November 26, 2006Self-service Kiosk Reviews -- Airline Check-inIt must be that we are seasoned self-service check-in and check-out experts but it definitely can be annoying when employees invite themselves into a process in order to explain it (and perform it) for us. The person below suffers that fate. At the airport. Again. (Again.) - Letters home
* Nov 26, 2006 at 3:05 PM I'm heading back to DC after a few days at home for the holiday. Twas a very nice visit ... more on that later. But here I am, back at the airport. And apparently, I look like a yougin' who's never flown before. I was checking myself in at the kiosk, getting my boarding pass, etc. I've flown quite a bit in the last several months. I've got this down pat. But this time, a woman working for the airline came over to help me part-way through. I thought she was friendly at first, but I found myself flustered and annoyed with her by the end of our exchange. She proclaimed that I needed to select my seat, and before I had a chance to tell her I'd already done so, she'd punched this and that and navigated the screen to the seat selection feature. "Where do you want to sit?" I pointed to the green seat and said, "Isn't that me?" From there, it was just amusing. Turns out, I have to check in with a different airline when I get into Philly, since I'm flying the first leg on U.S. Airways and the second on United. That's perfectly fine. I have a two-hour layover. No problem. But after she checked -- repeatedly -- with another woman working behind the counter, she proceeded to explain to me -- repeatedly -- that I'll need to check in with United in Philadelphia. I really wanted to say, "Yes, I caught that about 5 mintues ago." (Subtext: "Thank you, I'm not deaf. Or 12.") She finally turned me loose, and I was on my way. I guess I look terribly incompetent today. I'm wearing jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweatshirt. Hmm. Posted by staff at November 26, 2006 07:45 PM |