I have seen teens and 20's something that did not know that their smartphones come with a Digital Wallet that can be used to hold different cards, let alone use the Wallet to make payments, store BPs etc.

I'm not sure if you had mentioned if all the pax were in the same PNR. If they were, then when you checked-in for the trip using your phone, you'd have got (in your case) 4 SMS from QF with unique link to each of the pax's BPs. I have done this before for my parents and I got all the BPs to my phone with a link and (in my case, iPhone), the link automatically open the BP in the Wallet app.


Cannot even count the number of times senior citizens struggle to remember their pin numbers when making a purchase using CC. I have seen so many people not buy anything and offer to put merchandise back to the aisle simply because they can't buy them because they don't remember their PIN. Now, there are ways to set payments in a way that PIN is only needed for purchases over $100, but I guess, to be fair, given their age, someone they know (or the bank) would have put in additional security for payments under $100 as well.

Point being, as it’s been said before, no airline, let alone our ‘premium’ one should make ( or almost so) people use a technique where there is a definite proportion of the population who can’t use that technique. If they put (say) physical barriers up in their terminals where a small proportion of the population couldn’t go over, that would be discrimination.

 

[Vic]

Re-iterates a point I made in the very early days of this thread. Age is not a good indicator of tech savvy-ness ... I have seen teens and 20's something that did not know that their smartphones come with a Digital Wallet that can be used to hold different cards, let alone use the Wallet to make payments, store BPs etc.

I'm not sure if you had mentioned if all the pax were in the same PNR. If they were, then when you checked-in for the trip using your phone, you'd have got (in your case) 4 SMS from QF with unique link to each of the pax's BPs. I have done this before for my parents and I got all the BPs to my phone with a link and (in my case, iPhone), the link automatically open the BP in the Wallet app.

You are correct to warning against making general age based assumptions. In the example I gave, my view is based on knowledge not assumption. I'll re-assure you the person is the most tech-savvy of the group, as I stated.

I checked in with the app. Have just reviewed - no sms.
My bad, got that wrong

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

... and then I've checked in on my phone and the app is syncing at the gate and will not show the boarding pass ...

Apart from the app, also save the QR code to google drive, if you have an adriod (phone).
And email (BP) it yourself.
And also add it to phone home screen, on a line under the website search function on a website page.
Do all 3, and then delete them after the flight.
Don't know what is the equivalent of it (Google drive) in apple tho.
Edit;

Point being, as it’s been said before, no airline, let alone our ‘premium’ one should make ( or almost so) people use a technique where there is a definite proportion of the population who can’t use that technique. If they put (say) physical barriers up in their terminals where a small proportion of the population couldn’t go over, that would be discrimination.

Premium airline???
With QF's cost cutting measures, I would rate it as 2nd tier.
Bit above VA, and another yet, down is JQ.
***

Everyone has a credit card, right? So what’s the problem?

OffT, no, not everyone.
We have the debit version of mastercard, debit version of visacard, or the QTMC (platihum prepaid!) and the centrelink version of a debit card, can't real its name.
I hold only the debit version of visa card and the QTMC.OnT.

 

[Ade]

Do all 3, and then delete them after the flight.

Wow :O don't get me wrong ... feels like an overkill for a BP ... The way I handle is, check in online, save BP to Wallet and use it for lounge & boarding. There have been instances where the app won't work or some issue, so a screenshot of the BP would do the trick. Also, once when in the lounge, it's better to ask for a paper BP and don't worry about the phone anymore (I don't do this, but a recommendation)

 

[encryptededdy]

save BP to Wallet

Still so annoying the Qantas Android app doesn't support adding boarding passes to Google Wallet. Meanwhile, Jetstar has supported this for years...

 

[Ade]

Still so annoying the Qantas Android app doesn't support adding boarding passes to Google Wallet. Meanwhile, Jetstar has supported this for years...

Looks like screenshot the BP is the way to go for Android. Unfortunate, but works eh?

 

[encryptededdy]

Looks like screenshot the BP is the way to go for Android. Unfortunate, but works eh?

I always wondered if that actually works, since every time I open the BP the QR code changes slightly. Anyway, I would just can my QFF card as a backup (either physical card or card in digital wallet).

 

[tdimdad]

I always wondered if that actually works, since every time I open the BP the QR code changes slightly. Anyway, I would just can my QFF card as a backup (either physical card or card in digital wallet).

This. I have my physical QFF card on me as a backup for boarding or to access a lounge (and have used it couple of times because of the app failing). As the last resort for getting on the flight, I assume that a gate agent or service desk could find my booking based on ID and QFF number.

Though, for VA, I have no physical card. It's phone only (or ID if the phone fails).

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Then when you get onto the aircraft, the FA wants to see it, the QR code and and seat details on the smartphone.
So one hand always has to hold the phone, and not drop it, and break the screen, or loose it because you left it on the seat at the gate (!), ***but have accidentally left my old one, without smart phone functionality (a few years ago now), at the MEL QFd security point though.
Lucky it was there, and I had to describe what the phone looked like, and the guy really made me answer what it looked like, till his colleague said, just pass the phone to him (ie, me).
It was when JQd cancelled my flight, while I was in the QFd QP, and had to rush out to buy a QF replacement tix, couldn't wait till next day for the first JQ flight to ADL.)
Loosing the new phone at the seats at the gate, its not happened in real life yet, but in my dreams while asleep, yes, it has (!).
Other hand has to hold HLO, then if on the Dash 8, where you have to use the stairs, always remember to lower head if very tall........
Still I would prefer a paper BP, either the cardboardy type, or even that small slip of paper (like shop receipt), so that I can at the least have the phone in my buttoned work bdu pants.

 

[RichardMEL]

No, there’s still manual checkin or print at home/work options but you could argue that it’s discriminating against those occasional domestic flyers who don’t have a phone etc.

if someone can do OLCI and/or print at home then this is not an issue for them imo.. and they're probably at least partially tech savvy. This isn't the group being affected by these changes.

And yes you can do manual check in at a desk, or at the lounge (if eligible) BUT this puts stress on limited staff (and pax) and causes queues and potential delays to checking in.. and that has always been part of the issue of this thread.

again... we're talking about a smallish group of passengers, and one presumes shrinking as spread of technology and ability increases and so on, but it's still an issue for pax.. or those whoose phone has just died (as above) or perhaps stolen or something.

yes there are some options, but potentially very time consuming and annoying. QF *could* have kept existing functionality but for their reasons (which may or may not be valid from their PoV and make sense - such as the software/dev cost as mentioned above) they've decided not to do so which has an impact on a group of customers.

and irony is probably the older set of pax would be the most likely to hold that "legacy" loyalty to the airline's brand as opposed to the tiktok types who are far more comfy to book BFOD, go JQ, VA, Bonza, whathaveyou

and yes, these are generalisations I am aware.