Qantas has equipped an old technology in the trunk, with a new “kiosk” capable of registering passengers on its flight in less than 20 seconds.
He has gone out with the old and the new.
Qantas has announced that it will launch a series of dated check-in kiosks and replace them with simplified electronic terminals with the ability to check in passengers and print luggage tags in seconds.
The new technology could not have come at a better time for the airline, and for customers, given the recent scenes at Sydney National Airport when passengers were in chaos as staff shortages create mileage lines.
At Easter, passengers waited up to two hours to cross the security lines and check-in queues were also wrapped up in the lobby and out the door with passenger levels close to 90% before the pandemic.
Speaking to news.com.au, Qantas Product and Service Executive Manager Phil Capps said customers demanded fewer points of contact and the focus was on a more streamlined digital experience.
“It’s about four times faster (than the old kiosk),” he explained.
“Before you had to enter your reference number, surname, destination … many questions until you really arrived at your reservation.
“We wanted to avoid all this because most of our customers are now registering online (on their device).”
Capps said 240 kiosks will be deployed at Sydney’s national terminal in September before moving to other ports in the country. And while it’s a convenience for consumers, it will also have a big impact on the environment.
“Before Covid, we printed about 24 million boarding passes a year and they can’t be recycled,” he explained.
“This is for two reasons. First, they have the magnetic stripe, and second, they have customer information.
“So that’s a great way to do our bit for sustainability, but also to offer customers the same functionality, if not better, because it’s something less for security.”
With more than three-quarters of Qantas customers already registering online or using digital boarding passes on their smartphone, the new kiosks are expected to be used primarily to print bag labels, and take less 20 seconds to do so.
“First responder to natural migration to mobile. Customers want it all in their pockets, “Capps said.
“We wanted to make all the things you traditionally queue on your phone so that it looks like a travel companion.
“This is us responding to the change to make life faster, easier, smoother and all from one device.”
While Qantas encourages passengers to register on their smartphone prior to arrival, those who are unable to do so will be able to use QR codes at newsstands to quickly register online and receive a digital boarding pass. .
Otherwise, customers will still have the option to be registered by a customer service agent if required.
How the new Qantas kiosk works
1. Register online on your smartphone or device
2. Use a new kiosk to print the bag label
3. Leave your luggage in the ATM with the printed label attached
4. Use your digital boarding pass on your flight device
Read related topics: Qantas