My biggest airline customer service agent pet peeve

I, too, find it frustrating it can take several attempts, or having to ask several agents, to do something we all know can be done easily. I've learned it is sometimes better to smile, and move on to the next agent to see if they're more willing. You probably didn't have a choice of agents to ask, by the sound of it. Glad you stuck to your guns and got all your brother's BPs issued.

I was at TPA this morning for an early flight, 6am, traveling with my family we were on different locatthis i walked up to the podium, the agent pointed me to the kiosk, but once I informed her that we are not on the same record, she cheerfully helped. As I approached security, the lady yelled out "first class" I showed her my boarding pass and we were through in less than 5 minutes. Not sure if this line is for both elites and first class pax, probably is. The regular line loops around and few times, we could potentially cutting close to boarding had we gone through the regular line.

I was at TPA this morning for an early flight, 6am, traveling with my family we were on different records, I walked up to the podium, the agent pointed me to the kiosk, but once I informed her that we are not on the same record, she cheerfully helped. As I approached security, the lady yelled out "first class" I showed her my boarding pass and we were through in less than 5 minutes. Not sure if this line is for both elites and first class pax, probably is. The regular line loops around and few times, we could potentially cutting close to boarding had we gone through the regular line.

It is also funny how dealing with an agent is more of a pain than the machine, at both airports and banks. Want a boarding pass or to pull out $300? No problem. Talk to a person and they want to see an ID and do a bunch of typing!

I really hate TPA.....but only because of its functional layout. At Orlando, one can clear security and have access to all the gates. Since United doesn't have a RCC at Tampa, I was expecting to use USAirways for a few hours and then board for my United flight. Not a good idea unless you want to go through security numerous times!

I'm thinking (praying?) all the Star Alliance partners will be run out of the same terminal in TPA once the UA/CO merger gets worked out. Then everyone can easily share the US Club. I'm sure gate swapping is on the white board of things being worked out by the merger teams.

I think sometimes the redirection to a kiosk comes because the agents don't realize what a kiosk can or can't do. A few months ago I checked in online to a United international flight, and got a check-in card saying "Please present this card to a United customer service representative along with your travel documents." The very helpful agent at the Premier line at LAX directed me to a kiosk, and only processed me after the kiosk printed the same message. (The agent also failed to check my documents properly, but that's a different matter.)

What ethnicity was the gate agent?

I also run in to this at SFO every time i'm at the CO counter. They force you to use the kiosk. Every other CO station I've been to cheerfully offers assistance without mentioning the kiosk. At ORD and MSY I even had them offer to help as i was about to begin using the kiosk.

The UA kiosk tends to mess up all but your first BP if you use it to change your FF#. i often have to explain this when they try to pawn me off on the kiosk while I'm waiting in the 1K line at SFO.

At IAd both 1K line agents tried to tell me the system doesn't allow them to put you on the VDB list until the gate. After some arguing they changed their story to "we don't know how" so I still had to do it at the gate. "don't know how?" REALLY??? for both 1K agents at a major UA hub??? I think it was more "don't feel like it"

It would be interesting to have the airlines weigh in on this topic. They claim to be customer-focused (some do anyway). Yet draconian cost-cutting measures you describe are diametrically opposed to good service.

Airlines appear to be in such a commoditized market that they can't see how customer service can deliver them from underwhelming earnings reports.

Here's another way airlines are missing the point! http://bit.ly/bgroKh

@HunterSFO - Unfortunately you get all sorts of lazy agents. Doing the same recently at IAD got a "We're not soliciting volunteers at this time' (despite flight being oversold, and later getting a bump). And this is also after the line-organizing lady (the one that directs people to kiosks after they apparently fail to see them) tried to redirect me to a special services line (~20mins). I find being persistent, but polite, works best - e.g. "Could you add me anyways in case they do need someone please?"