Ryanair to abolish checkin desks
Feb 21, 2009, 5:13 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 3,902
LiarAir will now find a grassy field far far far away from the true destination and tell the passengers to shove themselves inside, standing room only. Cattle in the field will look on bemused but still chewing grass.
Vending machines are available in the gallery and would someone please press the autopilot button to start the trip. If there are any problems on flight, please do call us on your mobile phone to a Mongolian call centre using the premium skymobile thingygummy built into the aircraft.
Vending machines are available in the gallery and would someone please press the autopilot button to start the trip. If there are any problems on flight, please do call us on your mobile phone to a Mongolian call centre using the premium skymobile thingygummy built into the aircraft.
Feb 22, 2009, 3:15 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, M&M, PC PlatAmb, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 427
They can just put up some of those stand-up machines where you punch in your ticket number and it prints out your copy. Would solve the problem for anyone who has no internet access or printer the days approaching their flight.
Geneva airport "BA" staff already pretty much tell you to use the machines if you haven't yet done your checkin...
Geneva airport "BA" staff already pretty much tell you to use the machines if you haven't yet done your checkin...
Feb 22, 2009, 3:17 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LON
Programs: AA PRO, BA, QF, UA, DL, Marriott, Priority Rewards Gold
Posts: 91
I read it as just hype. T5 does not have checkin for economy passengers either, it's OLCi or CIK and then fast bag drop. Of course unlike Ryanair BA has hosts at the kiosks and assistance desks for those who really cannot manage to use the customer enabled options. Either way, it's just O'leary trying to get his dreary airline in the press again.
Feb 22, 2009, 3:28 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, M&M, PC PlatAmb, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 427
MatthewRob: but wouldn't the machines be cheaper then human beings in the long run? Renting a square meter of floor space for a machine is cheaper then +20 square meters to run a ticketing desk...
Feb 22, 2009, 3:41 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LON
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Also lots of airports are outsourced so dont pay for a full person or checkin desk, just the time they use it. While a machine would be permanent. They are currently having an argument with DUB about check-in machines. They still need desks for bag drop, but can prob cut half.
Feb 22, 2009, 3:43 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, M&M, PC PlatAmb, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 427
True... but maybe the machines could be shared by other companies, thus splitting the cost in half or more. I think the machines in GVA let you register on half a dozen different company operated flights, of which BA is just one.
Feb 22, 2009, 4:00 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LON
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Posts: 91
I'm sure a system would actually make them more efficient. Then again a smile and pleasantness would make them mildly customer friendly and they have never adopted that policy.
Feb 22, 2009, 4:03 am
#23
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 2,774
Don't think so. Ryanair don't like the check-in computers, they cost money to buy and maintain.Plus they have to pay for the paper the pass is printed on instead of the passenger. But most of all they have to rent the floor space for the computers from the airport and that's more unnecessary cost!!
Still there is almost nothing that O'Leary could think up to inflict on his customers that would surprise me.
Feb 22, 2009, 4:22 am
#24
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold, M&M, PC PlatAmb, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 427
I personally don't like using these machines... Yes they're efficient, and yes they have worked fine everytime I've used them, and no, I have no actual problems using them per se, but...
It distances you from the experience, from the airline itself. Even OLCI does this and whilst useful to select your seats and the like, I still in the end like to go down to the desk, check my bags in chat with the person checking me in, and receive my tickets in hand from "a person".
Oh well... anything to cut costs I guess.
It distances you from the experience, from the airline itself. Even OLCI does this and whilst useful to select your seats and the like, I still in the end like to go down to the desk, check my bags in chat with the person checking me in, and receive my tickets in hand from "a person".
Oh well... anything to cut costs I guess.
Feb 22, 2009, 8:31 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 2,966
It distances you from the experience, from the airline itself. Even OLCI does this and whilst useful to select your seats and the like, I still in the end like to go down to the desk, check my bags in chat with the person checking me in, and receive my tickets in hand from "a person".
Feb 25, 2009, 3:45 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New York
Programs: BA, LH, VS, Hyatt, SPG
Posts: 3,813
OLCI for this ghastly airline (which I will never fly on, ever) opens up 14 days before departure so I guess pax will be encouraged to OLCI for both legs before they start their journey.
Feb 26, 2009, 1:42 am
#29
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK (currently)
Programs: BA Gold (and many other greater and lesser distinctions)
Posts: 7,218
But BA is going the same way ....
Colleague with Silver card and J section of longhaul F ticket, was refused the issue of a BP in Zurich at the BA check-in desk despite the fact that he had checked bags and that there was nobody else at the desk. The agent made him go to the machine (with his luggage) to get his BP and then cart the luggage back to drop it off. I watched this open-mouhted ! Complete insanity matched only by the intransigence of the agent.
Colleague with Silver card and J section of longhaul F ticket, was refused the issue of a BP in Zurich at the BA check-in desk despite the fact that he had checked bags and that there was nobody else at the desk. The agent made him go to the machine (with his luggage) to get his BP and then cart the luggage back to drop it off. I watched this open-mouhted ! Complete insanity matched only by the intransigence of the agent.