GVA Self-Bag-Drop. Really?
Dec 16, 2014, 10:40 pm
#1
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Location: Geneva, Dubai, Paris
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GVA Self-Bag-Drop. Really?
The official website of GVA Airport says that you can drop your bag at counters 77, 78 & 79 but my experience from yesterday suggests otherwise. I had already OLCI'd (LX) and wanted to drop my bag at said counters, but I was told that even so I had to wait in the general "Web Check-in / bag drop" line which was quite long. Am I missing something here?
Dec 17, 2014, 2:22 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,562
The official website of GVA Airport says that you can drop your bag at counters 77, 78 & 79 but my experience from yesterday suggests otherwise. I had already OLCI'd (LX) and wanted to drop my bag at said counters, but I was told that even so I had to wait in the general "Web Check-in / bag drop" line which was quite long. Am I missing something here?
Dec 17, 2014, 2:36 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2006
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To me it is also not very clear what your problem is exactly. Do you mean that you went to the (less busy?) normal check-in counters, for people that have not checked-in yet and you were sent away? My experience is that you can also check your bag at those counters even when OLCI'd.
But I know at GVA for some reason they are very difficult and strict with this. I have even been sent away from the First class / *G check in desk, because I had checked in online. I had to give a very nasty answer for the women to take my bag finally.
But I know at GVA for some reason they are very difficult and strict with this. I have even been sent away from the First class / *G check in desk, because I had checked in online. I had to give a very nasty answer for the women to take my bag finally.
Dec 17, 2014, 2:36 am
#4
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You absolutely miss something: You say you OLCI'd, which translates into you "Web Checked-in and you wanted to drop your bag". So, you were sent to the correct counters. They may have had a long line waiting, this is because there were many people in your situation. No problem therefore!
Dec 17, 2014, 2:42 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,562
Maybe my post wasn't clear enough: what I meant to say is that the "Web Check-In / Bag Drop" Line is THE general line for all passengers, there is no other (except of course J/F). What's the point of checking in online if you have to queue with all other passengers who didn't? At all other airports I know the Bag Drop-Off counter is never crowded, if it weren't so it would be pretty pointless to have those counters in the first place.
Dec 17, 2014, 2:48 am
#6
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What I meant is that basically there are only two lines: one for J/F/*G and another one for the rest. They call this other line "Web Check-in / Bag Drop-off" but it is for ALL passengers, regardless of whether you OLCI'd or not and of course it usually is very crowded. This is in stark contrast to what the official airport website says, ie counters 77, 78 & 79 for Bag Drop-off ONLY. When you try (as I did) to go to one of those three counters directly they send you away and tell you that you must queue in the general line.
Last edited by JohnRain; Dec 17, 2014 at 2:56 am
Dec 17, 2014, 6:13 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
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It certainly was not like that when I was there a few weeks ago. You could go to these machines directly and there was a separate line of people in front of them. You must have your BP printed (either from OLCI or from another CI machine) to use them.
Dec 17, 2014, 6:19 am
#8
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EDIT: I guess you mean the "Scan & Fly" counters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlGtHI7jGP4
This is exactly what I was looking for in the first place, no idea why I wasn't allowed to use them yesterday.
Last edited by JohnRain; Dec 17, 2014 at 6:48 am
Dec 17, 2014, 12:04 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2008
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It definitely make sense!
Either you check-online or via the web/mobile OR you check in at one of the machines at the airport.
With either the online boarding pass or the printed BP of the machine, you go to the drop off counter.
So, you have to check in before using the counter. Either at the airport or online.
That's the reason why you only have these counters.
W/o BP they will send you back to the machines.
Either you check-online or via the web/mobile OR you check in at one of the machines at the airport.
With either the online boarding pass or the printed BP of the machine, you go to the drop off counter.
So, you have to check in before using the counter. Either at the airport or online.
That's the reason why you only have these counters.
W/o BP they will send you back to the machines.
Dec 17, 2014, 10:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2005
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I haven't been in GVA, but I never print my boarding pass when checking in on-line (once a CI agent chuckled when I told him "to do that I would have to switch on my printer").
So I always show up at the counter as if I were to check in regularly. I usually just get asked if I need a boarding pass.
I'd be surprised if they sent me away at that point -- but I think in GVA they just don't want to work. Or they are afraid to loose their job if too many people check in online, thus they discourage you from doing so by sending you to the longer queue as a penalty.
HTB.
So I always show up at the counter as if I were to check in regularly. I usually just get asked if I need a boarding pass.
I'd be surprised if they sent me away at that point -- but I think in GVA they just don't want to work. Or they are afraid to loose their job if too many people check in online, thus they discourage you from doing so by sending you to the longer queue as a penalty.
HTB.
Dec 18, 2014, 12:25 am
#11
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With either the online boarding pass or the printed BP of the machine, you go to the drop off counter.
So, you have to check in before using the counter. Either at the airport or online.
That's the reason why you only have these counters.
W/o BP they will send you back to the machines.
So, you have to check in before using the counter. Either at the airport or online.
That's the reason why you only have these counters.
W/o BP they will send you back to the machines.
So I always show up at the counter as if I were to check in regularly. I usually just get asked if I need a boarding pass.
I'd be surprised if they sent me away at that point -- but I think in GVA they just don't want to work. Or they are afraid to loose their job if too many people check in online, thus they discourage you from doing so by sending you to the longer queue as a penalty.
HTB.
I'd be surprised if they sent me away at that point -- but I think in GVA they just don't want to work. Or they are afraid to loose their job if too many people check in online, thus they discourage you from doing so by sending you to the longer queue as a penalty.
HTB.
Dec 18, 2014, 11:01 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Miles and More
Posts: 376
Yes, the self check in machines as shown in this video are those that I have used to check in my bag. Who are 'they' not allowing you to use these machines? Other pax or airport staff? Just try to explain more clearly and I hope you would not need to stay in another line. That being sad, I am not so convinced that line to these machines moves much faster
Dec 18, 2014, 4:01 pm
#13
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Yes, the self check in machines as shown in this video are those that I have used to check in my bag. Who are 'they' not allowing you to use these machines? Other pax or airport staff? Just try to explain more clearly and I hope you would not need to stay in another line. That being sad, I am not so convinced that line to these machines moves much faster
Let's hope that tomorrow it will work.
You don't seem to be convinced by those machines, how long did you have to wait?
Dec 18, 2014, 6:15 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2004
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You also get ugly boarding passes which you cannot collect or worse, mobile boarding passes which will be buggered up the moment you need them.
Dec 19, 2014, 3:57 pm
#15
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Quick update: the check-in procedure at GVA today was the fastest and most efficient I ever experienced. I used the Scan & Fly counters with my mobile boarding pass to check my luggage which took me all of three minutes, used the Priority Lane with the access voucher I had purchased before for 8 CHF and was in the lounge 12 minutes after having left the cab curbside. That's a new personal record. It obviously helped that the airport wasn't terribly crowded yet, but I thought that it was still worth reporting back.
