US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Question about Kiosks

Almost every time I go to use a kiosk, and I insert my DM card, it tells me because my itinerary changed, I must check in with a rep. Many times, I have only changed my seat. Has this been happening to others?

All the time.

I upgrade--see an agent.
Seat assignments changed (me calling in for exit row)--see an agent.
E-ticketed a voucher at CTO--see agent.
Reward tix--see agent.
Kiosk is having a bad day--see the agent.

While the last is a bit of a strech, I've found that I end up spending more time than not with an agent. I'm not complaining (at 50 miles a shot, anyway), but it is slightly annoying.

I've found, tho, that US is placing a machine or two in the FC/GP/SP/CP line area at some of their bigger stations, which is nice (not having to fight the masses for a kiosk, nor having to walk too far to "see the agent").


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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

The kiosk will direct you to an agent if you have upgraded to First Class.

However, the kiosk has checked me in no problem when I have booked and called to change my seat assignments. I don't know about reward res, but I'd guess that the kiosk should have no problem. Are you being serious with that list, Cluebyfour, or hyperbolizing?

Fortunately, the kiosks are never really stand alone; there are always a couple of agents behind the kiosks to accept checked baggage. In my experience, those agents will gladly check you in manually at the terminals on the counters attached to the kiosks if the kiosk won't do it.

I'm always bewildered that so many passengers don't use kiosks. The vast majority of passengers are on e-tickets with a credit card in their name and no upgrades or such that would prevent them from using the kiosks. Yet these occasional travelers always wait in line to check-in, not taking advantage of the kiosks. And now their wait in line is longer than ever since the kiosks are replacing check-in positions. Tampa, for example, usually now has just 3 or so regular agents and 1-2 FC/Pref agents at the counter, with maybe 8 kiosks. Each of those kiosk positions used to be manned by a real agent previously. Go figure.

Having not flown in a while, I was quite suprised at how the kiosks had multiplied when I took my PIT-BOS trip a month ago. Makes for really quick checkin when it works, though, even at PIT, and even for a lowly non-preferred like me. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Unfortunately, my BOS-PIT flight got cancelled, so I had to wait in line, but I was way early and got redirected onto earlier flight rather than later one (though got stuck in middle, again rare even for me, but with a cancel not much you can do unless you want to wait even longer). Seemed to me the number of agents (about one for the whole block of kiosks, even at PIT, two tops) made it really difficult as far as having them check me in, but I'll have to try that if it happens again. I suspect that when they would have to divert me to another flight they would rather have me go stand in the other line, but I dunno.

Seems to me it shouldn't have to direct you to agent on a seat change or upgrade, though. It should just give you the proper bording pass. Dunno what the issue is there.

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Seems to me it shouldn't have to direct you to agent on a seat change or upgrade, though. It should just give you the proper bording pass. Dunno what the issue is there.

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You're right; it makes no sense for the kiosk to not issue a boarding pass if there has been a seat change. As I said above, the kiosk HAS checked me in even when I've changed my seat thru res.

However, check-in when upgrading using coupons requires seeing an agent so the agent can lift the correct number of coupons and appropriately attach them to the back of the ETKT boarding pass(es) or flight coupon(s).

Note the kiosk will only require you to go to an agent when you've upgrading with coupons. Mileage upgrade awards requiring no coupons and Chairman's Preferred unlimited North American Upgrades can be handled thru the kiosks.

I have given up on the kiosks. For 4-5 straight weeks, I would use them and it would tell me I have no seat assigned, and stick me in a middle. I was on the phone with CP, supervisors, ticketing, yield managemnet, etc. for hours. They finally told me it was "something strange" going on. I mentioned this to a desk agent the next week, he told me that even calling in and being waitlisted for upgrade completely throws the system for a loop. I agree with his statement - "anyone who flies alot should avoid the kiosks" - and I have.

Well, at least I know I'm not crazy. It is the worst feeling (especially in PHL) when there is a long line at the preferred desk, and the kiosk line is virtually empty, but I know I can't use the darn things.

CO's kiosks managed the entire upgrade process correctly every time when I was Platinum/doing PIT-IAH every week 4 years ago. The technology really isn't rocket science.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CPRich:
CO's kiosks managed the entire upgrade process correctly every time when I was Platinum/doing PIT-IAH every week 4 years ago. The technology really isn't rocket science.</font>The difference with CO is that there are no upgrade coupons to deal with. If US ever gets around to making the upgrade coupons electronic instead of paper, this problem should get fixed. I just hope they survive that long.

The sad part here is that obviously the kiosks are designed to be a major benefit for those who 'fly alot' (like the majority of us) but basically anything other than a ticket bought in coach with no subsequent changes will likely lead to a check-in agent.

For the rest of the masses, the kiosks are a huge benefit. The biggest of all being trying to use the kiosk, having it fail, and then being first in line for the kiosk check-in agent!

Once US makes the upgrade coupons electronic, these things will really start paying off for them! As it is, I can only use them when I'm in coach, which is typically only if I'm flying a coach award or flying exclusively on commuter planes.

I use them a lot. They work fine with my upgrades.

I don't use them if:

1) I didn't clear the WL and need to be added (although I'll waive that and use the kiosk anyway if I'm headed to The Club -- check-in time being all important at that point...)

2) There is a mass of confused people hovering near them. Chances are that they're malfunctioning in some way...

3) I need to do something at the ticket counter -- standing by for an earlier flight for instance.

4) I know that my reservation is unusual -- rebooked from a canceled flight for instance.

They mostly work for me. I do wish that there was a "lookup" function that didn't require a CC or your DM card. I'm having to carry too much plastic in my pocket.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
The biggest of all being trying to use the kiosk, having it fail, and then being first in line for the kiosk check-in agent!
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How right you are! Been there, done that many a time.