Well my long awaited fear has finally occurred.
I was flying from CMH yesterday and when arriving at the counter, there was no Preferred line (this is NOT an express station). The only line that resembled a preferred line was one with a sign saying first class Kiosk. So as my companion and I were moving over to what I thought was the regular line, the agent standing by the kiosk motions to an open kiosk and says "this kiosk is open", to which I reply "I don't do kiosk". The agent then replies "we no longer have ticket agents and you must use the kiosk." Now I'm beginning to get just a little irritated. I reply "No I don't, and if you try to make me use the kiosk, then I'll just move on down to DL and fly them, because I don't do kiosk" This guy was serious and so was I.
At this point I tell him I have a companion upgrade and the @%$@#% kiosk will not process this type of transactions nor 90% of the other reasons that you need an agent for, so now what am I going to do? The other agent behind the desk, but placing bag tags on the bags processed by the kiosk, looks at the other agent and tells him that I'm right and an agent must process this ticket. The other agent, now also slightly miffed motions me to the other agent.
The agent behind the counter tells me that management has made a decision to go 100% kiosk and that they will assist you only with checking in via kiosk. When I pointed out that the kiosk works only slightly better than the web site, and the kiosk could only perform the most basic of procedures, just exactly was a passenger supposed to do during irregular ops. The only answer was when that happened it is a mess.
Several things are not sitting well with me at this point. One if we all become sheep and play this ridiculous game, then when we need an agent, there will be none. The next time your flight cancels you may just be looking at your only option, a $%## kiosk. Two, this little jewel is worthless for all but the most basic check in process. My guess is they will get outsourced to San Salvador next. So when you have trouble getting the kiosk to do anything for you, you will pick up a phone, talk to some one with a heavy Spanish accent, and you will spend the next ten minutes trying to explain what a kiosk is.
Two, I fly this airline because of the service and the way I'm treated as a preferred member. It is sure isn't much of anything else. A benefit promised to me is a preferred/first class check in line, not a first class kiosk.
I am truly concerned that we are beginning to see the "enhancement" of our preferred benefits. Many of us have been concerned that when the got finished getting all they could from the employees of this airline, they were going to start cutting back on the benefits. Between this trend and the way phone calls are being handled by the CP desk, I'm convinced they are now coming after us in ways that they hope we will just sit back and take.
So for the US lurkers on here, just remember we do have a choice in who we fly and we have proven we have a voice that can and will be heard by an audience larger than this forum. Think twice before you continue down this path.
I was flying from CMH yesterday and when arriving at the counter, there was no Preferred line (this is NOT an express station). The only line that resembled a preferred line was one with a sign saying first class Kiosk. So as my companion and I were moving over to what I thought was the regular line, the agent standing by the kiosk motions to an open kiosk and says "this kiosk is open", to which I reply "I don't do kiosk". The agent then replies "we no longer have ticket agents and you must use the kiosk." Now I'm beginning to get just a little irritated. I reply "No I don't, and if you try to make me use the kiosk, then I'll just move on down to DL and fly them, because I don't do kiosk" This guy was serious and so was I.
At this point I tell him I have a companion upgrade and the @%$@#% kiosk will not process this type of transactions nor 90% of the other reasons that you need an agent for, so now what am I going to do? The other agent behind the desk, but placing bag tags on the bags processed by the kiosk, looks at the other agent and tells him that I'm right and an agent must process this ticket. The other agent, now also slightly miffed motions me to the other agent.
The agent behind the counter tells me that management has made a decision to go 100% kiosk and that they will assist you only with checking in via kiosk. When I pointed out that the kiosk works only slightly better than the web site, and the kiosk could only perform the most basic of procedures, just exactly was a passenger supposed to do during irregular ops. The only answer was when that happened it is a mess.
Several things are not sitting well with me at this point. One if we all become sheep and play this ridiculous game, then when we need an agent, there will be none. The next time your flight cancels you may just be looking at your only option, a $%## kiosk. Two, this little jewel is worthless for all but the most basic check in process. My guess is they will get outsourced to San Salvador next. So when you have trouble getting the kiosk to do anything for you, you will pick up a phone, talk to some one with a heavy Spanish accent, and you will spend the next ten minutes trying to explain what a kiosk is.
Two, I fly this airline because of the service and the way I'm treated as a preferred member. It is sure isn't much of anything else. A benefit promised to me is a preferred/first class check in line, not a first class kiosk.
I am truly concerned that we are beginning to see the "enhancement" of our preferred benefits. Many of us have been concerned that when the got finished getting all they could from the employees of this airline, they were going to start cutting back on the benefits. Between this trend and the way phone calls are being handled by the CP desk, I'm convinced they are now coming after us in ways that they hope we will just sit back and take.
So for the US lurkers on here, just remember we do have a choice in who we fly and we have proven we have a voice that can and will be heard by an audience larger than this forum. Think twice before you continue down this path.