Web Check In- Procedures and Efficacy (Case Study: Indigo Airlines, India)

As queues began to get longer at airports worldwide and rapid strides began to be made in IT industry, there was convergence of interests that led to emergence of web check in, or, online check in, as some would call it. This method made use of internet to enable passengers to get their boarding passes in their emails or smartphones and select their preferred seats. For airlines this meant shorter queues at their check in counters. For airport management, this meant less hassles and better passenger management at the airport. While it was a boon for passengers who were only travelling with the cabin luggage since they were not required to report to check in counter of the airline at the airport, the ones who carried check in baggage were either not offered web check in service or were required to keep it at drop-off boxes.

So, you achieve the following by web check in:

1. Save time
2. Save long queues at airport check in counter
3. Confirm that you would be boarding the plane
4. Select seat of choice, if available, ahead of others
5. Save paper as you get boarding pass on mobile or in email. Print boarding pass on your own.
6. Travel straight to security screening bypassing airport check in when you are having only cabin luggage.
7. If you have check in luggage as well, this can be left at drop-off boxes. You will get the baggage tags here.
8. Manage Frequent Flyer Program points
9. Choose meal options
10. Enter baggage details

Since online check in method is convenient (just as in case of Indigo web check in), passengers are charged more for certain services which are chosen using the non-web methods. Some airlines might also charge for getting the boarding pass printed at the airport.

If passengers who have used the online check in are also carrying the check in baggage, they are required to leave their baggage at the drop-off boxes. There is usually a separate line for such passengers so that they can complete check in formalities in time. Some airlines might also require compulsory airport desk check in for passengers requiring special assistance, if travelling with an infant and in cases where there is a need to verify the travel documents, valid ID proof or other transportation details.

Web-based check in opens ahead of the normal airport check in, allowing users to get their desired seats conveniently and ahead of others. This facility might not be available at all airports. Passengers shall enquire about this facility before booking their tickets. Airlines, such as IndiGo, also provide this facility of automatic internet-based check in for passengers who book tickets with it.

Special Baggage Allowance on Jet Airways

Jet Airways is a full service carrier of India which connects to domestic and international destinations. Jet Airways check in and cabin allowance rules which allow passengers to carry luggage free of cost within prescribed limits. However, if the passengers wish to carry more, they can always carry it by paying excess baggage charges. There could be certain items which are of odd-size or nature and which are required to be carried on flight. Some of these items could be the sporting or musical instruments. Sporting items can be carried on Jet flights without paying the excess baggage charges as these are exempt from oversize charge. These items are:

1. Non motorized touring bicycles
2. 1 pair of water skis of standard type
3. Fishing equipments including 2 rods, 1 reel, 1 pair of waders, 1 landing net and tackle box
4. Fibre glass made surfboards
5. Golf kit including a bag which contains 1 pair of shoes, 12 golf balls and 14 golf clubs
6. Non motorized paragliding items
7. Snow boards and pair of boots
8. Scuba diving items including a set containing 2 fins and 1 piece each of empty scuba tank, tank harness, tank pressure gauge, snorkel, knife, safety vest, spear gun, scuba regulator and mask.
9. Skiing kit including 1 pair of ski boots, 1 pair of skis and 1 pair of poles.

Musical instruments can also be carried in the cabin luggage but for large equipment passengers are required to buy a seat. These items shall not weigh more than 75 kgs and shall be capable of being fastened to the seat. Since the extra seat is not occupied by a human, there will not be any free allowance for it and passenger will not earn any extra JPMiles towards Jet Airways frequent flyer program. Another important point to note is that the Jet Airways web check in, kiosk check in or tele check in is not to be permitted for such guests. Check in has to be done at the airports.

Weapons and ammunition are prohibited to be carried in the cabin baggage unless this has been authorized by the Government for specific persons. Certain items of dangerous nature such as knives, martial arts weapons, box cutters, spears, licensed firearms and swords are some of items which can be carried in the check in luggage provided these are suitably packed so as not to cause any harm to the handlers. However, the passengers are required to pay Rs 5000 per such items and ammunition up to 50 rounds for domestic flights and USD 100 per such item on international sectors.

With respect to the carriage of kirpans or short knives by Sikhs for religious reasons, there is a limitation of their carriage in Cabin only on the domestic flights within India. These are not allowed to be carried in cabin on international flights. These have to checked in on international flights of Jet Airways.  

Delta, Air France Aiming to Cut Jobs To Remain Viable

With cost cutting ruling the roost in the airline industry in Europe and Americas, it is clear that certain major players might not be all that well financially. Delta Airlines of US and Air France of France have recently announced job cuts to ensure that they remain viable. While Delta has been eyeing the top management positions and the salaried workers for meeting this end, Air France is cutting the fat at the lower rungs of organization.

Delta has seen a sluggish growth in revenues with only 3 and 1 percent hikes in the first and second quarters of this year as compared to last year. This has not been as per expectations and there has been a need to cut down on the costs by job cutting of regulars. While there is not so much of frenzy with this measure with Delta, the story has been different on the other side of Atlantic.

Air France labor unions resorted to violent measures by tearing off the shirts of two of Air France managers who had announced cutting down of costs by job-cutting. It is notable that the mega airlines of Europe- Lufthansa and Air France- have been battling the union strife for some years now on a number of issues. With soaring competition from the Gulf carriers on long haul flights and from low cost European carriers, the mega airlines of yesteryears have been feeling the squeeze. When the corrections are sought to be applied, it results in labor unrest. Recent strikes and violent methods have dented the image of these carriers worldwide which has resulted in curtailing of some routes, scaling down of operations and accumulating losses.

