Qantas to Remove Domestic Boarding Pass Printing from Kiosks

[NM]

I understand and appreciate most AFF members (including myself) are going to be technically minded and have the abilities to do all of these things.

I am not talking about "digital natives" here as potentially being affected.

I'm talking about people without access to the technology for whatever reasons.

I suspect that the steadily declining population of people who are unable or unwilling to check-in online either from a smart phone or computer, may also be reluctant to use a kiosk for check-in and still prefer to use the manned check-in desks. QF is not removing all manned check-in desks, as noted by others these are still needed for things like international connections, they are just removing the ability to check-in and print boarding passes at the kiosks. There is still an option for manual check-in at airports, just that the kiosks will be "enhanced" to remove the capability from the kiosk.

I really can't see that as being much of a cost saving other than saving a bit of paper, ink and labour to re-stock the machines with paper and ink. But I guess every little bit adds up??

So there are basically two issues being considered in this discussion:

• Directing people to self on-line check-in using their own device (smart phone, tablet or computer) using either the QF App or a web browser
• Not being able to self-print a boarding pass at the airport for those who prefer to have a printed boarding

The first may impact some "technology challenged" people, who will have to either find a way to OLCI or will need to visit a manned counter (and we know that can be time consuming at some times and places).

The second can be worked around by most people in most circumstances.

 

[dylarr]

Most people here won't be impacted by the whole paper boarding pass thing, but looking at the whole picture I can see this causing issues:

- At busy ports like SYD especially during rush periods
- Where you have an unavoidable reason for having to line up (such as international connections, etc)

It's already hard enough to get prompt assistance at busy major ports when it's busy. To help, often there are staff gatekeeping the counter queues and sending people who are just checking in off to the kiosks. They won't be able to do this anymore. There are people who can't use their mobile devices for whatever reason (flat battery, no data, tourist, whatever the reason...). Naturally you would assume this is only going to make the lines worse.

 

[eastwest101]

Most people here won't be impacted by the whole paper boarding pass thing, but looking at the whole picture I can see this causing issues:

- At busy ports like SYD especially during rush periods
- Where you have an unavoidable reason for having to line up (such as international connections, etc)

It's already hard enough to get prompt assistance at busy major ports when it's busy. To help, often there are staff gatekeeping the counter queues and sending people who are just checking in off to the kiosks. They won't be able to do this anymore. There are people who can't use their mobile devices for whatever reason (flat battery, no data, tourist, whatever the reason...). Naturally you would assume this is only going to make the lines worse.

Yes indeed - this is all predicated on technology being perfect and working 100% of the time. Whomever got their KPI for economizing on the cost of printer ink and restocking paper won't have their KPI affected when someone else in QF IT breaks OLCI during "routine maintenance", or when someone digs up a data cable somewhere, or if a mobile tower goes offline. Any one of those events will, and have, brought Mascot to a standstill, and caused delays and disruptions throughout the entire QF domestic network.

 

[RichardMEL]

There are very few staffed positions these days at domestic main ports - service/ticket desks gone, etc, a few for yes those international connection check ins and so on. So this could potentially result in increased queues for some to get checked in manually or to issue a BP o whatever. The whole point of the kiosks was to reduce that kind of pain point and reduce staffing costs... so why remove functionality? if very few use them for BP's or checking in or changing seats or whatever then what is the saving.. if lots do, then there are reasons for that.... so got to wonder what metrics QF is going off here.

Agree, more and more people have devices and can use all of this sort of stuff. I just question the real benefit here being gained vs the aggravation issue for some (ok a minority I guess).

 

[oz_mark]

Is there any ink actually involved. Thought it was all thermal.

 

[dylarr]

Yes indeed - this is all predicated on technology being perfect and working 100% of the time. Whomever got their KPI for economizing on the cost of printer ink and restocking paper won't have their KPI affected when someone else in QF IT breaks OLCI during "routine maintenance", or when someone digs up a data cable somewhere, or if a mobile tower goes offline. Any one of those events will, and have, brought Mascot to a standstill, and caused delays and disruptions throughout the entire QF domestic network.

It was only 2018 when Telstra had multiple successive nationwide mobile data outages. When this event (or something similar) inevitably happens again, I bet QF will be wishing they had kiosks available for pax to check in and get their boarding passes, especially at the capital city hubs.

