National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: Curb Requirements Model
Page 28
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 28
Page 29
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 29
Page 30
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 30
Page 31
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 31
Page 32
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 32
Page 33
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 33
Page 34
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 34
Page 35
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 35
Page 36
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 36
Page 37
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 37
Page 38
Suggested Citation:"Check-in/Ticketing Model." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14356.
×
Page 38

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

28 The departures process has traditionally begun at the ticket, or check-in counter, of the ter- minal, which is referred to as the Airport Ticket Office (ATO) counter. With the increasing use of automated, self-service, and remote check-in systems, the role of the ATO counter and the terminal check-in lobby has changed and continues to evolve. There are five major types of check-in facilities: • Staffed check-in counters: Many legacy carriers, depending on the location of the airport, can require a certain service level for their customers by requiring staffed ATO counters. These may be additionally divided among dedicated international, first/business class, elite-level frequent flyers, and coach domestic ticket counters. Some international carriers may require ticket purchasing positions either within the ATO counter or remotely. • Self-service check-in kiosks: Self-service devices are commonly referred to as kiosks and are typically the size of an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). These can be designed as stand- alone units that print passenger boarding passes and receipts and also allow passengers to make changes in their reservations, depending on the airline. These types of kiosks can be located remote from the ATO counter in the check-in lobby or throughout the terminal. Kiosks usually do not provide the ability to print bag tags because they are not staffed. When kiosks are located at the ATO ticket counter, they are typically configured in pairs with a bag well, which often includes a baggage scale between pairs. These combined ATO/kiosk posi- tions provide bag tag printing and bag acceptance by airline or ground handling agents who usually support multiple kiosk positions. • Bag drop counters: If passengers checking in remotely have bags to check and the airline does not allow self-tagging of baggage, bag drop counters are typically provided. These bag drop counters have configurations that are similar to regular ATO counters, but are dedicated to a bag drop function. • Self-tagging stations: Self-tagging stations can incorporate bag tag printers, as well as board- ing pass printers into self-service kiosks. Passengers would attach the bag tag to their luggage and deliver it to an originating input conveyor for loading into the baggage system. A self- tagging station could also be a stand-alone device that only scans the passenger’s boarding pass and prints out the number of previously approved bag tags for application. These stations may require some minimal staffing requirements to handle customer service issues. • Curbside check-in: Most airports allow for curbside check-in. Typically, curbside check-in facilities are equipped with conveyor belts located at these check-in podiums for direct input of bags into the outbound baggage system. At smaller airports (or for airlines who do not wish to pay for conveyors), checked bags may be placed on carts and taken into the check-in lobby to be transferred to the ATO counter bag conveyor. Whether for passenger convenience or airline staffing economics, the proportion of passengers using non-traditional check-in methods has grown significantly, and is likely to serve the majority Check-in/Ticketing Model

Check-in/Ticketing Model 29 of passengers at most airports. Because there are different ways a passenger can check-in, or check a bag after checking in remotely (by Internet, remote kiosk, or other means), the ticket lobby may accommodate the different types of facilities described above and possibly others which may be developed in the future. Model Overview The Check-in/Ticketing model is formatted like all of the other models and uses a color-coded cell system to differentiate types of cells. The top of the model is a dashboard of current settings and status for the inputs and condi- tions that the user is entering. In Figure 31 the dashboard shows the status summary, as well as some ratios such as check-in positions per EQA that can be compared to other similar airports. The Check-In/Ticketing model incorporates models for the Staffed Counter, Kiosk, and Curb- side check-in areas. However, the three basic models can be used for any type of future check-in procedure, such as self-tagging, with the appropriate inputs. Use the toggle buttons as seen in Figure 32 to auto scroll the screen to work on one area at a time. In most of the input cells, a small red triangle will be in the upper right corner, signifying that a comment has been attached to give more explanation to the input requirements and/or more information on the general ranges. Some inputs and their title lines are conditionally formatted to alert the user to the possibility of an input error. The user can either keep the entered value if it is truly correct, or make a change to fall within the expected range, and the highlighted areas will return to the normal appearance. See Figure 33. The terminal planner should be aware of the various systems and procedures in use, or expected to be used, as the check-in lobby and related spaces are planned. Flexibility in configuration and design is especially important for this evolving passenger-processing function. The Design Hour Forecast Worksheet should have been completed before doing this step or an estimated design hour value will need to be used. If an estimate is used, enter the value into cell C11 in the Staffed Counter section; this will break the link to the Design Hour Forecast Worksheet and the other dependant cells will use this value as well. Figure 31. Example of Check-in/Ticketing model dashboard. Figure 32. Toggle buttons for check-in areas.

