Qantas to shut airport service desks, force customers onto self-service

[Guvner]

Last year when storms shut down the east coast I was in the Mel J lounge and there was a queue out the door, conservatively 100 pax, all waiting to be rebooked on later flights at the lounge service desk where 3 staff members were scrambling to assist. Most pax were also on their phones trying to get through to the contact centre whilst waiting. Plenty also went back out through security and to the service desks downstairs at check-in where there were also long queues.
Good luck if a big storm ever causes mass flight disruptions again or, God forbid, your Internet is down because of one.. or both.

 

[TheInsider]

Will pax lose any real functionality on flight changes/seats - ie. unless there's an override (?), would pax actually still be able to have the same ability (or not) to change flights/seats at the kiosks as they would have had talking to a human?

Passengers have always had the same seating availability on the kiosks/mobile/web and going through a staff member. Only a minority of staff actually have access to override seating restrictions, which shouldn't have been happening anyway unless it was for a specific reason like seating children with parents.

 

[RooFlyer]

People come to the desks because they "don't want to use the machines" or "want to change their seats/flight times", or they think they need to be served by a 'human'.

Or, in the case of HBA, and I think the other Tas ports, at least, to check in and check in bags, as there are no check-in machines.

Here, the check-in people later become part of the gate-check and tarmac boarding crew (guiding pax through the bends on the way to the aircraft) for the flight they checked in, so hopefully, the cost of installing machines and keeping the tarmac crew will outweigh the cost of keeping them on the check-in desk as well.

Can I ask (honest question) what actually do people use the service desks for?

As far as domestic service desks in the lounges are concerned, I've used them to collect towels etc when I want a shower, to issue a paper boarding pass when I've checked-in on-line, to check me in for a flight, to change seats on an up-coming flight, to report something broken in the lounge ... and more. Some of those things I could do on-line, but why muck around with that when a nice service agent will do it, and probably give you more options, quicker.

 

[Vic]

They are talking about manned baggage check - they are part of the service desk function.

according to the quote in the OP check in desk remain.

 

[muppet]

On departure upgrades, stand-by processing, IRROPs, urgent/last minute changes .... It would have to be an amazing iPhone app that could deliver all that .... I suspect as pax we will be left with significant inconvenience while Qantas saves costs.

A bit like when you get a schedule change notification and the system auto-rebooks you to a flight the next day .... I imagine this is the kind of experience QF has in store for us.

A “full service” airline should be just that, full service.

 

[sudoer]

Can I ask (honest question) what actually do people use the service desks for?

Guess there are quite a few QR OWEs around who are using the lounge service desk to switch FF number back to QF and reprint BPs

 

[Alyopsis]

I'm going to call this. I reckon this decision will get reversed

 

[aus_flyer]

Passengers have always had the same seating availability on the kiosks/mobile/web and going through a staff member.

From personal experience on many occasions, I can say this is categorically wrong.

 

[TheInsider]

From personal experience on many occasions, I can say this is categorically wrong.

Well I'm telling you for a fact that is the case. The ONLY exception to this is IF the agent has permissions to override. You also have to remember the seating algorithm changes every second, one thing you see 10min ago, will be different seeing it 10min after.

 

[Ade]

I've always been the person who embraces new technology as and when it happens. But in this case, I can say for sure that whatever QF is planning to do re this is not going to end well. Or at least not for a few years, until majority of the pax are used to the idea of not having assisted by a human/service desk.

I have seen so many elderly pax who need all the assistance they can get when in an airport. If everything goes online then it will be difficult.

Personal experience, I have been unable to check in to a few flights because I used someone else's credit card to make the booking (actually my boss's CC) - I had to take this up with the service desk before I was allowed to check in and print BP.

Also, there have been instances where a human behind the desk was able to secure better seats or even better flight & connection options, which I don't think will be possible on a machine.

Also, if there are cancellations or say, storms etc, then everyone rushed to service desk for their next flights or hotel bookings. Doing all this over the phone or on a kiosk isn't going to work wonders.

And for partner flights - can;t check in online - so need a service desk to do this too

I think what could potentially work is a gradual phasing out of service desks in a fashion that is not going to impact the majority of pax

 

[aus_flyer]

Well I'm telling you for a fact that is the case. The ONLY exception to this is IF the agent has permissions to override. You also have to remember the seating algorithm changes every second, one thing you see 10min ago, will be different seeing it 10min after.

Me: checks seating on expert flyer, can't select seat on the app, goes to desk, says "on the app I can't select x seat but I think it might be free"
Agent: puts me in seat that can't be selected on the app. "there you go".
Has happened many, many times.

