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I got stuck in this, and saw a new low while waiting in DCA with respect to QR code based menus. All the service bars in the first terminal have ipad style dev

I got stuck in this, and saw a new low while waiting in DCA with respect to QR code based menus. All the service bars in the first terminal have ipad style devices in front of the seats displaying a QR code. The expectation is that you scan the QR code off the ipad, and order using your phone/etc! Then pay with the ipad, which actually pissed me off more than sitting in the terminal for 8 hours while my flight was delayed in 10 min chunks. Initially I was unaware what was going on, and just sauntered up to a free spot on the bar, and tried to order a drink. Bartender explains that I have to use one of the ipads, which I shrugged and was like, ok, but then largely stared blankly at because it had a couple buttons (pay, order water, play games, etc) none of which were "order food/drinks/etc". Gave up when told that the bartender couldn't just serve me, and that the ipad thinngy couldn't take my order. WTF, kind of crazy nonsense is it to populate POS style terminals at every table, then fail to be able to order from them? Not only that apparently every single restaurant/etc is owned/using the same crap system so there isn't a choice to just go to the bar without. Anyway, I got lucky because the SW captain grabbed a crew that still had hours and were suppose to be spending the night at my destination and told them they were working his plane... Which itself was crazy, I'm pretty shocked that SW still doesn't have an automated system that "heals" the route network/etc when something like this goes wrong, and then sends updates to the flight crews/etc in question. You would think that after 2016 (when the exact same thing happened) they would have hired a couple "hackers" to just make it work...

shipman05 4y ago
Newark is full of those horrific ipad stations. If they were only used for orders, that would be one thing (still a bad experience), but the fact that every seat at every bar and table has these things flashing bright and distracting ads throughout your meal is just dystopian. The cherry on top was when I walked to one of the self-checkout stores, grabbed a bag of chips, scanned it myself, and was then prompted for a tip....at a self-service kiosk.
- Eisenstein 4y ago
  > and was then prompted for a tip....at a self-service kiosk That is called 'cash back', isn't it?
phpisthebest 4y ago
>>SW still doesn't have an automated system that "heals" the route network They do, it is commercial program from the 90's they have customized, when more than 300 cancellations hit that system it fell over and could not recover. It also requires human operators to read the crew changes over the telephone so every crew member has to call into a call center to get new assignments. No online portal or mobile app.

shipman05 4y ago

Newark is full of those horrific ipad stations. If they were only used for orders, that would be one thing (still a bad experience), but the fact that every seat at every bar and table has these things flashing bright and distracting ads throughout your meal is just dystopian. The cherry on top was when I walked to one of the self-checkout stores, grabbed a bag of chips, scanned it myself, and was then prompted for a tip....at a self-service kiosk.

Eisenstein 4y ago
> and was then prompted for a tip....at a self-service kiosk That is called 'cash back', isn't it?

phpisthebest 4y ago

>>SW still doesn't have an automated system that "heals" the route network They do, it is commercial program from the 90's they have customized, when more than 300 cancellations hit that system it fell over and could not recover. It also requires human operators to read the crew changes over the telephone so every crew member has to call into a call center to get new assignments. No online portal or mobile app.