In my experience as a check-in agent at one of the busiest airports in the word, I’ve had a lot of good and bad encounters. But there are things that are considered ‘annoying’ to ask
It’s almost the holiday season and everyone’s already looking forward to having their ‘European summer.’ But working as a check-in agent at one of the busiest airports in the world has made me realise how annoying passengers can get, and I’m here to tell you how to avoid being ‘that’ passenger.
Check-in agents often encounter a variety of passenger questions and requests, and some can be annoying and challenging. When flights have been delayed or cancelled, bags have been overweight, or families have been seated separately, passengers have thrown the famous line, “Is there something you can do?” – but can check-in agents really do anything about it?
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Last week, a fire occurred at an electrical substation in Hayes, West London, which caused London’s Heathrow Airport to shut down for 24 hours, affecting thousands of flights and stranding passengers. Check-in agents that I know were bombarded with questions and requests for preferential treatment. I mean, it would be normal to try to get the most out of such a bad situation, right? As they say, “shoot your shot,” but there is limit a check-in agent can do in general.
Before I started my job as check-in agent, I thought that “it doesn’t cost anything to ask, and if you’re lucky, you might be able to get it at no extra cost,” but that isn’t the case. There’s only so much that a check-in agent can do without risking their job.
Check-in agents might be able to waive off the extra two kilos and save you from spending hundreds of pounds, but a free business class ticket isn’t likely to happen. Nonetheless, there are still some tips and tricks to enhance your travel experience.
Truth is, check-in agents don’t have the power to do anything besides checking you in, sending off your bags and making sure you board the plane. That’s just how it is.
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A useful tip for anyone travelling anytime soon is that the more you insist on something, the less likely you’ll be getting it. But unfortunately, it’s not the first or last time that check-in agents will have to deal with those kind of requests.
In my experience as a check-in agent, I’ve had situations where passengers would come up to me without having checked in asking if they would be able to sit together, with bags five kilos over the allowance “because they had gifts for their families.” I even had a couple coming up with their wedding attire hoping to get a free upgrade – and as much as I would have loved to help, I couldn’t risk my job.
Insisting overweight baggage being waived off just because it’s the holiday season will cause a disturbance not just to you but everybody in the queue. Just because one airline might be able to allow it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all others will.
Although all airlines operate differently and might offer passengers certain perks, travellers should never assume that all airlines will be able to accommodate them. When booking a ticket, passengers should understand both what the airline offers and what they’re entitled to.
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When flights are fully booked, it’s nearly impossible to move things around unless the other person agrees to. A rule that all passengers obey is to sit in their assigned seats to comply with the weight and balance of the aircraft.
Travelling can be stressful, but passengers should never release their anger and frustration on the airport staff. It won’t take them anywhere besides out of the plane. In recent years, airports all over the world have policies against abusive or threatening language or behaviour towards staff.
While good customer service is part of the job, it’s important to remember that check-in agents are humans and fellow travellers as well. In other words, check-in agents won’t be able to accommodate you most of the time, but if you’re friendly and polite, they’ll remember you if anything becomes available.
Although a free business class might not be possible, being nice can go a long way. At the end of the day, we all love going abroad and start off a holiday stress-free.