Alaska Airlines has recently started a 3-year, $2.5 billion project to enhance the airport experience at its hubs and focus cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In line with this effort, the airline aims to modernize the lobby experience and announced that it will be removing check-in kiosks. This is the first time an airline is doing away with the kiosks and will instead introduce single-function iPad-based bag tag stations and automatic bag drops. These bag drops will use biometric data to authenticate travelers.
The airline started testing the system at airports such as Palm Springs, and is now rolling it out across other locations. Charu Jain, Alaska’s Senior VP of Merchandising and Innovation, said that the company has been aiming to remove the pain points associated with the check-in process. She explained that the move to tablets and the use of customers’ mobile phones would help them to get through the lobby quickly. Currently, 70% of passengers check-in before arriving at the airport, and Alaska Airlines hopes to increase that number to 90%.
The move to iPad-connected printers will provide the airline with the ability to quickly iterate on the experience. Additionally, the airline worked closely with Apple for the project, having already provided their agents with iOS devices. Alaska also hopes to have travelers through the lobby within five minutes. In the event that a passenger needs extra assistance, the airline will have agents available to help but encourages everyone to check in before arriving at the airport.
Alaska Airlines is recognized as one of the most prominent airline companies in the industry, having established itself in 1932. It serves over 100 locations in the US, and offers different services, such as flights, hotel bookings and car rentals. Charu Jain is the Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Innovation at Alaska Airlines, having previously held the roles of Vice President of Digital Commerce and Vice President of Customer Experience at British Airways. She has been leading the charge for Alaska Airlines in the technological upgrade of its lobby experience.
