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Virtual airline ticket agents

Prototype Kiosks and Paperless Tech Aims to Speed Airport Check-In

September 9th 2002

She's a guinea pig of sorts, participating in the Alaska Airlines prototype check-in system at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The airline believes its new technology will make check-in easier, faster, and less stressful for both passenger and agent.

"It's a new way of processing passengers and how we do business," said Jeff Hoffman, an Alaska Airlines project manager who has been working on the new check-in system for four years.

In one part of the terminal, the traditional linear counter where ticket agents stood every five feet is gone. Instead, pods of touch screen kiosks surround an island of conveyor belts. "This is designed to move passengers more efficiently through the airport process," said David Burris, the Alaska Airlines customer service manager for Anchorage.

Going Paperless

The first step of this two-step process doesn't have to begin at the airport. Alaska Airlines passengers can now check-in for their flight using a cellphone, or print a boarding pass from their home computer or at an instant check-in kiosk at any Alaska Airlines terminal.

But in Anchorage, passengers can swipe an Alaska frequent flyer card or any credit card in a kiosk and access their flight information. From the kiosk, they can check bags, answer security questions, change seats, change flights, pay for those changes and for extra bags, and do anything else a ticket agent does.

"They can do a lot of steps that used to be solely given to the agent," Burris said. "So when they do get to the agent the transaction has all been done," except for tagging the bag.

And the process is streamlined. An agent scans the bar code on the boarding pass issued by the kiosk and the passenger's flight information appears with any changes. Identification is checked and luggage tags spit out. It's up to the passengers to place their bags on a computer weigh station.

"The agents love the fact that there's no lifting, of course," Burris said. Agents use a touch screen (a first for the industry, Burris says) to verify the passenger's information and to print luggage tags. A computer then sends the bag onto a conveyor belt for the trip to the tarmac.

"So that's efficiency for us," Burris said. "None of the agents are waiting for a spot on the belt, taking up customer time."

Making It Easier

Passenger Lewis breezed through her check-in process in three minutes, stopping only to confirm her flight destination, her identification, and the number of bags she was checking with the agent.

"I'll try never to use the paper ticket counter," Lewis said. "I like this a lot better. It's faster."

Eventually, Alaska has plans to create a frequent flyer smart card with the passenger's photo on it. The card would be used in lieu of a boarding pass, making it a truly paperless check-in process.

Alaska Airlines plans to spend $10 million on the new technology in Anchorage, culminating in a brand-new terminal. When the new terminal opens in 2004, there will be 24 of the new instant check-in stations. There will also be a handful of traditional ticket counter agents, so you can still plead your case to a real person. Just be prepared to wait.

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