US Airways Deploys More Self-Service Kiosks

[OldGuyinPA]

It''s amazing how easy it is to use our kiosk. Not.....

Just ask our best customers...Chairmen Preferred....
The frustration level is high. Most customers would prefer to speak to an agent, but we''ll never get CCY to admit that.

Try it yourself...Al...

 

[ITRADE]

Hate to break this to you - I use it every time I take the Shuttle.

 

[Smoke and Mirrors]

Customer Usage Exceeds 50 Percent in May 2003
ARLINGTON, Va., June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways has increased the number of Self-Service kiosks in airports to 419 from 252 in February 2003, and e-ticket eligible customer usage of the kiosks exceeded 50 percent for the first time in May 2003.

Customers can now check in at one of the 419 Self-Service kiosks at 81 cities throughout the US Airways system, including destinations served by US Airways Express. In February 2003, US Airways had 252 Self-Service kiosks in 49 airports. In May, an average of 51 percent of the over two million electronically ticketed passengers utilized kiosks to obtain a boarding pass and select other personal travel preferences.

Through the installation of additional kiosks, US Airways has reduced check-in times to as little as 45 seconds and has enhanced the airport experience for customers by taking the wait out of travel, said Al Crellin, US Airways executive vice president of operations.

Customers using kiosks can check baggage, select or change seats, obtain receipts, add their Dividend Miles number and purchase First Class upgrades. US Airways has also implemented an enhancement that allows the purchase of one-way same day tickets. In US Airways Shuttle markets in Washington, Boston and New York, customers can use kiosks to purchase Sedan Service and have a car waiting for them upon arrival at their Shuttle destination.

Dividend Miles members earn 1,000 bonus miles for first time use of US Airways Self-Service kiosks to either purchase tickets or check in for flights. Members will receive 50 bonus miles for each use thereafter. This offer is valid for travel through Sept. 30, 2003 within the U.S. on US Airways, US Airways Shuttle or the US Airways Express carriers. Bonus Miles will appear in the Dividend Miles account within three weeks after travel is complete.

Customers who make changes to their flight plans prior to departure directly with US Airways Reservations are still eligible to check in using the kiosk. Self-service kiosks are available for use to all U.S. destinations including San Juan, St. Croix and St. Thomas, and by fall 2003, check-in for international destinations will be available.

Source: US Airways

 

[bagosh]

I do agree that the kiosks are now servicing more and more pax, here in Bos we have 12 kiosks and guess what we now are using 3 agents to service these passengers, take their bags, Oh I forgot to put in my DM number, these machines don''t work, why do I have to put in a credit card, oh I checked my bags outside.
The point is the company wants to advance with automation but does not want to use the personnell needed to assist the customers.Local management also have instructed agents that if a pax comes to the kiosk and cannot complete their transaction that the agents at the kiosks are to check them in, most of the people that cannot check in are going to a foreign destination and if we do service them they have just passed in front of all those customers that have waited in line to check in properly.
Now they are hiring SARS to replace the agents servicing the kiosk area. The company wants to make sure we''re all happy campers!!!!!

 

[USFlyer]

I hate to break this to you as well, but all of my colleagues use them and love them. No problems whatsoever. The kinks with upgrading seem to have been worked out (based on what we''ve seen).

 

[PITbull]

Then answer the "real problem"....if these Kiosk machines are being used so readily and easily by pax...why are there sooooo many paxs on "HOLD"?????

 

[ITRADE]

----------------
On 6/4/2003 3:35:40 PM PITbull wrote:

Then answer the "real problem"....if these Kiosk machines are being used so readily and easily by pax...why are there sooooo many paxs on "HOLD"?????

----------------​

You''re comparing checking in to initial reservation calls - a complete and total non sequitur.

 

[USFlyer]

----------------
On 6/4/2003 4:57:38 PM Seatacus wrote:

If kiosks are so wonderful and enhance the passengers experience, then why are agents assigned to coerce people to use them. I''ve seen pax literally dragged to the kiosk against their will by an agent and forced them to use it. Kiosks work well for some pax but most can be processed faster by an agent.

----------------​

True, but for every 10 people you process in 20 seconds, there is always 1 person where the agent just types and types and types and types for no apparent reason, holding up the line. This is where kiosks come in handy -- people who can be processed in 20 seconds should use a kiosk. Again, once I showed my father (who has NEVER used an ATM) how to use the kiosk, he''ll never go back. He sees no reason why everyone can''t be checked-in like this.

 

[REACC1]

Ive got the forms pal....how many do ya want!!!

 

[nycbusdriver]

----------------
On 6/4/2003 5:08:57 PM ITRADE wrote:


Yeah, but I don''t get 50 bonus Dividend Miles using you.... 


----------------​

And with USAirways charging $10 to use your CTO co-workers, I''d say the handwriting is on the wall that a service charge may be instituted for a pax using a human agent for a transaction that a kiosk could have handled, i.e. simple check-in.

 

[Seatacus]

If kiosks are so wonderful and enhance the passengers experience, then why are agents assigned to coerce people to use them. I''ve seen pax literally dragged to the kiosk against their will by an agent and forced them to use it. Kiosks work well for some pax but most can be processed faster by an agent.

 

[BillLumbergh]

You can discuss kiosks or this thread will be shut pronto.

No rebuttals. Thank you.

 

[REACC1]

Given the correct info, time you are leaving, last name and how many bags, I can check you in and point you in the right direction with a smile (as much as I can muster these days) in 20 seconds. Ive got the kiosks beat by a mile.

 

[REACC1]

On the surface, this is true, lets see 3 kiosks reroute pax on xld flts. Sure do away with agents in leau of kiosks and see what happens when the inevitable hits the fan. Mad???? take it out on a kiosk.

I dont have time.

 

[ITRADE]

Yeah, but I don''t get 50 bonus Dividend Miles using you....