While the American airlines have been able to do a balancing act with cooperation from the unions and some deft handling of situation by top management, the same has not been seen in case of Europe. 

British Airways Reducing 2nd Carry-on Bag Size to Fit Under Seat

British Airways, one of the foremost carriers of the world, is the latest airline to take strict measures on carry-on luggage. While load of bags does dilute the efficiency of fuel consumption, airlines have been tightening their luggage allowance rules in the wake of high aviation fuel prices. While this is one of the reason, another prominent one is that the passengers and airline staff begin to take things a bit casually and after sometime the bag sizes begin to swell in volume and weight. Airlines do charge for the excess luggage which is a good source of revenue for them. Thus, any instance of reducing the baggage allowances is viewed by passengers as an attempt to garner more revenues with least consideration about their travails. This is an ongoing tussle between the carriers and the passengers. British Airways is just a new entrant to this tug of war.

BA has announced that it will be reducing the size of 2nd carry-on luggage from the existing 45, 36, 20 cms to 40, 30 and 15 cms. There is no change in dimensions for the first baggage and it stays at 56, 45, 25 cms. The main reason for this move is to make passengers bring second baggage which can fit into the under-seat space and not in the overhead cabin. There is a tussle among passengers to fill the overhead bins which is often one of the reasons why flights get late. This move is expected to make things more manageable within the cabin.

American Airlines Gets Sued for $2.5 millions As Special Assistance Rules Come to Naught

It was only a few days back that i had written about the need for training the airline crew and staff away from rule-book and making them more sensitive towards the needs of passengers so that the need does not arise for the carrier to tender apologies in its aftermath. Another shocking incident has happened again. This time it is with the American Airlines and the passenger is a wheelchair-bound women. When it comes to providing services to passengers in need of special assistance, especially the disabled people, almost all airlines require these passengers to inform them well in advance. And, this woman also did precisely the same. So, when there was information with the carrier beforehand, the required service was not provided in time to the woman, forcing her to crawl humiliatingly in front of so many people to move into the cabin. How many of these onlookers came to her help is another issue, but is it not a very serious breach of duty for AA? Was it a rare miss or a callousness in attitude of the staff that they failed to get the ramp.

American Airlines special assistance rules have provision of providing the wheelchairs at airports and inside the cabins. These also permit you to carry your own wheelchairs right till the gate of cabin and then check these in at no additional cost. It also seeks to provide priority check in for these passengers so that there is a minimal discomfort to passengers. AA also requires passengers to disclose their special assistance needs at least 24 hours before scheduled departure of flights in domestic sector and at least 72 hours before scheduled departure in case of international flights. This woman, Theresa Purcell provided this information well in advance of her flight.

While the airline has apologised for this incident, they are not likely to make any compensation to Ms Purcell, even though it is clear that the discomfort was caused to passenger due to negligence of the staff. It is also a violation of Air Carrier Access Act. Ms Purcell has brought out a legal case against the carrier and asked for compensation of $2.5 million. 

Whats Wrong With the Airline Services?

Airlines services are considered to be one of the finest in hospitality industry. In fact, it is the factor of treatment of passengers in hands of cabin crew which defines whether passengers will be flying with the same carrier again or not.

In the past 6 months, we have come across a number of incidents where the airlines have been very rude to treat the passengers who had deserved a more humanely treatments. These incidents has particularly been related to women and kids and diseased people. While one of the carriers did not let a mother take her breast pump as hand baggage which would have fed her infant, the other breastfeeding mom was subject to public embarrassment and humiliation in the cabin by the crew. As if these incidents were not to learn lessons from, there came another incident in which a mother and her toddler were asked to deplane simply because the toddler would not stop crying!

There have been instances in the past as well where the fellow passengers have complained of the infants and toddlers crying on the planes which causes them to lose sleep, the recent incidents highlight that carriers, while going by the rule book, inevitably turn up being rude and inhumane. What follows afterwards is a barrage of apologies and, in some cases, the amendment of the rule books also happens so that these incidents can be avoided in future. But, this leaves a basic question. Can’t the crew be trained in advance to take the right decision in the wake of any out-of-the-book development? Is there a training gap?

While it is true that training can not be imparted as future might throw up unforeseen events, this is also a fact these matters of sensitivity did not warrant such a response which the carriers came up with. A little more sensitive considerations could have avoided these issues.

IndiGo Beware- Spicejet Turns Profitable As Turnaround Begins to Show Results

The last seven quarters for which SpiceJet has been continuously running into losses might have been the most difficult times of its history. The awful story of loss making has seen an end in this quarter ending March 2015. The carrier has reported profit of Rs 225.2 millions. Return to profits has been due to a number of stringent measures taken by the carrier by cutting down on unprofitable routes, reducing its fleet size and bringing in measures to control the costs besides offering customers more attractive options to fly with it. The carrier also saw a change of hands from the Marans quitting the field in favour of Ajay Singh, the new mentor who also infused fresh equity to ward off the creditors and make the turnaround a possibility.

With IndiGo the only player that commands respect for its operations and no other LCC close to it, there is space for another player like Spicejet to make its presence in Indian aviation sector which is fast growing. Last year, the same quarter results in Rs 3.22 bn of losses for the carrier though it catered to about 19 percent of the Indian market. In the current quarter the market share has plummeted to less than 10 percent since the carrier had to cut the size of its fleet and move away from many sectors of travel. Ajay Singh is likely go for another round of funding which it is likely to use for rebuilding the feel and gain more customers.

With the reporting of profits, eyes would again be set on the moves of the carrier as it limps back to health.