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OCR for page 29
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acceptance of self-tagging should not present a major chal-
lenge as discussions with airport and airline representatives
regarding self-service baggage check were generally very pos-
itive; both entities see the advantages of this innovation and
believe that the disadvantages could be overcome. The concept
has also been embraced by IATA through its Simplifying the
Business initiative. Figure 4-5. Bag-check plaza--linear layout.
Bag-Check Plaza
Examples
The bag-check plaza would allow passengers to use SSDs to
check in for flights, obtain boarding passes, and check bags A facility similar to the bag-check plazas currently in place
while remaining with their vehicles. Upon completion of this at some airports is the remote baggage check-in facility.
process, passengers would proceed to park their vehicles or Multiple airports in the United States allow third-party
their well-wishers would drop them off at the curbside. While vendors to accept check bags and provide boarding passes to
bag-check plazas could be located at close-in or remote park- passengers for a fee. At San Francisco International Airport,
ing facilities, Figure 4-4 illustrates the general location of for example, passengers using the long-term parking facility
a drive-through self-service bag-check plaza that would can check bags and obtain boarding passes for daily domes-
serve a close-in parking structure and terminal building tic departures on 11 different airlines serving the airport. The
curbside. Baggage would be transferred to the terminal service is operated by a third-party vendor that charges a
building or, alternatively, to a remote baggage-screening nominal fee based on the number of bags checked. Passengers
facility. A bag-check plaza serving close-in parking facilities are required to check their bags at least 75 min prior to their
could use motorized belts to transport baggage directly to flight if using this parking facility.
the processing area, while remote facilities would likely re- At Honolulu International Airport, Hawaiian Airlines and
quire the bags to be trucked to the baggage-processing area. Aloha Airlines (prior to its cessation of service in April 2008)
Figures 4-5 and 4-6 illustrate two alternative layouts for the offer(ed) drive-through bag check in the close-in parking
bag-check plaza.
Key Drivers
The construction of a bag-check plaza would be driven by
the need to decrease congestion on the curbside roadway and
departures hall without increasing their physical size. Allowing
passengers to check their bags at a location other than the curb-
side would reduce the curbside roadway congestion associated
with those vehicles dropping off passengers and baggage
before parking. These facilities would also provide a customer
service benefit resulting from the ability to check baggage prior
to walking to the terminal building from parking. Passengers
using the bag-check plaza could then bypass the ticketing
and baggage check area of the terminal building and proceed
directly to the SSCP, thereby reducing congestion in the tick-
eting area and potentially deferring future capital expenses
associated with expanding the departures hall.
Figure 4-4. Bag-check plaza. Figure 4-6. Bag-check plaza--parallel layout.
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at an airport will depend upon many factors specific to the
unique airport environment, including physical constraints.
However, in general, those airports accommodating a high
percentage of POV activity would likely be better suited for a
bag-check plaza. To reduce staffing requirements and trans-
action times, it was assumed that the facility would be self-
service and that passengers would be able to tag their own
bags prior to putting them onto the baggage conveyor belt.
To capture as many passengers wishing to check baggage
as possible, the facility would best be located in advance of
high-capacity parking facilities offering a long-term product
that caters to leisure and business travelers on long trips who
are likely to have check baggage. It is unlikely that a bag-check
plaza serving only a short-term (i.e., more expensive) park-
Figure 4-7. Hawaiian Airlines drive-through check-in ing garage would produce sufficient demand to make the
at Honolulu International Airport.
facility viable since it tends to attract business travelers on
Source: TransSolutions, LLC.
short-trips who likely aren't checking bags.
structure, as shown in Figure 4-7 and Figure 4-8, respectively.
Passengers drive their vehicles to a bag-check-in area located
Evaluation
adjacent to the terminal or inside the parking structure.
Vehicles are parked in drive-through-style parking spaces Passenger Perspective
before passengers exit their vehicles to check their baggage
The primary advantage of the bag-check plaza is that it re-
and retrieve their boarding passes. When this transaction is
lieves passengers of the need to carry their baggage from a
completed, passengers return to their vehicles and drive to an
close-in or remote parking facility to the terminal building.
available space in the garage or drop their parties off at the de-
Regardless of how close to the terminal they park, passengers
partures curb. These passengers then proceed directly to the
are still burdened by having to carry their baggage into the
SSCP with their boarding passes in hand.
building and to the check-in counter. In some cases, this
process may require getting onto and off of a shuttle bus,
Assumptions/Prerequisites which is particularly difficult for elderly and disabled passen-
gers. Those passengers who would typically drop off their
It is anticipated that bag-check plazas would be designed
families and baggage at the curbside before parking could
primarily for POVs (including returning rental car customers)
save time by checking their baggage at the bag-check plaza
that have two to four occupants wishing to check bags and
and then parking. Once parked, passengers can avoid the in-
obtain boarding passes. The suitability of this type of facility
convenience of congestion and delays in the departures hall
and proceed directly to the SSCP.
A disadvantage could be that passengers have become
accustomed to receiving assistance from an airline represen-
tative if they have any difficulty checking in at a kiosk in the
departures hall. Because the bag-check plaza would provide
CUSS kiosks, passengers would not be able to speak directly
with an airline representative. However, a roaming customer
service agent would be available to provide assistance. Novice
travelers who do not fully understand the check-in process
may become confused and require more time, which would
increase wait times for other passengers.
In addition, the airline cut-off time for receiving bags at a
remote bag-check plaza may require earlier-than-desired
check-in times for departing passengers, depending on the
Figure 4-8. Aloha Airlines drive-through check-in method used to transfer the bags to the terminal. This earlier
at Honolulu International Airport. required check-in time may reduce the use of the bag-check
Source: TransSolutions, LLC. plaza, which would, therefore, reduce its potential advantages.
