"The more I find out, the less I know."
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Weather at the Frozen North
This is my personal blog. My professional blog is The Customer Service Survey I've written a book called Gourmet Customer Service. You can buy it on Amazon. (in)Frequently Asked Questions AIM Screen Name: DFNfrozenNorth
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Last Updated: Aug 07, 2008 03:29 PM
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Wednesday - October 15, 2003 at 03:37 AM inElectronic check-in
Electronic check-in is common now at airports, and saves a lot of money for the airlines. For some reason, though, one common check-in question hasn't been automated.
Right now, when I check in, it will print boarding passes and ask if I want an upgrade (I'm an elite-level frequent flier with Northwest). Today, I couldn't use the electronic check-in. Why not? Because I was able to get to the airport four hours early, and wanted to try to get onto an earlier flight. This would seem to be a simple bit of programming in the electronic kiosk. If a passenger checks in more than, say, 90 minutes early, and there is space available on a flight which would get that person to the destination sooner, offer to automatically change to the earlier flight. In my case, I was able to switch to an earlier flight, nonstop instead of with a layover, and got home six hours earlier than planned. It likely saved the airline some money, too, since I was taking up a seat on one flight instead of two, and they didn't have to transfer my luggage. The airline could have saved even more money if I'd been able to check in and make the change automatically instead of with the ticketing agent. As an aside, some airlines are now charging to get a standby seat for an earlier flight on the same day. This is one of the sillier things I've seen airlines do: it serves primarily to make customers mad. If the seat is available, it is in the interest of the airline to get that passenger to the destination promptly; especially if the later flight is overbooked. Posted at 03:37 AM | Permalink | | | |