"Check-in kiosks eliminate lines at Sacramento, Calif., airport"

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Check-in kiosks eliminate lines at Sacramento, Calif., airport
The Sacramento (CA) Bee


Security lines stretched across the skyway into the new parking garage on a
typically busy Friday morning at Sacramento International Airport.

But in Southwest Airlines' section of Terminal A, generally the busiest at
the airport, lines were noticeably absent for passengers who chose to use an
ATM-style check-in kiosk. They scooted up to the counter, checked their
bags, hauled them a few feet to security screening and were on their way.

That swift process largely is due to Southwest's decision to install 14 new
self-check-in kiosks right at the counter in September. The technology is
expected to provide some relief during this busy holiday travel season.

Rather than shuffling through long lines to be checked in by an agent,
passengers use the machines to check themselves in for flights, then print
boarding passes and bag tags. A single agent oversees two kiosks, hands out
the luggage tags, which are printed behind the counter, provides gate
information and sends customers on their way.

"I don't have any raw data, but for customers able to take advantage of the
kiosks, there's significant time savings," said Chris Rupprecht, the
airline's customer service manager in Sacramento. He estimated that even on
busy mornings, the maximum wait in line might be five minutes, rather than
15 to 20 minutes under the previous system.

Using kiosks has become routine over the past several years for travelers
who have only carry-on bags and need just a boarding pass to get through
security and onto the plane. Now carriers at Sacramento International such
as Delta, Continental, United, American, Northwest and Alaska all have a
handful of kiosks allowing for checked bags, too.

As the biggest carrier in Sacramento, with 75 flights a day, Southwest's
14-kiosk operation is the most ambitious.

In addition to speeding the check-in process, the machines are aimed at
improving the bottom line.

With the airline industry losing billions of dollars a year, being able to
handle more passengers with fewer employees is a vital cost-saving measure.

"Anything that can eliminate human interaction is what the airlines want,"
said Joe Brancatelli, publisher of the business travel Web site
Joesentme.com.

"Southwest is the best at driving costs out of the process and then making
people see how that shows up in lower fares."

Rupprecht, the Southwest manager, said there have been no layoffs because of
the kiosks. But he hasn't had to replace two agents who left the Sacramento
station in the past few months.

For passengers, the more immediate benefit is less time spent in line.

"This is the first time I've been here in a few years, and the lines are
considerably shorter," said Gabrielle Pereira, down from South Lake Tahoe to
put 14-year-old Sherene Lee on a flight.

Not everyone can take advantage of the speedier check-in. At Southwest, four
full-service check-in positions serve standby passengers, those with
oversize luggage or paper tickets, travelers on senior-citizen discounts,
and others with special requirements. Lines for those passengers can stretch
15 minutes or longer.

A Southwest agent stands near the beginning of the line and directs
passengers either to the kiosks or to the full-service counter, depending on
their needs.

United and Delta employ similar procedures, though Delta's system involves
having passengers check in at a kiosk about 15 feet from the ticket counter,
then waiting for an agent to summon them for their baggage tags.

The machines don't spit out their own baggage tags for both security and
logistical reasons. The Transportation Security Administration requires that
each checked bag be linked to a passenger who shows a photo ID. In addition,
agents must check for overweight suitcases, leaking parcels and other
no-nos.

Sacramento is one of about 35 Southwest airports that have a total of 214
kiosks at the counter for use by passengers with bags. An additional 25
airports will get them in 2005, said Matt Korenek, the company's manager of
field support.

Airport officials haven't measured how much lines have shrunk because of the
kiosks, but Rob Leonard, assistant director of the Sacramento County
Department of Airports, said it has been noticeable.

And he foresees further improvement when passengers become more comfortable
with the technology.

Brancatelli, the business travel expert, predicts that travelers will
embrace the kiosks once they discover the benefits.

"We know how to pump our own gas and get our cash from ATMs. There's no
reason we can't handle this task," he said. "It's really simpler and better
for the customer."

But not everyone is convinced. "I don't like it," said Denny Moulton of
Huntington Beach, after checking in for a Southwest flight in Sacramento. "I
like it when somebody's helping you."

HELP YOURSELF: Self-service kiosks at Sacramento International Airport allow
passengers to check their bags. The current number of kiosks:

--Southwest: 14

--Continental: 4

--Delta: 4

--Northwest: 4

--United: 4

--Alaska: 3

--American: 2

Source: Bee research


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