30 Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design The user should work on one section at a time and, when all of the inputs have been entered, check over the sections again to see if there are any errors or alerts. When all the inputs have been made, the user can make adjustments to the queue model inputs for the Staffed Counters and Kiosks to achieve the desired wait times and passenger queue spacing. Figures 34, 35, and 36 show the way common inputs are linked. Figure 37 illustrates how the user may use suggestion boxes to achieve the desired results for wait times and passenger spacing by adjusting the queue model’s number of service positions. Although demand can be estimated if sufficient information is available, the number of ATO counter positions can often be as much an issue of airline back wall “billboard” space as actual demand, and/or staffing. Thus, some airlines will prefer to locate self-service kiosks in-line with the ATO counter, effectively replacing staffed counters, while others will prefer to locate kiosks in free-standing clusters or other configurations away from the ATO counter. Analysis Technique The Check-in model is designed to approach the issue of determining the required number of positions from a single-airline or common-use perspective. The model’s approach can then be adjusted for additional airlines and the results of each airline can later be summed. Figure 34. Inputs to Staffed Counter model will link to models of other check-in areas. Figure 35. Inputs to Staffed Counter model appear in Kiosk model. Figure 33. Example of Staffed Counter model.

Regardless of the mix of facilities, the approach to determining the facilities for check-in requires essentially the same information: • The number of design hour enplaning O&D passengers • The number of airlines • The time distribution of passengers arriving at the terminal • Average service times and maximum waiting time targets • The percentage of passengers using each type of facility in the ticket lobby versus other locations or going directly to the gate • Use of curbside bag check-in or fully remote bag check-in The model must have all of the above data in order to produce an accurate estimate of check-in facility demand. To get the basic understanding of a queuing model without having to create a full-scale design day queuing model, a mini-queue model has been created to show delays at check-in during the peak 30-minute period within a peak period of the design day. This 30-minute slice of the design day can be used more generically to show the position requirements based on processing times and desired maximum wait periods. The mini-queue model uses an adjusted normal distribu- tion curve around the center of the peak 30 minutes, with the average flow rates during the design hour as the leading and trailing arrival rates, to establish a stand-alone delay model. Design hour enplanements can be converted to the peak 30 minutes by prior knowledge of the passenger arrivals time distribution. Figure 38 gives the overall process of a queue model, while Figure 39 is the mini-queue model used to determine the flow conditions for ATO check-in. The approach that is used in the spreadsheet model allows the user to determine the design hour O&D passengers departing during the peak 30 minutes, based on the arrivals distribution. That number is split into the three main areas of check-in by profile data gathered through surveys; then the 30-minute model is run for each area; and the totals are summed by airline or for the entire airport as a common-use facility. One advantage of this approach is that it allows the planner to include LOS assumptions for waiting time. However, it also requires data (or estimates) for average processing times and the arrival time distribution. It must also be done separately for each airline or group of airlines (assuming the design hour occurs at a similar time for the airlines, or some type of common-use facility). Otherwise adjustments must be made for exclusive-use check-in positions, which may not be in use by airlines during the terminal’s peak. Check-in/Ticketing Model 31 Figure 36. Inputs to Staffed Counter model appear in Curbside model. Figure 37. Suggestion boxes.

