How American Airlines Is Dramatically Cutting Down Bag Check-in Wait Times With New Kiosk Strategy
Airline check-in kiosks were supposed to be a money-saving investment – a classic example of automation replacing workers. At Alaska Airlines, kiosk jobs are in jeopardy as that carrier tells passengers to print their boarding pass at home instead of at the airport terminal kiosk.
I thought that American might follow Alaska’s lead. After all, they de-commissioned old kiosks at airport gates. However a new generation of kiosks is rolling out across the system to assist with airport check-in.
- American is encouraging customers to prepay for bags with a discount (of course you may wind up prepaying bags and then not checking as many – overpaying for your bags)
- Another way they’re encouraging this is speeding up bag drop for prepaid bags. You can just scan your boarding pass and out will pop the bag tags. Much faster than the current process!
Old Gateside Kiosk
New kiosks will roll out at many airports “over the next several months” mirroring what American has done in Dallas and Miami. They also have new “express bag tag kiosks” that will print bag tags in under 30 seconds if you’re already paid for bags (or aren’t required to). The airline will be marketing use of these machines with an email sent four hours prior to departure. Later in the year another round of rollouts will begin.
Here’s American’s internal note to employees about the new kiosks:
American Airlines turned curbside check-in from a cost center to a profit center by outsourcing to Bags, Inc. outside of Miami where curbside remains operated by Envoy Air. They could further turn check-in into a profit center by having bag tag kiosks solicit tips?
Employees aren’t allowed to accept cash, gift cards, or gift certificates but there’s no such prohibition on machines accepting them, and airport concessions operators already ask for tips at self-checkout.