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

[jb747]

I can't even begin to think what a mess it will be when the baggage handling is outsourced to contractors who have never worked in a fast paced domestic environment but that's a whole other story.

On average, the luggage going in each direction would be more or less the same. So, an enhancement to the luggage system would be for the airline to leave all of it at the start point. When you get to your destination, you just randomly take a bag. Lots of fuel saved by not carrying all of that excess weight, and your holiday would be enhanced by the wonderful clothing you‘d be bound to find.

 

[RAM]

On average, the luggage going in each direction would be more or less the same. So, an enhancement to the luggage system would be for the airline to leave all of it at the start point. When you get to your destination, you just randomly take a bag. Lots of fuel saved by not carrying all of that excess weight, and your holiday would be enhanced by the wonderful clothing you‘d be bound to find.

Isn't that what Chapelle said?

 

[Rangalad]

On average, the luggage going in each direction would be more or less the same. So, an enhancement to the luggage system would be for the airline to leave all of it at the start point. When you get to your destination, you just randomly take a bag. Lots of fuel saved by not carrying all of that excess weight, and your holiday would be enhanced by the wonderful clothing you‘d be bound to find.

 

[Flying Fox]

Wheelchairs....did you know that many of the flights were referred to by the cabin crew as ‘miracle flights’. This was more common on some routes than others, but it was especially evident on flights involving Mumbai.

You have a large group of wheelchair passengers at the departure point, but on arrival the wheelchairs would arrive, only to find their intended occupants miraculously cured and walking out of the terminal.

The reason? They were first on, which has obvious pluses. But, they‘re last off. As soon as they found out that they had to wait, then Lazarus did his magic.

I have seen this so so so many times on internal USA flights.

Makes me angry.

 

[kookaburra75]

Mrs Rugby and I couldn’t check our bags today at SYD T3. The machine keep saying multiple Q tags detected - we were lucky to catch a staff member leaving the closed service desk and got her to check them for us. She suggested next time remove all Q tags and just print paper tags - sigh. If we hadn’t caught her we would have been stuffing around for ages.

I've had that issue a few times in the past at Canberra trying to use Qtags, and no, I didn't have an extra tag in the bag. Most recently, MrsK and I have got the "Bag Not Recognised" message and the bag just sits there. Two weeks ago, it was accepted and started down the belt, and then stopped, reversed it back and displayed the error message. Thankfully at Canberra they have a staff member at a point where the bag drop is, and each time they had to print out a tag for the bag to get accepted. MrsK didn't have a problem at the Brisbane bag drop when coming home.

 

[Rugby]

It could be a couple of scenarios. Did you have any other Qtags inside the bags as well? The antenna that reads the chip inside the Qtag is underneath the belt you place the bag on.

The Qtag doesn't need to be visible on the outside of the bag in order for it to scan as the antenna can detect the chip within a certain proximity. Some people have a spare bag or backpack that has a Qtag attached within the main bag they're checking in which would cause the "multiple Qtags detected" error.

You could also see this error if one bag was on the belt & the second bag on the floor is too close to the belt so the antenna is detecting both chips.

I usually just stick with paper tags as that removes the need for anyone in the baggage makeup area to have a scanner in order to figure out where the bag is going.

Another reason to keep it simple is reduced hours for baggage services trained people who can trouble shoot missing bags so if anyone else is trying to find your bag a paper tag is easier as they mightn't know how to use or have access to a scanner.

I can't even begin to think what a mess it will be when the baggage handling is outsourced to contractors who have never worked in a fast paced domestic environment but that's a whole other story.

I hear you @ozbeachbabe but no extra Q-tags onboard. Our other bag had one on it but not close enough that you would think it would be an issue. Think I might save the Q-tags for the beer coasters and go paper only for checked bags.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Wheelchairs....did you know that many of the flights were referred to by the cabin crew as ‘miracle flights’. This was more common on some routes than others, but it was especially evident on flights involving Mumbai.

You have a large group of wheelchair passengers at the departure point, but on arrival the wheelchairs would arrive, only to find their intended occupants miraculously cured and walking out of the terminal.

The reason? They were first on, which has obvious pluses. But, they‘re last off. As soon as they found out that they had to wait, then Lazarus did his magic.

Seen this flying in USA. One flight I recall had something like 20 wheelchairs on departure and none on arrival.

 

[snabbu]

Seen this flying in USA. One flight I recall had something like 20 wheelchairs on departure and none on arrival.

Can confirm this is still happening today (well earlier this week anyway). From memory 5 wheel chair pax entering the aircraft and none exiting. The chairs were waiting for them at the destination but came back up the airbridge empty after all pax had deplaned.

