Qantas Removing Airport Check-in Kiosks?

Qantas is reportedly considering removing the ability for passengers on domestic flights to check-in and print boarding passes at airport kiosks, in a move designed to encourage more travellers to check-in online or via the Qantas App.

Australian Frequent Flyer understands that Qantas will still have kiosks at domestic airport terminals going forward, such as the new ones recently installed in Perth, but they will only be able to print luggage tags. Passengers would therefore need to check-in online or through the Qantas App, printing their boarding pass at home or storing it on their electronic device.

Passengers who arrive at the airport without having checked in will be able to scan a QR code that would allow them to check in on their own device and receive a digital boarding pass. If they have luggage to check-in, they would then be able to scan the barcode on their boarding pass at the self-service kiosk to print their luggage tag.

Qantas Frequent Flyer members can also continue to use their Q Bag Tags when flying, although Qantas hasn’t been sending out new bag tags for the past two years. They are also currently unavailable for purchase from the Qantas Rewards Store until at least July 2022.

Passengers who are unable to check-in online, have an international connection or don’t have a smartphone, would still be able to queue at a service desk for assistance. But they may be waiting a longer time.

The changes could be rolled out within the next few months.

In theory, this is probably not a terrible idea. But many AFF members are concerned that this could create more problems than it solves.

It’s not exactly clear what Qantas would be trying to achieve with this change. Perhaps it’s designed to save money on maintaining the self-service kiosks, which are now around a decade old, or perhaps it’s intended to save paper.

Some sense a feeling of deja-vu after Qantas closed its airport sales & service counters in late 2020. Qantas said at that time that it would still have staff on-hand at the airport to help customers, but the reality has been quite different. Airport staff can no longer assist with any ticketing issues, requiring customers to call – and potentially wait hours on hold – instead.

Many people already check-in online and use digital boarding passes. For people who are able to do this, when things don’t go wrong, it works just fine.

But such a change could have unintended consequences. Even for people who have a smartphone and are digitally “savvy” (which is not everyone), there are some limitations to using digital boarding passes. For example, phones can run out of battery or crash, and digital boarding passes sometimes expire after the scheduled departure time (which can have implications if a flight is delayed).

When claiming missing points, many frequent flyer programs also ask for a photo or copy of the physical boarding pass.

Australian Frequent Flyer approached Qantas for comment. They don’t have anything to announce at this time, but neither confirmed nor denied these plans.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas to Remove Boarding Pass Printing from Kiosks