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Super-fast on-line bag check
8 Comments · Posted by Mr Angry in Consumer Issues, Getting about
In this world of ever increasing efficiencies, time saving innovations, and stuff that goes quicker, it is not unusual for me to be impressed by something designed to make my life easier.
Which is why I was pleased to receive an email from the airline BMI just 24 hours before a recent trip to Edinburgh.
“There are just 24 hours to go before your flight – so why not make the most of them by checking in on-line and avoiding the airport queues? Once at the airport just drop your bags at the NEW on-line fast bag drop and head straight for the departure gate. What could be simpler?”
BMI coming to my flat and collecting me would be simpler, there was no need to end with that question. It merely invites disaster, but this innovation was way beyond my (pretty low if I am honest) expectations.
It was good news, of course, as I hate queueing at the airport due to my perpetual luck in always being behind someone with a ‘luggage dispute’. I duly followed the email instructions and was checked in for my flight the following morning. All in about two minutes.
I got up bright and breezy the following morning and made my way to the airport. Upon arrival at Terminal 1, I noticed a large queue in the BMI area. “Ha!” I thought to myself, not entirely silently.
If only they were Internet savvy like myself, they might have avoided the queues. I moved among them like a man with a purpose. A purpose and a suitcase.
“Excuse me please, I’m trying to get to the fast on-line bag drop.”
“So are we!” said the man in front of me.
“And me!” said the woman in front of him.
“We are too!” concurred the family of Americans about fifty people ahead of me.
It appeared that the entire queue had checked in on-line and was waiting for the fast bag drop.
Now this is what happens when fads like ‘email’ gain momentum. Oh yes, they sound great in principle, but eventually people like me, the genuine technological leaders, lose out.
To compound my misery there was a much smaller queue for people who had not checked in on-line, preferring to do things the old fashioned way. They had the distinct look of the Amish about them.
“Excuse me,” I asked of the stressed looking BMI staff member organising our queue, “Couldn’t I just go and drop my bag off over there, in the smaller queue?”
“I’m afraid not, because technically you’re already checked in.”
“I checked in because you said it would be faster, yet all you’ve done is move the entire queue from point A,” I said, pointing at point A, “to Point B.” I concluded, pointing at point B, my feet.
“And I’m pretty sure this NEW fast bag drop section is just the old check-in desks renamed?”
“This will actually be quicker, I assure you.”
She did not assure me in the slightest. I watched with envy as the Amish travellers swiftly made their way through to the departure gates whilst I listened to an American family fifty people ahead of me argue about their baggage allowance.
BMI · heathrow · on-line check in
azur · September 25, 2008 at 8:59 am
BA have stopped calling theirs “Fast” for this very reason. I too was a leader in adopting this on-line check-in stuff, only to find that the rest of the world could do it too – and don’t get me going on the “Speedy Boarding” option used by EasyJet – everyone does that too!
Lin · September 25, 2008 at 9:12 am
I am an avid Amish traveller. Sooo pleased that all you techno heads follow their flock and leave me time for my duty free and bar shopping. Many thanks
Keef · September 25, 2008 at 9:39 am
How actually does online check in save time? all it does is save the 30 seconds it takes to tell the checker-in how many bags you have, They still have to weigh them, ask whether Al-Qaeda have helped you pack, attach the sticky labels in a futile attempt to stop them being lost, load them on the conveyor, pick them back up and put them back on after they fall off the conveyor, x-ray them, force them open while the security goons ruffle through your undies, damage the lock whilst trying to close them, stamp on them a couple of times, chuck them onto a truck, kick them around the tarmac and finally put them onto the plane (hopefully the right one).
So how does online check-in save time again, No Thanks, I’ll stick with being one of the Amish.
vamos666 · September 25, 2008 at 9:45 am
Next year me n’ Mrs Vamos are taking this technology thing a step further and having a ‘virtual Holiday’, 2 weeks sat in front of a looping youtube video of a beach in the Bahamas while burning £20 notes and arguing. Should save a fortune and no airport queues!
Admin comment by Mr Angry · September 25, 2008 at 10:18 am
azur – I did not know that. Surely it can’t be long before BMI drop that moniker also.
Lin – Did you find the long stay horse and cart park OK?
Keef – I understand it is a purely ’seat allocation’ time saver, plus those without bags to check can go straight through. It doesn’t help me though, so I don’t care.
vamos666 – What an excellent idea. You should set up a website offering such packages.
Lin · September 25, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Angry, don’t be silly….the expense of a car indeed. Express train for me then taxi waiting at the other end and no parking fees at all. In fact I now travel with backpack only and hence no lost luggage and no bringing back unworn clothes either.
Brennig Jones · September 26, 2008 at 5:52 am
I’m with Lin. When I do the weekend hops to Spain to see my daughter my small rucksack is pressed in to service. No hold luggage, walk on, walk off.
tideliar · October 6, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Same thing happened to me at Heathrow on Saturday… wankers. Thankfully my mum made sure I was at the airport three-and-a-half hours fucking early so she could beat the rushhour traffic…