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

[serfty]

ISTR there was tv commercial for either QF or VA that showed people moving their seats on the app when the guy using the app gets a confused look from what must've been a colleague he didn't want to sit next to & he responds with a shrug of the shoulders & a 'I don't know what happened there' kind of expression.

ISTR an Ansett advertisement portraying exactly that!

 

[justinbrett]

The QF bus hasn't run for yonks, since about March IIRC. Options are the train or a cranky cab driver. Looking at changes like this I wonder whether that bus will ever return.

I am another data point who is not happy, Jan, about this service change.

cheers skip

To be honest the D-I bus doesn’t really save you much time, a bit of walking to/from the train and often you wait longer for the bus than you would the train. You don’t skip any security checks in this direction.

I-D bus is more useful as you clear security while you’re waiting for the bus, so can save a bit of time.

Also I’m sure the free T bus (landslide) operated by the airport will be reinstated once international flights return.

Qantas will resume the airside bus if it’s in their interest. It gives them more control over connections and track passengers between terminals. When things are fully back to normal it’s probably a drop in the ocean of their expenses. Everybody complained about the bus anyway...

 

[eco]

WHAT!! Qantas to close Service desks. They are silly. I am a an older citizen and fly Twice a year.
Sorry I find it very difficult leaning all the tricks of booking in. Service desks were a great help.
NOT HAPPY QANTAS

 

[flyingfan]

Welcome to posting @eco.

You may like to join the thread and discussion on this (in my opinion very disappointing and shortsighted) move here:

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

ISTR there was tv commercial for either QF or VA that showed people moving their seats on the app when the guy using the app gets a confused look from what must've been a colleague he didn't want to sit next to & he responds with a shrug of the shoulders & a 'I don't know what happened there'...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[NM]

WHAT!! Qantas to close Service desks. They are silly. I am a an older citizen and fly Twice a year.
Sorry I find it very difficult leaning all the tricks of booking in. Service desks were a great help.
NOT HAPPY QANTAS

Welcome @eco. Do note that a "service desk" is different to a "check-in desk". Qantas will be retaining the manned (personned??) check-in desks for people to check-in for their flights if the cannot or do not wish to use the self-check-in kiosks. The Service Desk was a separate place where people could perform other tasks such a purchase a new flight/ticket, request changes to seating, make new flight arrangements in case of missing a flight, cancellations, delays etc.

Qantas has said that the regular functions performed at the service desk will be available as required at a manned check-in desk or via on-line tools. They will also have assistance staff roaming the check-in area to assist with using the check-in kiosks and to assist people who need help with other functions.

So if you are uncertain about the check-in process or have questions relating to the flight, you should either head for the manned check-in desk or ask one of the roaming staff in the check-in kiosk area. Of course, what this announcement does not tell us is how long the queue/wait will be at the check-in desk or how hard it will be to locate a staff member in the check-in kiosk area. For that we will need to wait and see.

 

[Guvner]

Ahh yes, the roaming staff. The squeaky wheel method of dealing with issues.
I can picture poor grandma, sans mobile phone, on her once a year trip to Mildura being totally ignored by "roaming staff" while Baz, Shaz and their 5 brats make a big commotion to get seated together on their flight to the Gold Coast.

 

[TheInsider]

Ahh yes, the roaming staff. The squeaky wheel method of dealing with issues.
I can picture poor grandma, sans mobile phone, on her once a year trip to Mildura being totally ignored by "roaming staff" while Baz, Shaz and their 5 brats make a big commotion to get seated together on their flight to the Gold Coast.

These 'roaming' staff have been around for nearly 10 years, so please don't discount what they are actually doing. Majority of people, including elderly get assistance (if needed) checking in on the kiosks at the airport.

 

[Guvner]

These 'roaming' staff have been around for nearly 10 years, so please don't discount what they are actually doing. Majority of people, including elderly get assistance (if needed) checking in on the kiosks at the airport.

Yes, checking in, and in the past that has worked well, I'm talking about the future, when there will be a wider variety of issues to deal with.

 

[Rangalad]

Ahh yes, the roaming staff. The squeaky wheel method of dealing with issues.
I can picture poor grandma, sans mobile phone, on her once a year trip to Mildura being totally ignored by "roaming staff" while Baz, Shaz and their 5 brats make a big commotion to get seated together on their flight to the Gold Coast.

During my travels, I’ve « adopted » a number of grandparents and a couple of stranded passengers in genuine need of assistance. Guested them into the lounge, and helped sort out their travel problems. Sorry Baz and Shaz, no can do.

 

[Rangalad]

Yes, checking in, and in the past that has worked well, I'm talking about the future, when there will be a wider variety of issues to deal with.

This decision will be tested during a series of cancellations and/or IRROPs. Will the roaming staff go to the old service desks, or will passengers have to leave the gate (sterile) area, return to the check in area, then clear security again?

 

[Robyn Jorgensen]

Never heard anything more ridiculous in my life. Service is what makes Qantas better but if they take the little there is already ???

 

[Rod James]

I hope that QF triple the number of operators on the telephones as I do not want to be put on hold for 3+ hours waiting for assistance normally given at Service desk.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It's going to be interesting for pax who want to pay cash for their excess baggage at the airport if there is no sales & ticketing desk to take the money?

Then there's the interesting folk who turn up to the airport & pay for tickets in cash & never want a receipt.

 

[TheInsider]

It's going to be interesting for pax who want to pay cash for their excess baggage at the airport if there is no sales & ticketing desk to take the money?

Then there's the interesting folk who turn up to the airport & pay for tickets in cash & never want a receipt.

Yep, no more cash payments at airport locations!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Yep, no more cash payments at airport locations!

So wonder what the solution is to that? Waiving it I guess as they currently have to do. Would've thought the amount of excess they collect would at least cover the wages of the sales & ticketing staff who collect the cash but that's bordering on thinking logically.

 

[NM]

So wonder what the solution is to that? Waiving it I guess as they currently have to do. Would've thought the amount of excess they collect would at least cover the wages of the sales & ticketing staff who collect the cash but that's bordering on thinking logically.

Now, this is AFF, so I can propose a typical AFF solution. An entrepreneurial member might hover in the check-in area at their local airport terminal looking for people wanting to pay with cash. Can then accept their cash in exchange for paying the amount on a QFF points earning credit card (preferably one with bonus points for QF transactions) and everybody is happy

 

[RAM]

Now, this is AFF, so I can propose a typical AFF solution. An entrepreneurial member might hover in the check-in area at their local airport terminal looking for people wanting to pay with cash. Can then accept their cash in exchange for paying the amount on a QFF points earning credit card (preferably one with bonus points for QF transactions) and everybody is happy

Damn, you didn't have to give away my retirement plan!

 

[oz_mark]

ISTR an Ansett advertisement portraying exactly that!

Do you remember what type of device those Ansett customers were running that App on?

 

[serfty]

Do you remember what type of device those Ansett customers were running that App on?

Would have needed one of these to move it around:

 

[Ade]

Nope...
Well offshored yes.

Offshored & less knowledgable ... get told that pax can't select 60H on A380 because I'm only a Gold FF and not Platinum FF. 60H is a regular Y seat, not sure how & why FF privilege needs to be quoted when offshore customer service guy on the phone didn't know how to select seats

#PersonalExperience

HUCA - someone from onshore answered the call and selected the seat right away. Also apologised for his counterpart's ignorance