4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Or don’t carry cash for a $1.50 bag of ice whereas I toss $2 on the counter and keep walking with my ice …
Alaska Airlines eliminates automated check-in/boarding pass kiosks
- Thread starter y_p_w
- Start date
GON
$100 Site Donor 2024
I have used the Alaska Air print your own baggage tag off the QR code, and it works well. On the other hand, my Wife would never figure it out. And she is significantly smarter than me.
The issue with the Alaska Air prints your own baggage tag is the "free for all" after the tag is printed. A line gets formed to drop off the bag, but the line goes through a gauntlet of kiosks. So, if you print you tag at the "end of the row of kiosks", the PAX printing their tags at the front of the kiosks are oblivious to the line and keep cutting the line, without realizing that is what they are doing.
The issue with the Alaska Air prints your own baggage tag is the "free for all" after the tag is printed. A line gets formed to drop off the bag, but the line goes through a gauntlet of kiosks. So, if you print you tag at the "end of the row of kiosks", the PAX printing their tags at the front of the kiosks are oblivious to the line and keep cutting the line, without realizing that is what they are doing.
I'm so done with airports and airlines.
It is to me. I like the personal interaction.
JHZR2
Staff member
If youre insistent on it, then note first the title:
Alaska Airlines Officially Ditches Paper Boarding Passes At Airport Kiosks
And the prose:
The airline will still have customer service agents available for passengers who cannot use mobile technology or need extra assistance. Notably, the airline will not be charging extra if passengers need an agent to print their passes
Not charging extra, yet, but oh, baby, just you wait...
JHZR2
Staff member
That’s likely. The airlines suck in that regard. Like most other businesses.
I’m mainly fly 3-4 times/year to ski and by default have to go to counter to pay for sport luggage and drop off ski bag and boot bag.
So far only the ultra-budget airlines charge for that.
I flew Spirit once and wasn't quite sure. My hotel didn't have a computer/printer setup and the airline didn't have an app yet that could do boarding passes. I understand now that it was free at the kiosk, but I went to a place to print out the boarding passes that I saved on a laptop computer and to a USB flash drive. Cost me less than $2 and it took less than 2 minutes.
"Welcome to Alaska Airlines flight 101. Be sure to enjoy the complementary oxygen during our flight..."
GON
$100 Site Donor 2024
Baggage tags are printed at the airport on Alaska Air self serve kiosks, typically by showing a QR code from a smartphone. Boarding passes to allow going through security and boarding the aircraft are displayed from a smart phone. One can also print a hard copy if desired at their home, business, or hotel if a printer is available.
Like others, I much prefer a hard copy boarding pass over a smart phone boarding pass.
Note this is Alaska Air. Don't let the Airline's name fool you. Alaska's top customers are employees of MSFT and AMZN. At SEA, Alaska provides a dedicated check in line for MSFT and AMZN employees. Alaska best customers are techies, not Ma and Pa Kettle traveling on their once in a lifetime trip to Alaska. The very worse part of Alaska Air is it's inflight entertainment.
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That’s done at the airport where it prints out one of those adhesive baggage tags. I'm not sure if it also prints out those little adhesive labels that go on the sides. It requires scanning the boarding pass code. I posted an image earlier. It looks like there's a code reader at the bottom of the display and then the credit card reader on the side. So I guess there's the option to pay for baggage at the airport, and I'm guessing prepaid at purchase or through the app/website.
Alaska Airlines did have a pilot program (called "Self-tag") for print at home luggage tags. I think it's been discontinued. It required a specific pouch and that the printout be folded in a certain way. But I would think there's the potential for toner to stick to the vinyl (I've seen that quite often). But then again I've heard of thermal labels being damaged by friction and tearing.
Yup. They're based in Seattle and they're the biggest airline at SEA and PDX. When I've flown into either airport, it's crazy how many Alaska Airlines planes there are.
However, they still have their roots in Alaska and provide a lot of subsidized service to various parts of Alaska.
Not sure if their planned purchase of Hawaiian Airlines is going to happen.
I've flown as recently a September 2023, I don't think Love Field or DFW airports have a place that you can just drop your bag. As far as I've seen, you have to stand in line to at least do that.
So what will happen with this new system when somebody's bag is overweight?
So what will happen with this new system when somebody's bag is overweight?
Bag drop off has a scale. I suppose if it's overweight, an employee will probably be alerted.
This is for different airlines at Denver, but it's similar.