 

[blackcat20]

Had to track down a staff member to help us check in on Sunday, as we had two flights and wanted bagged checked through. We were unable to book the two legs in one booking for unknown reasons (they wouldnt do it on the phone either). Staff had to scramble to open a desk when a number of wheelchair athletes rolled up...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Wheelchairs....did you know that many of the flights were referred to by the cabin crew as ‘miracle flights’. This was more common on some routes than others, but it was especially evident on flights involving Mumbai.

You have a large group of wheelchair passengers at the departure point, but on arrival the wheelchairs would arrive, only to find their intended occupants miraculously cured and walking out of the terminal.

The reason? They were first on, which has obvious pluses. But, they‘re last off. As soon as they found out that they had to wait, then Lazarus did his magic.

To be fair... once MEL reconfigured their departure hall so you have to do an IKEA-esque loop to reach the gates it just put it too far for my mother in her 80s to walk On arrival the plane-to-exit was much shorter. London is also guilty of commerce before convenience. Airlines should make the airports pay for wheelchair assistance in those cases.

Before the USA had their kiosks on arrival it used to be the reverse... lots of folk walked on to the plane, but you could have 30 wheelchairs on arrival... to help skip the 2-3 hour queues for passport control

 

[drron]

To be fair... once MEL reconfigured their departure hall so you have to do an IKEA-esque loop to reach the gates it just put it too far for my mother in her 80s to walk On arrival the plane-to-exit was much shorter. London is also guilty of commerce before convenience. Airlines should make the airports pay for wheelchair assistance in those cases.

Before the USA had their kiosks on arrival it used to be the reverse... lots of folk walked on to the plane, but you could have 30 wheelchairs on arrival... to help skip the 2-3 hour queues for passport control

Yes MIA was like that for International arrivals.Those arriving from the Carribean or south America especially often had walked onto the plane but became disabled on arrival.The queues were usually horrendous.
On the domestic side it was the reverse especially on flights from NYC.

 

[sudoer]

I found myself wanting to request an on-departure upgrade this morning, having booked the flight after the normal upgrade request window had closed.

Had no issues completing the process via the self-serve kiosks at bag drop, it took no more than 30 seconds. I would assume it is also possible to do this from the self-serve kiosks at the lounge entrance.

 

[justinbrett]

I found myself wanting to request an on-departure upgrade this morning, having booked the flight after the normal upgrade request window had closed.

Had no issues completing the process via the self-serve kiosks at bag drop, it took no more than 30 seconds. I would assume it is also possible to do this from the self-serve kiosks at the lounge entrance.

View attachment 240570 View attachment 240571

I somehow trust this system more than a judgemental lounge dragon writing down my details on their notepad.

 

[muppet]

I somehow trust this system more than a judgemental lounge dragon writing down my details on their notepad.

Agreed. I've had a lounge agent tell me the flight was full so I couldn't upgrade.... trusty expertflyer subscription and low and behold I was upgraded and the non-rev traveller remained in economy.

 

[Blackadder]

On average, the luggage going in each direction would be more or less the same. So, an enhancement to the luggage system would be for the airline to leave all of it at the start point. When you get to your destination, you just randomly take a bag. Lots of fuel saved by not carrying all of that excess weight, and your holiday would be enhanced by the wonderful clothing you‘d be bound to find.

As long at the clothing is for the same gender and size as yourself.

 

[andyandy2005]

Good thing Qantas still requires you to proceed to the service desk/check in counter when your booking cannot be found on the kiosk but no Qantas staff came to assist me with my booking, I had to proceed to a check in counter instead. I thought their staff were roaming around...

 

[TheInsider]

Good thing Qantas still requires you to proceed to the service desk/check in counter when your booking cannot be found on the kiosk but no Qantas staff came to assist me with my booking, I had to proceed to a check in counter instead. I thought their staff were roaming around...
View attachment 245208

That literally means you haven't entered your own details correctly into the kiosk. The details entered do not match the booking details, therefore the booking is not found.

 

[andyandy2005]

That literally means you haven't entered your own details correctly into the kiosk. The details entered do not match the booking details, therefore the booking is not found.

Turns out I incorrectly linked my FF number to my booking into the kiosk so I kept swiping my card but it didn’t work so thankfully the people at the check in desk linked the correct one in.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Oh, and a warm welcome to AFF, andyandy

cheers skip

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Good thing Qantas still requires you to proceed to the service desk/check in counter when your booking cannot be found on the kiosk but no Qantas staff came to assist me with my booking, I had to proceed to a check in counter instead. I thought their staff were roaming around...
View attachment 245208

I have have that slip as show in photo above, by andyandy2005 (something like that also printed out in my case) before.
Was a while back, prior to Covid.
On my way from WLG to MEL, couldn't do OLCI, couldn't check in at kiosk, so had to use WLG check in counter.
Had also did put my Aust passport onto reader to be scanned, prior to proceeding through NZ int security screening and NZ immi.
Don't know why something like that would appear, as in the BP couldn't be printed.