Tag your own Bag!

[Hopeful]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Delta-eye-letting-apf-3964888062.html?x=0&.v=1

I take back what I said about AA only looking to eliminate mechanic jobs. Ticket agent numbers might be reduced in the near future!

 

[FWAAA]

I won't be tagging my own bags:

American Airlines and Air Canada are looking at rolling out a trial of the approach in Boston later this year. Passengers would use a self-service kiosk to print out the luggage tags, but they would still need to see an agent to check their identification and scan the tagged luggage.

If passengers could tag their own bag and drop it - be done with it - it might be an attractive option. But tagging my own bag only to have to wait to see an employee to show ID means I'll just have the employee do the work.

 

[737823]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Delta-eye-letting-apf-3964888062.html?x=0&.v=1

I take back what I said about AA only looking to eliminate mechanic jobs. Ticket agent numbers might be reduced in the near future!

Wow maybe I can try it next time I am at BOS. Where are they going to place the self service area? Currently the kiosk machines are at the general check-in counter (left of security) and scattered in pods in front of the premium check-in counter (right of security). I think self service bag tagging is a bit excessive. As a passenger who rarely checks baggage, I take comfort in knowing a human being has verified the identity of the passenger and taken a look at the bag for any obvious security concerns.

I know AA's ground personnel above the wing is non-union for the time being. I seem to remember CWA launching a union drive years ago but it seems nothing has materialized. Anyone have information on that?

Josh

 

[MCI transplant]

------- Next AA will figure a way to have the passengers load their own also! And pay for the privilege to do so!!!

 

[AAStew]

I won't be tagging my own bags:



If passengers could tag their own bag and drop it - be done with it - it might be an attractive option. But tagging my own bag only to have to wait to see an employee to show ID means I'll just have the employee do the work.

I think it may be similar to the kiosk check in now...they don't check id's if you scan them. TSA does the checking.

 

[eolesen]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Delta-eye-letting-apf-3964888062.html?x=0&.v=1

I take back what I said about AA only looking to eliminate mechanic jobs. Ticket agent numbers might be reduced in the near future!

Too late. AA took an axe to agent staffing about ten years ago. I don't think it can get any thinner and still allow for enough people to deal with cancellations, delays, etc. It's already too thin when &&&& hits the fan.

 

[Hopeful]

Too late. AA took an axe to agent staffing about ten years ago. I don't think it can get any thinner and still allow for enough people to deal with cancellations, delays, etc. It's already too thin when &&&& hits the fan.

Quite true. However, I cannot help but think that cost cutting is a never ending process that almost always ends with someone's job being eliminated.

 

[JFK Fleet Service]

"Cut until it stops working" is the mantra at AA these days.

And LGA, it's not working...

 

[jimntx]

Too late. AA took an axe to agent staffing about ten years ago. I don't think it can get any thinner and still allow for enough people to deal with cancellations, delays, etc. It's already too thin when &&&& hits the fan.

It's too thin, period. When one agent has to handle the podium, meet a flight, answer connecting questions, and get back to the line at the podium, it's too thin. I allow agents to start boarding early at every opportunity when I'm #1. It's never more than 5 minutes, but it gives them a little breathing room for wheelchairs and other special needs passengers. It also gives me more time to hang coats, do pre-departures, etc.

The agents are being worked to death these days, and in return the company has given them almost $1/day increase for those who are at top of scale. The new pay rate results in an additional $360/yr if the agent works full-time.

 

[HiFly]

It's too thin, period. When one agent has to handle the podium, meet a flight, answer connecting questions, and get back to the line at the podium, it's too thin. I allow agents to start boarding early at every opportunity when I'm #1. It's never more than 5 minutes, but it gives them a little breathing room for wheelchairs and other special needs passengers. It also gives me more time to hang coats, do pre-departures, etc.

The agents are being worked to death these days, and in return the company has given them almost $1/day increase for those who are at top of scale. The new pay rate results in an additional $360/yr if the agent works full-time.

Widely used in Europe. Do not know why it could not be in BOS.

 

[bbrooks1963]

Wow maybe I can try it next time I am at BOS. Where are they going to place the self service area? Currently the kiosk machines are at the general check-in counter (left of security) and scattered in pods in front of the premium check-in counter (right of security). I think self service bag tagging is a bit excessive. As a passenger who rarely checks baggage, I take comfort in knowing a human being has verified the identity of the passenger and taken a look at the bag for any obvious security concerns.

I know AA's ground personnel above the wing is non-union for the time being. I seem to remember CWA launching a union drive years ago but it seems nothing has materialized. Anyone have information on that?

Josh

Agents at AA have voted down the union. But whenever FSC get a structure increase so do the agents. Just in the past 2 month they got a 4.5 raise and double time and retro from I think 2 years ago. Kinda makes ya think.

 

[eolesen]

It's too thin, period. When one agent has to handle the podium, meet a flight, answer connecting questions, and get back to the line at the podium, it's too thin.

That describes just about every flight I worked at ORD or DFW from 1989 forward. If we were overbooked, or it was a widebody, you might get a second agent to assist with boarding. If it was international, we might get a third agent to clear the BX/BT list for security...

And at DFW, if you had a second agent and it was their pre-published lunch or break time, you were on your own regardless of what was going on or how the flight was booked...


If 100% of all checked bags are run thru a CTX by the TSA, why is identification verification even necessary?...

Aren't we supposed to be 100% secure now that there's an entire government agency employed just to screen passengers and their baggage?....

 

[telebender1956]

It's too thin, period. When one agent has to handle the podium, meet a flight, answer connecting questions, and get back to the line at the podium, it's too thin. I allow agents to start boarding early at every opportunity when I'm #1. It's never more than 5 minutes, but it gives them a little breathing room for wheelchairs and other special needs passengers. It also gives me more time to hang coats, do pre-departures, etc.

The agents are being worked to death these days, and in return the company has given them almost $1/day increase for those who are at top of scale. The new pay rate results in an additional $360/yr if the agent works full-time.

I agree with your premise here. I recently few thru DFW and had a 3 hour layover and saw this repeated over and over. It is outright disgraceful to treat our customers and gate agents like this.But hey, the same mindset of management to disrespect its workforce has just spilled over to the customers.

 

[737823]

Too late. AA took an axe to agent staffing about ten years ago. I don't think it can get any thinner and still allow for enough people to deal with cancellations, delays, etc. It's already too thin when &&&& hits the fan.

I agree for the most part. It seems AA has cut back substantially in agent staffing and it's unfortunate. I've been on many domestic flights from BOS, JFK, and LAX and seen one agent working 3-class 767-200 transcon with stand bys and dozens of elites pestering the poor agent "where is my position, why won't I clear...". I don't envy the job of the gate agents because they are often the messenger of bad news in the event of a delay or cancellation. While the problem is through no fault of their own, to the customer they are the face of the airline and unfortunately it reflects poorly on them.

I'll never forget JAL had 5 GAs boarding a 777-200 on NRT-ICN. They were very friendly and there wasn't a line of people waiting.

Does anyone know about Admiral's club staffing? It seems LAX of all places has become thinly staffed with only two AA agents above and two on the concourse level (including Qantas representative)

Josh