Why aren't the kiosks printing boarding passes anymore?! "Check-in requires an agent"
Apr 28, 2021, 11:43 pm
#1
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Why aren't the kiosks printing boarding passes anymore?! "Check-in requires an agent"
OK, it happened to me again in DEN today. First time in LAS I thought it could have been some one-time situational fluke, but apparently not. I try to check in for a return flight in DEN and I get the "Your check in requires an agent" message and the kiosk won't print the boarding pass.
If you get that it means you have to stand in the regular line behind all those with BAGS, which can move slowly as inexperienced flyers (aka Kettles) get long check-ins or unexpected charges and arguments. VERY error-and-snafu-prone. That factor and the length of the line can and does cause people to miss their flights.
All just to get a stinkin' boarding pass. That's all I needed.
No unusual circumstances I can see, either. I had checked in online for the outbound ATL-DEN and printed the boarding pass from home, which is easy enough if you have a printer. From on the road for the RETURN flight, though, that can be a different story...many hotels don't have places to do it, few people take printers along even if they have laptops or tablets (can only pack so much), and there's FedEx Office but those aren't everywhere and aren't cheap on time and money (and, IIRC, you'd have to do the check-in between 2 and 24 hours before the flight). I already had the seat reserved and carry-on paid for and am in TSA Precheck and with 50K elite status (i.e. they've got tons of info about me already)...it's the kind of thing the kiosks are supposed to be there for.
I had 90 minutes before the flight (wasn't a last, last minute thing) and I can't think of any other irregularity that would cause it. I asked the gate agent why it wouldn't work and he didn't know...no employee I talked to this time or last time had any idea.
As for smartphones, I still haven't adopted those, but for those who'd say they're a panacea I'd remind you they can get lost/stolen, screens damaged or have battery issues.
The only thing worse than some of these lines is needlessly having to stand in one. Especially if you're a frequent traveler used to planning to avoid them. Can anyone shed some light on why the kiosks aren't working for boarding passes for me?
If you get that it means you have to stand in the regular line behind all those with BAGS, which can move slowly as inexperienced flyers (aka Kettles) get long check-ins or unexpected charges and arguments. VERY error-and-snafu-prone. That factor and the length of the line can and does cause people to miss their flights.
All just to get a stinkin' boarding pass. That's all I needed.
No unusual circumstances I can see, either. I had checked in online for the outbound ATL-DEN and printed the boarding pass from home, which is easy enough if you have a printer. From on the road for the RETURN flight, though, that can be a different story...many hotels don't have places to do it, few people take printers along even if they have laptops or tablets (can only pack so much), and there's FedEx Office but those aren't everywhere and aren't cheap on time and money (and, IIRC, you'd have to do the check-in between 2 and 24 hours before the flight). I already had the seat reserved and carry-on paid for and am in TSA Precheck and with 50K elite status (i.e. they've got tons of info about me already)...it's the kind of thing the kiosks are supposed to be there for.
I had 90 minutes before the flight (wasn't a last, last minute thing) and I can't think of any other irregularity that would cause it. I asked the gate agent why it wouldn't work and he didn't know...no employee I talked to this time or last time had any idea.
As for smartphones, I still haven't adopted those, but for those who'd say they're a panacea I'd remind you they can get lost/stolen, screens damaged or have battery issues.
The only thing worse than some of these lines is needlessly having to stand in one. Especially if you're a frequent traveler used to planning to avoid them. Can anyone shed some light on why the kiosks aren't working for boarding passes for me?
