Delta hopes for 90-second check-in By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY Delta Air Lines says it will virtually eliminate ticket counter lines at 81= =20 airports by year's end, an industry-leading attack on one of travelers'=20 biggest frustrations. Check-in procedures =97 which Delta says can take up= to=20 two hours depending on the airport =97 are expected to become a sleek=20 90-second process under plans being unveiled today. Most airport lobbies,=20 including Delta's giant Atlanta hub, could see big changes by summer. Delta= =20 plans to add twice as many check-in machines for passengers and redeploy=20 hundreds of customer-service agents from behind ticket counters into=20 lobbies to help travelers as they walk in. Ticket counters will still be=20 staffed. But even people checking a bag can use the machines to check in=20 and then drop their bag off at the counter. While other airlines are also=20 rolling out dozens of check-in machines, none have been as bold as Delta in= =20 pledging to eliminate lines. And none have vowed to flood lobbies with=20 legions of agents to aid customers. The change underscores how airlines' financial crisis is forcing them to=20 rethink how they've operated for decades and find ways to fix airport=20 hassles. "This is great news," says Terry Trippler, air traveler advocate=20 for CheapSeats.com. "I always wonder why airline people don't look at the=20 lobby and say, 'There's got to be a better way.' " The changes will cost=20 about $30 million but will be more than offset by a campaign designed to=20 save $2.5 billion in expenses through 2005. The changes come even as Delta= =20 reduces airport staffing as part of a previously announced reduction of=20 8,000 jobs. "We've been working real hard to take a fresh look at airports= =20 through our customers' eyes," says Rich Cordell, a Delta senior vice=20 president. How Delta plans to speed check-in: Moreself-service check-in machines. Delta plans to offer 800 machines this= =20 year =97 it has 400 now =97 and about 70 more in Atlanta, which now has 32.= The=20 goal is to more than double passenger usage to 20 million this year. About= =20 25% of Delta's passengers use them now; Delta wants 50%. Aggressive=20 assistance. In Atlanta alone, as many as 14 red-coated customer-service=20 agents and reassigned counter workers will direct customers and try to=20 prevent lobby tie-ups. "The key difference is we're going to be greeting you before you get in=20 line," Cordell says. Phone help. Banks of phones to Delta's central=20 reservations will be installed so that passengers changing itineraries=20 don't snarl check-in lines. Agents who answer the phones will be able to=20 print out boarding passes for callers, who will retrieve them from printers= =20 built into the phone kiosks. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.caribscape.com/tamnakthai/ TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************