 

[NM]

Is there any ink actually involved. Thought it was all thermal.

Ahh yes, but then consider the added cost of thermal paper over plain paper and the maintenance and energy cost of the thermal printer

 

[RichardMEL]

Ahh yes, but then consider the added cost of thermal paper over plain paper and the maintenance and energy cost of the thermal printer

but again, when printing bagtags AND the receipts they use all of this still...

so again it makes little sense to me for them to do this. It seems customer unfriendly for no real reason except to try to change customer behaviour (or just pee some off)

 

[TheInsider]

but again, when printing bagtags AND the receipts they use all of this still...

so again it makes little sense to me for them to do this. It seems customer unfriendly for no real reason except to try to change customer behaviour (or just pee some off)

New system, unsure as to what it is, but not just a software update, but hardware too.

 

[RichardMEL]

New system, unsure as to what it is, but not just a software update, but hardware too.

oh brilliant QF.

so they are bleeding red ink and decide to replace equipment that (mostly) works pretty well and does the job.

I see.

 

[dylarr]

New system, unsure as to what it is, but not just a software update, but hardware too.

QF actually have something like this at Hobart that I noticed when I was there in Dec 2020. Slim touch screen kiosks that printed bag tags only.

Edit: You can see it at the 55 second mark in this YouTube video next to entrance of the economy queue.

Wonder if this is what they are deploying?

 

[encryptededdy]

Slim touch screen kiosks that printed bag tags only.

I wonder if it's just an iPad inside the stand

 

[NM]

but again, when printing bagtags AND the receipts they use all of this still...

so again it makes little sense to me for them to do this. It seems customer unfriendly for no real reason except to try to change customer behaviour (or just pee some off)

I suppose they will also want to email or SMS the baggage receipt receipt to you to avoid printing that.

 

[TheInsider]

oh brilliant QF.

so they are bleeding red ink and decide to replace equipment that (mostly) works pretty well and does the job.

I see.

The equipment is over 10 years old - it's slow and useless and prone to many errors.

Post automatically merged: Mar 28, 2022

I suppose they will also want to email or SMS the baggage receipt receipt to you to avoid printing that.

Correct.

 

[jakeseven7]

oh brilliant QF.

so they are bleeding red ink and decide to replace equipment that (mostly) works pretty well and does the job.

I see.

You do realise they probably don’t own the hardware right. It’s pretty standard EOL procedure and could be moving to something that actually costs less. Virgin lease theirs too.

 

[RichardMEL]

yes fair point they are getting on (hence why I wrote "mostly" above in terms of working - I definitely see my share of inop kiosks). And yes, direct receipts etc to email or SMS.. but yet again it assumes a certain level of technology which I do question for some. Perhaps an ever shrinking minority for sure.

To be clear it would not bother me too much personally. I have a phone. I use the app. I check in 24h prior etc. I'm not disappointed on my own behalf just that again the non digital natives, for whatever reasons, are potentially going to be affected - but yes sure go queue up for the one harried agent.....

and IIRC don't the current kiosks allow for irrops? Maybe I am imagining it but I feel almost certain there have been times the kiosk has allowed for a flow forward situation. I know the app does this now.. but again I'm not talking about customers who use the app. Am I right or maybe thinking of another carrier?

(yes, call the priority number.. and wait... and wait...)

I guess we just accept and move on like many of the other changes.....

I'll go back to my corner now

 

[wandering_fred]

PER to SYD/MEL/BNE via SIN or DPS is getting more and more attractive.......
For those who collect boarding passes while wandering
Fred

 

[OATEK]

I can't remember when I last needed to print a boarding pass at the airport - not in 5 years or more. Print at home (mostly, or use app. Mind you, it is not possible to print at home for QFi as you don't get a pass until you get through screening at the airport.

 

[glasszon]

Assuming it's carry on only, can you check in at the lounge and get the boarding pass printed there instead? (For those who want a printed BP).

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think on this thread, or on another, printing of BP at the lounge is also not available.
To get into the lounge, you must have linked a lounge pass to the booking, prior to getting to the gate of the lounge or you will hold others behind you up.
"Ideally", when you get to the door of the lounge, they will scan your BP already as you enter, or if you are a QP member, your QP card will be scanned.