 

[drron]

Service desks are great when things go belly up.
Returning from DPO a few years ago the rain was so heavy the airport was closed.Fortunately it was my one year of AA EXP and travelling with that number in.got a call from QF to get to LST by 1400 and you are on a MEL flight.No probs.
However get to MEL and have missed my JQ connection to MCY.JQ desk as always - sorry you missed your flight nothing we can do do you want us to book tomorrow's flight now/
There was a young woman at the next desk being told the same thing-saying to the agent but I will miss my Grandmothers funeral.So I asked her to tag along to the QF service desk.What a difference.Agent got us on the last BNE seervice for the night and used our JQ flights as full payment.The young lady got her first lounge experience as well.
Obviously this won't happen again by talking to a machine.
With VA and QF going down market I might have to get used to the JQ beef pies on board.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Guess there are quite a few QR OWEs around who are using the lounge service desk to switch FF number back to QF and reprint BPs

That can easily be done online.

 

[sudoer]

That can easily be done online.

Yes, but not through the Qantas app or website can it? Would love to know where to reprint BPs online too btw.

Edit: To clarify my point, I don't think we can rely on MMB tools supplied by partner airlines to remain available forever.

 

[mrsterryn]

Having a fat seat when in economy, mine often get stuffed up. I wonder how they will check in those AND make sure they are actually side by side

 

[Lone Wolf]

I imagine the skeleton staff remaining on the ground will cop the additional workload

 

[BNEFlyer]

Yes, but not through the Qantas app or website can it? Would love to know where to reprint BPs online too btw.

Edit: To clarify my point, I don't think we can rely on MMB tools supplied by partner airlines to remain available forever.

No you're right there, it's impossible through MMB or the app, but works flawlessly through the QR or AY website. I updated my QFF number through the AY website after landing a few days ago and it worked fine.

Post automatically merged: Nov 6, 2020

I imagine the skeleton staff remaining on the ground will cop the additional workload

Is it too optimistic to think that when the remaining staff end up dealing with complaints about the lack of service desk more than they do the job they've been left with, QF might bring the desks back? Or we'll see the check-in desk staff doing what the service desk staff used to.

 

[ChrisMars]

This will be tough for pax who struggle with tech or phone call, i.e. the elderly, the clueless international tourist etc...

To me, the key success of this change is to have guaranteed quick phone access to a competent agent with service desks capabilities. Max 10 minute waiting time. Once you talk to someone, many things can happen, very few that actually require physical contact.

Let's not forget that dragon lounge will still be there, with some bandwidth to handle requests; and a few manned check-in desk must also remain open.

 

[mts4353]

Passengers have always had the same seating availability on the kiosks/mobile/web and going through a staff member. Only a minority of staff actually have access to override seating restrictions, which shouldn't have been happening anyway unless it was for a specific reason like seating children with parents.

I just don't think that's true. I regularly travel with colleagues and have issues getting them a seat next to me due to the platinum seat hold unless I do it at a counter. I will be genuinely pissed off if the platinum seat hold is abandoned. If they're on a different ticket, a junior colleague can't select the seat next to me. I've also had the same experience as @aus_flyer changing seats based on Expert Flyer availability. The examples of kids and colleagues are both instances where airport service from an actual person is absolutely vital.

I'm also surprised by the comments where people say they don't use the service desks. I am 34 and use the app extensively. I still use service desks all the time. Examples are: (1) I regularly check for (and move to) earlier flights which were not offered on app or at the kiosk; (2) I often have to re-route on trips (e.g. cancelling out of a MEL-SYD return leg to go directly to BNE); (3) I reckon on at least half a dozen occasions I've had flights cancelled at the airport due to crosswinds and reduced runways, where I have been rebooked onto something the next day or 8 hours later but have been able to recover the trip because of assistance from lounge staff; (4) on a couple of occasions someone else has booked my flight for me and stuffed up my name, which I've had to fix at the airport; (5) I often check to see if there is a spare seat next to me and move seats if there is one elsewhere just before (or during) boarding after the seats are locked up in the app; (6) I've had success on a couple of occasions getting someone moved onto my flight to prevent the hassle of me having to wait for 30 minutes or an hour at the other end of the SYD-MEL pairing for a colleague to arrive.

If you're someone who travels regularly (ie you are a customer who actually contributes serious revenue to the airline) the service is invaluable. This change is utter lunacy. It's almost as though this move is targeted at people who handover fistfuls of cash to the airline. At the very least they should retain service desks in the Business Lounge.

 

[SydneySara]

On departure upgrades, stand-by processing, IRROPs, urgent/last minute changes .... It would have to be an amazing iPhone app that could deliver all that .... I suspect as pax we will be left with significant inconvenience while Qantas saves costs.

A bit like when you get a schedule change notification and the system auto-rebooks you to a flight the next day .... I imagine this is the kind of experience QF has in store for us.

A “full service” airline should be just that, full service.

Could not agree more.

This isn’t a word I use often, but - this in an outrage. It’s a complete rip off & an insult to those of us who spend our valuable dollars to travel with a full service carrier.

High tier FFs know how to do their own admin & by the time they’re at the service desk, they need a hand.

I hope someone from QF is reading this forum & realises what complete & utter madness this is.