PIT
I read your comments and I''m sorry for sounding brash, but the real issue is in order for US or any other major to stay profitable they must find ways to reduce costs. Labor is highest cost. You are right about the human touch and I too like/prefer working with ticket agents if possible, but there are times when all I need to do is simply check in and the kiosk is faster everytime.
The fact is kiosk do not have bad days. The kiosk does not have an attitude, finacial worries or wonder if everything at work is going to run smoothly. Agents have these burdens and , unfortunately, these burdens may cause problems the passengers do not need to be exposed to. The kiosk is designed to perform simplistic transactions that require very few alternatives to resolve. The agent is best suited for the more educated and skilled transactions. The the kiosk will never be better than the agent, but it will help the agent, the airline, and most importantly, the industry perform better.
In fact, what I did for US, NW and AA was once, and in some ways still is, a high demand skill. The industry, along with my help, pretty much automated my what I though at the time was the everlasting surething career. What used to take me days and sometimes weeks to accomplish can now be completed in a few minutes. Once the program was developed I didn''t cry about it - I accepted it and sought ways to use the software/"the machine" where I could became even more valuable. Through using the program and accepting change, I bettered myself, became more proficient and today have more job security than I could ever imagine. Yes, my story ended up with a happy ending. the good thing is the ticket agent(s) and "the kiosk" can also have the same success. All the agent needs to do is accept change.
Not to beat a dead horse, but "management''s" true goal is to make the company successful and profitable, which is critical for everyone. Unfortunately, to accomplish the success and profitability, some costs (pain, job loss, layoffs) must be realized. In the end, the agent wins, you win and the airline keeps flying.
I hope this explains my position.
By the way, I''m have more hair than AC.