flightrisk

According to the FC check in agent at PHL, effective "yesterday" customers must put their own checked bags onto the conveyor belt. This proclamation was met with incredulous stares by other customers. Can this really be the new policy that customers are required to take their bags behind the podium and to the belt?

This is at the self-service kiosks on the B end that replaced the prior FC full service check-in. In F you always had to take your baggage to the security screening machines, which at least made some amount of sense.

I flew "yesterday" and checked in at DFW, where no such requirement was in place; but also the counter would have prevented customers from easily accessing the conveyor belt.

PHL is the only place I've had agents refuse to take off old baggage tags and refuse to accept old baggage tags that have already been taken off, so I can't say I'm surprised at bad customer service -- but this is a new low. Are the check-in agents really responsible solely for the application of baggage tags and nothing else?

Often1

It has to do with the layout of the specific station. It's no big deal and, over time, the move on AA and other carriers is to automating bag drop anyway.

Not sure I care whether, on the very rare occasions I check a bag, whether I put it on a scale so an agent can schlep it to a conveyor or whether I put it on the conveyor.

AlwaysAisle

This may be trend of automated/self-serve concept, I think first I saw on LCC airlines but today there really is not much difference between LCC and legacy airlines. I remember we used to call “full survice airlines” and now we call it “legacy airlines.”

My view with this automated/self-serve concept is that advantage for airlines is that same things can be done with less employees, cost cutting (yes, same thing in chemical industry where I work). This is all fine during regular operation. But when there is an irregular operation, such as major operational disruption such as major weather at a hub, then there just is not enough employees to handle all displaced travelers. Still today, website or cell phone apps cannot handle reservation detail change when major operational disruptions take place. Even today that during major operational disruptions we do need to talk to or see live human agents to get things taken care of. But today there are so fewer agents available that waiting time can be astronomically long compare with 10 or 20 years ago under same situation.

When I compare with a situation 20 years ago, that means I am getting old, isn’t it?

MSPeconomist

Those agents who insist on doing less for customers are going to find that AA doesn't need to employ them.

krlcomm

I hope that applies to FAs too... customer service at AA is mediocre at best and getting worse every day. I've typically had solid service from the ExP line but front line employees are heading downhill... YMMV.

ESpen36

As it is, AA already does not employ many of the agents performing baggage handling services at major stations. This work has been contracted to a third-party vendor. If you notice, many large AA stations have "other" agents, wearing non-AA uniforms (though somewhat similar), who stand behind the real AA agents and lift/move the checked luggage around.

3Cforme

The latest annual report identified 15,200 passenger service workers as union represented. There will be little effective discipline for rogue workers.

As of December 31, 2014, approximately 82% of AAG’s active employees were represented by various labor unions and covered by CBAs. Employees of American, US Airways and AAG’s regional subsidiaries are covered by labor agreements as set forth in the table below. See page 16 of the annual report.

IMHO the low/lazy standard for U.S. legacy carrier baggage check was set by Alaska with its 'airport of the future' initiative at SEA in 2007. Stand in line for kiosk check in then drag your bag to a second line for bag check. Customers do more so airline employees can do less. Brilliant.

4aks

I'll be in PHL on Thursday, checking a bag ... so I guess I'll be the one throwing it on the belt

As long as they get the bag check line moving faster

The 1st class area kiosks are not efficiently aligned, many 1st class customers don't know how to use them and get pissed with the staff members refuse to do it for them

Last Thursday at PHL, a couple had a shortage of time to make their flight, were asking for personalized help, and were directed to a line of 15 people long who needed specialized assistance

CPRich

Keep in mind that this is PHL, the leading edge in suckiness. They regularly make up rules to allow them to do less work. Let's see if this is reported elsewhere.

Col Ronson

Why are people so opposed to tagging their own bags? People have been doing them on QF for the past 10 years and nobody down under is whining about it.

4aks

Am I allowed to? I would do it, that's the slowest part of check-in --

Col Ronson

well from what ive read there seems to be some kind of horror as thats the general direction we seem to be headed in. Self-tag luggage, more automation, etc.

Personally i always get annoyed when theres like 50 people in line to see an agent and 10 kiosks open that can probably do what those people who are foolishly waiting for need.

IADCAflyer

You're in PHL. If many of the US workers from PHL worked in funeral homes instead of airlines, they'd make the families of the dead put the bodies into ovens to be cremated.

quattroking

I agree, the F check-in process there has really de-graded. I stand there waiting to be checked in and basically get ignored and keep getting directed to the kiosks, which the contracted workers do a decent job of shooing away non-F/elites. I have to say I do not want to use the kiosk because I want the harder boarding card and eventually get an eye roll and my BP.

Unimatrix One

If the airlines want to impose self-service approaches on non-status Y pax that's fine, but when they do it to F pax they are making a mistake.

It's particularly egregious on international flights. At NRT once I had a NRT-JFK paid J class ticket on DL, and the agents were forcing all the J pax to use kiosks. So you can't even get full service on a $6,000 J ticket. Contrast this with JL and NH who wouldn't dream of doing that to their J and F pax. In fact I don't think there even ARE any kiosks near the JL premium counters at NRT.