Streamline Boarding

[N965VJ]

* CS Agents will begin checking bags at a pre-
determined time set by the gate reader, at which
point all bags will be checked regardless of OHB space.

Bravo Sierra.

I *never* check my bag and would be furious if I was forced to, then to find empty OHB space.

 

[Travelpro72]

Exactly! ! ! How will that go over with passengers? Your forcing passengers to part with their bag only to find overhead bin space available? Yeah smart.

 

[dexter]

Customer Service would gladly work with the F/A but unfortunately besides the new streamline boarding mess we face the Company's other new "staff plan" of one agent per gate due to automation and gates scanners (that are worthless and are never working) but unfortunately there is only one of us and 3 or more of you. The regulation that states in your contract keeps you inside the aircraft when boarded begins. There isn't enough manpower to run back and forth the the aircraft to work together. By the time the agent finally gets down the jetway to tag bags and give finals it is too late.
We should really film the operation from start to finish on an oversold, overweight, baggage heavy flight. I do believe we could profit from this or make "Saturday Night Live"?

 

[jimntx]

The regulation that states in your contract keeps you inside the aircraft when boarded begins.

It has nothing to do with their contract, it is a Federal Air Regulation--i.e., Federal law--that states that once passengers have boarded the a/c, FAA minimum crew must remain on the a/c at all times. They have relaxed a little recently when the need arises to get off the a/c to notify someone--like the gate agent--of emergencies.

Back on the topic, does this "number of passengers boarded determines when to check bags" policy apply at all stations? From my experience at AA, the number of carryons varies by boarding station. For instance, SEA passengers evidently check their bags, fees or not. The last time I worked a flight out of SEA, when we left the gate we had a full a/c, but we had 5 totally empty overhead bins!!!! I love SEA passengers.

 

[SS255]

This is a horrible idea! :down: If they insist upon enforcing this half-baked and arbitrary procedure, there will be mutiny in the gate area.

All of this zone boarding is a joke, anyway. The system worked best when boarding was by row, from back to front (after pre-boards, F class and elites, of course ).

 

[dexter]

I agree, row boarding is the best. This new scanner, if it works flashes a memo that tells you to start tagging. Yeah right in the middle of working a flight by myself with only zone one and two printed and the rest is mayhem. I just pop "enter" and the little baggage icon goes bye-bye. It really is a joke and whoever thinks a computer can see we have extra bags is eating some big time ludes. Like we can run down to the aircraft and check it out with a mob scene at the podium, might I add "solo".

The time and money spent on this b.s. is hilarious.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> It has nothing to do with their contract, it is a Federal Air Regulation--i.e., Federal law--that states that once passengers have boarded the a/c, FAA minimum crew must remain on the a/c at all times. They have relaxed a little recently when the need arises to get off the a/c to notify someone--like the gate agent--of emergencies.

IIRC, it’s an OpSpec that has gone back and forth at US whether or not the jetway is an extension of the aircraft.

Anyway, so who’s going to break the news over at FlyerTalk?

 

[Travelpro72]

This whole idea is what we pay people to come up with in HQ? Go back to boarding by rows and monitor bags. When they are full they get checked at the end of boarding. Sometimes you'll have those flights where the bags are piled up at the door but it's not every flight and not every leg. Management CONSTANTLY makes mountains out of mole hills. I guess the intentions are good but you all in management are so out of touch with reality.

 

[Travelpro72]

The new boarding system simply will not work regardless of how hard management tries to say it does or will. Agents will simply hit the "tag bags" message off the screen while f/a's will continue to do what they do onboard monitoring overhead space. You'll see bags checked at the end of the boarding process resulting in bags being tagged that actually cannot fit on the plane. What management tries to impose on the work groups and what works are TWO different things.

 

[usa1]

The new procedures have supervisors participating their entire shift for the first time in many years .....

 

[ChockJockey]

His words guide us:

 

[john john]

The new procedures have supervisors participating their entire shift for the first time in many years .....

The managers can explain to all involved on and off the property how unrealistic it is
Let me see here what were US OT stats the pass two quarters
What is management thought process? Who knows they can explain it to the customers there self.

 

[john john]

The new procedures have supervisors participating their entire shift for the first time in many years .....

Remember one person per gate is the person you speak of management or a working agent

 

[usa1]

One agent per flight ...... Gate css floats and covers special service counter, handles irregularities and over sales. Because the ticket counter is so understaffed css has to constantly move gate agents to the ticket counter between departures to check bags and then rush them back to gates to board the flights. Ticket counter css handles all GSC functions now and places passengers on standby list for all flights. Keeps them on the counter most of their shift. Leaves no down time for css's ..... very new.

 

[wench1]

Our CSS DOES NOT Do THE OSDB reports..
that's the agent's job..so Im told..

F'this place.....just had to say it..

What a bunch of you-know-what!!!
Never amazes me what the morons come up with next..
Why do we still have 6 supervisors?
NOT NeedeD..
Go back to the OLD days..
AM Pm and Relief..That's it..
Reduce your head count--but no..they PROTECT THEIR precious babies..