Often1

The "anachronism lovers" above forget that this is easily avoided by not having people select a single line and then take the chance that 4 of the 5 people in front of them have a serious problem. Rather, all non-premium non-status passengers go into 1-2 queues and thus the line moves apace. If one agent needs to be taken off the front line to handle a complex matter, either a supervisor steps in or the supervisor handles the issue.

This is not merely the fortress hub for BA, but the fortress terminal of the fortress hub. In a day and age where fewer and fewer passengers need nothing more than a passing interaction with staff between arrival at the terminal and boarding, spreading the tasks out makes all the more sense.

callum9999

Isn't that where this could theoretically excel though? If all staff can now handle ticketing, they could open up an empty bank of check in desks and get everyone sorted really quickly.

That being said though, this is of course BA so whether they'd actually do that or not is another question!

flatlander

By way of comparison, look at the airside customer service desk in the lounges (Galleries Club South, specifically) or the general terminal. They can handle ticketing (including very complex ticketing), assistance questions, general questions, give advice, etc. That means no specific "ticketing desk", but they have a range of functions. That's the sort of thing I can imagine at T5 combined with training and empowering the general checkin staff to be able to resolve simple ticketing issues - as I said in another threat, much like AA agents are able to do much more than most BA staff can do and so the problem resolution at AA is (in my experience) much more one-touch.

My example of 3 agents for one flight is based on a typical outstation setup. In T5, indeed, they have more agents - but not very many more agents it must be said. Often many of the desks are not staffed, especially in the (quieter) afternoons. It wouldn't take a lot of problem tickets to clog those up, which increases the chance of a total service breakdown instead of sending the problem tickets to the ticketing desk. That leaves a small number of customers fuming, but most customers OK - much better than breaking the entire checkin function with a few people clogging it up. Most of the time this will work fine, but you have to consider what happens when exceptions occur and limit the effects from such exceptions to avoid catastrophe.

As to "eliminate check-in altogether", let alone ticketing desks, I feel like the (consultant) person writing this doesn't quite understand the forces that cause the need for check-in such as regulatory requirements to clearly know who is on a flight, and over-reaching governments who want the flight manifest settled (at least without more additions) and sent to them some time before the flight departs. You're still checking in when you OLCI and use a self-checkin station to check in a bag. I also note that total automation of checkin is, essentially, prevent by security regulations requiring passengers to be positively identified as the person named on the boarding pass that the bags are checked in with. Someone has to check that you are you, but that's much faster than them printing off a tag and so on. Hence all self-tag setups that I have used (in Europe) have a human-verifies-passport step.

gms

In an ideal world, I'd agree with you. But from BA's perspective, this pretty much falls into the same category as other changes such as through check-in of luggage on separate tickets. They can do it, but it's a hassle and in some respects an extra cost for them, so they don't want to do it any more. Plus it will only affect a very small minority of passengers. The reality is that there are very few people booking complex 16 sector itineraries (mainly weird folk on Flyertalk ). If someone needs help with that they can call BA, go via a travel agent or whatever. As others have pointed out, your concerns about queuing problems can be addressed through simple proactive queue management.

I think that in the last 10 years I have used the ticket desk once at Heathrow. I have done plenty of complex trips and have managed to cope perfectly well using TA's or BA phone lines. Ticket desks were necessary in the days of paper tickets (remember them!), but in today's world of e-tickets they really shouldn't be required.

flatlander

I've also rarely used the ticket desks at LHR for a new ticket but that's not nearly their only task.

Ticket desks are not just for issuing new tickets, they are also for re-issuing tickets with changes due to flight cancellation, missed connections, and other reaccommodations.

