-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Do airlines in the US offer internet check in? That would be another speedup in the process - check in online, print the passes at the airport, tag your own bags and drop them off. May shave another 30 or seconds off the process. David On Wednesday 05 Feb 2003 3:26 pm, Roger James wrote: > 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 > ********************************************************* -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE+QW//KsvwCXwmAPgRAkajAJwPK06rJouXBLxxxkFILMmKmGgGKwCfXs3m 2zqmMoDLqn5Qo0Q8dlUKgh0= =vWTD -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----