jco613

First time self tagging with transfer yesterday and I did it, even got the transfer tags on it! Also the first time they had multiple agents working the line at FLL that I've seen so no wait. I've finally figured out the bag tags and after years of watching, went 1/2 on transfer tags (the agent helped me with the 2nd, I joked that transfer tags must take a week of training)

if you know know what you're doing, it's actually fun

ftnoob

One would think. But at AUS I've been scolded for approaching a kiosk without being called to do so.

Consider they could have been gun shy from having previously been scolded, as I was, for going up to a kiosk without being told to do so. I'm still aggressive about getting myself (and others in line in front of me) up to available kiosks ASAP, but there are some good reasons why others might not be of the same mindset.

ETA: I reckon that the overwhelming majority of times this issue occurs it is due to pax n00bness; I just want to point out that assumptions shouldn't be made.

Peoriaman1

I am assuming you just remove the two end pieces of the backing paper, so the middle portion doesn't stick to the handle? We have garbage can stickers that work exactly the same way. Simple, but I have seen people do it wrong.

Next trip, I will have a bag to check, so I look forward to giving it a try.

jeffandnicole

Can you use the self-tagging kiosks on an International flight?

Peoriaman1

Like I said earlier, try that at the post office and you probably will get scolded. No wonder people are gun shy!

Friarboy

I suppose they don't have them at MCO due to the high number of inexperienced travelers and families with multiple bags but as a person who goes there often for business.... they need to figure out how to accomplish.

I love it, personally.

trouble747

That's certainly possible! Austin finally started utilizing a dedicated person to stand at the front of the line and direct the first passenger in line to the next available kiosk (now of course they've gone to self-tagging). I do recall several busy travel days where the line was quite long and only half or so of the kiosks were operational--presumably due to the number of agents on hand. This doesn't seem to factor into the self-tag kiosks.

Juanefny

I must say that as a former customer service worker, I really disliked when people would walk up to my window before I called them. Sometimes, you may have to even step away from the window to do something...
As a customer,I always wait to be called, but I'm proactively looking at them for the first indication they are ready for me.

joshua362

Again, I just don't think this is apples to apples.

At a window, you need the customer service worker's attention immediately.

At a kiosk, the CUSTOMER needs a few minutes alone, some more than others, to do the work with or without a customer service worker present.

The problem is what when the customer service worker is slowed down helping the other side, the last customer and bags are still waiting and blocking the kiosk that is raring to go! Kind of defeats the whole purpose of self serve at that point. That's why an agent only services 2 machines at once (although I thinks that's too little).

I do agree the past conditioning doesn't help make the distinction between an staffed open window and a machine standing idle. A automated sign/scoreboard at the line's end direction one to open machines would work nicely as opposed to a human.

hurnik

They do now. LOL.
It actually took me longer in ALB because I was trying to read the instructions on the back of the bag tag but the agent was all in a hurry and ended up doing it for me.

MCO went a bit smoother as I knew what to do by then, but I can most certainly see grandma and others having a difficult time, but I'm fairly sure all the kiosks had self-tagging, but there were plenty of agents there, as well.

Took longer to get through TSA Pre-check (ooh, they are nasty and mean at MCO, although only a smidgen better than PHL).

ftnoob

The thing that's wrong is that the entire label can be peeled apart. Only the part that is supposed to be peeled apart should be able to be peeled apart. Most folks at least will only make the mistake once, but with infrequent pax hitting the airports en masse later this month, there could be a lot of struggles. YouTube humor video opportunity for someone.

wahooflyer

I used the self tag kiosks out of DAL this morning and it was a mess. No one was directing any of the lines, and the bag drop line was at least 100 passengers deep, so once I got my tag I went out to the curbside to try to drop my bag. Waited 10 minutes in that line and the skycap refused to take my tagged bag, or even to print a new tag. I offered him $20 and he still refused. “You have to go inside” was all he said.

At this point it was 55 minutes prior to departure and even the PreCheck security line was “out the door” (stretching past the AS/VX ticket counter) so I didn’t have time to wait in the regular bag drop line. I ripped off the self tag, walked through the tunnel to the other curbside, and got my bag checked there with no problem. I just barely made my 0610 flight despite having PreCheck.

It has been a long time since I’ve seen security or bag check lines so long at any airport. Southwest could have mitigated this problem some by having more agents standing in the lobby (AA does this at their larger airports) instead of the self-directed chaos they had today!

lougord99

Most airlines have the early bank of flights at large hubs. Both the airlines and the airports often refuse to staff for that early bank ( trying to get on a bus at MDW from the remote parking lot at 0500 is crazy)

kctigers

i do not like the self-tagging feature, where is the human interaction? i have to pack my bags, and fly and also then tag the bags, i am doing all of the work.... is there a discount for doing this? i do not like the check in kiosks either


this is taking jobs away from people, too much technology...

it is like at the grocery store, the self-check out line.

dmbolp

It's like when we go to the Melting Pot for fondue, and the waiter asks after the meal "How was everything?", I always tell them "I did a great job of cooking the food, thank you"