You should all be very concerned if BA proposes to reduce the ticketing-competence at LHR to the competence seen at a typical outstation where their response to any down-the-line issues is "go to Heathrow, they will sort it out there". For example: You are at AMS going to HKG and then further afield and your flight AMS-LHR is delayed and you are sure to miss your connecting flight LHR-HKG. The optimal solution is to put you on CX AMS-HKG. Will the AMS staff do that? Usually no, they will send you to LHR because either they cannot rebook you and reissue your ticket or they can't be bothered to try because they're contract staff on limited time to handle this BA flight from a company that bid the lowest cost. Even with a ticketing desk at LHR you're going to be later than you wanted. Without a ticketing desk, or equivalent support at LHR, what are you going to do? Call the callcenter, wait an hour, and be told "you can go on the next BA flight with space" since they can't rebook you onto CX?

That is all looking like a massively crappy experience if BA remove the ticketing skillset and resource (I.e. people with knowledge and time to do it!) from LHR.

gms

Given that this is just a rumour and nothing has been confirmed, I think people are maybe getting ahead of themselves. Even if the ticket desks do close, they are not necessarily removing the people with specific knowledge. They may still be available in a back office so that any staff member can call to resolve a more complex issue. Or maybe BA's IT systems, website and App will be able to fix all ticketing issues (OK ... now I'm getting ahead of myself, that ain't happening any time soon )

To be honest, if I had a ticket problem I would much prefer to be able to just go to a check-in desk, get it fixed and then check my bag in and get my BP all in the same place. The world of customer service is changing. Customers have changing expectations. Some customers take more time to adjust to such changes. Maybe a bit simplistic of a comparison, but it's a bit like the London Underground closing ticket offices ... staff, unions, some customers, etc were telling everyone it was going to be a disaster. But staff were relocated to engage with customers in other ways and everything still seems to work fine.

LTN Phobia

There need to be dedicated reticketing/rebooking desks so that normal check-in/bag drop desks do not get affected during disruptions.

Why do I say that? I got caught up in not having dedicated reticketing/rebooking desks at SYD QF international to domestic transfer upon arrival off a BA flight. I just needed the baggage re-tagged. However, there were lots of flights cancelled (not mine) so there were long queues at the transfer desks, as people were being rebooked.

It resulted in standing in the queue for an hour (this was in the supposed "premium" queue), when it should have taken me 5-10 minutes including queuing time at most, during normal times. Sadly, I am still suffering the effects of that well over a week later because of my bad back.

gilfiom

That assumes all staff are incompetent. When I worked for a bank in a call centre at University, I was trained to take telephone mortgage applications from brokers. Then I was trained in how to deal with direct customers applying for mortgages, and all the regulatory details that went with it. Then I was trained in opening savings accounts, ISA's and term deposits, so I could be truly cross skilled. It didn't dampen my knowledge, it enhanced my role as it was more varied and I was less bored and more engaged with what I was doing.

Cross-training is a good thing - it doesn't lead to worse service, in my opinion.

lcylocal

Ldnn1

A P Yu

So long as all of these empowered staff have the skills, tools and authority to book on other carriers in times of IRROPS then im not too worried. Of course they wont be given either the tools or the authority

flatlander

AA gate agents seem to manage the SABRE native interface just fine, and the BA one isn't that much friendlier - I've watched BA ticketing staff use it.

I know I keep saying "AA gate agents..." but I make no apology. The way that they can solve most of your runtime problems quickly and without reference to anyone else is what BA should be aiming for.

(I mean, they could always keep people like JAXBA around instead of laying them off, that would increase their staff skillset too)

How hard would it be to ticketing-train most BA staff, instead of a minority as at the moment (the different colour name badges)?

C'mon, I know these reservation systems aren't the easiest things to fly (ahem) but neither are BA agents incapable of learning. I see this as a training and skills issue, not some sort of congenital incapability in most BA staff.

ExpatExp

^

I often head to Heathrow without a ticket for a last-minute trip, and walk up and buy the ticket when I get there. The more BA staff who can assist with this, the better ^

lcylocal

nufnuf77

With all due respect, the level of training required to be able to understand ticketing rules, be able to do manual pricing, and have the knowledge of fares at the tip of your finger, a basic cross training is not gonna do the job. There is a reason why even last week the CCR desk asked me to go to Galleries Club for a complex ticketing issue.