32 Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design Figure 39. Mini-queue model for staffed counters. Processed Passengers Delay Avg.(min) Delay Max(min) + Bucket #1 Total Passengers to be Processed Arriving Passengers Remaining Passengers = - = Initial Passengers in the Queue(Bkt1) - Initial Passengersin the Queue = Passengers who Waited(Bkt1) Bucket #2 Initial Passengers in the Queue(Bkt2) Total Passenger Wait(min)(Bkt1) Process Capacity(Pax) or Total Passengers {lesser amount} Figure 38. Queue process flowchart. The standard staffed counter check-in queue is normally the major source of check-in delay, but with more travelers using self-service check-in options, the queue for using the Kiosks may be the queue to focus on. Both Staffed Counter and Kiosk portions of the Check-in/Ticketing model have mini-queue models that measure the passengers in queue and the maximum wait times based on the passenger and position inputs. The model will help determine the current LOS conditions and, by adjusting the position inputs for the mini-queue models, the user will see the time and space effects from position allocation. When obtaining data on processing times for staffed or self-service check-in facilities, the user should exercise caution with airline-furnished data. Typically these service times only reflect the time an agent or kiosk is in use for a transaction (from log-in to delivery of boarding passes) and thus underestimates the full time taken by each passenger to complete the check-in process and walk away, making the position available for the next passenger. Depending on the type of flight (domestic or international) and time of day (flights departing before or after 9 a.m.), the percentage of a flight’s passengers who arrive for check-in during the

peak 30 minutes can range from 30% to 50% of the flight’s load. The range for the peak 30 minutes comes from the early arrival distribution that passengers typically follow. Domestic passengers typically have an arrival distribution that spans up to two hours, whereas international passen- gers may arrive up to four hours before departure. The peak-hour originating passengers are, therefore, spread out over two to four hours and not just a one-hour period. Figure 40 is an early arrival distribution example of domestic passengers where the peak 30 minutes represents 47% of the entire flight’s passengers. Other Analysis Techniques One alternative to the method used in the Check-in model is the ratio approach, where exist- ing ratios of check-in positions to design hour O&D passengers and/or EQA are used as a basis for future planning. These ratios should be based on actual peak period staffing of ATO positions (rather than leased counters) and numbers of available kiosks and should account for observed levels of service. The ratio approach can combine conventional staffed positions and kiosks as Equivalent Check-in Positions (ECP). Each airline’s ECP is the number of conventional positions in use, plus the number of kiosks. The current ratio of Design Hour Enplaned Passengers per ECP is deter- mined and then either held constant for the forecast years or changed, based on the existing LOS. The ratio of staffed counters to kiosks can then be varied depending on the current utilization of kiosks at the airport and the trends in kiosk use identified. The Check-in model displays the results of both ratios in the dashboard (Figure 31) as Design Hour Originating Passengers per Check-in Position and ECP per EQA. These results can also be a measure for comparison to a benchmark level or another airport. The ratio approaches are incorporated on a separate tab that can be accessed by the command button as seen in Figure 41. The Ratio Approach Examples button is located just beneath the Staffed Counter Positions section in the Check-in model. The Design Hour Originating Passengers per ECP method is shown in Figure 42. An advantage of using a design hour to ECP ratio is that it requires less detailed data than the 30-minute service Check-in/Ticketing Model 33 Peak 30 minutes In this example the Peak 30 Min = 47% of the Arrival Period Figure 40. Example of an early arrival distribution chart. Figure 41. Ratio Approach command button.

34 Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design model. The disadvantage can be that it assumes a continuation of existing staffing assumptions and the approximate number of airlines. Another variation on this approach is to use a ratio of gate capacity (EQA) to ECP as shown in Figure 43. This may be appropriate when the airport is expecting new airlines and larger increases in gates versus growth in design hour passengers due to load factors and/or aircraft size growth within an aircraft group. Other factors that can affect the number of ECPs include the following: • Curbside check-in. The use of curbside, skycap check-in (although limited to domestic flights) is very popular among many passengers and airlines, especially when skycaps have the ability to issue boarding passes. While removing some passengers with checked bags from the ticket lobby, it relocates the queue to the curb, and has its own facility impacts. Recent trends in charging for curbside check-in may reduce utilization unless passengers believe they are getting a higher LOS. • Common-use counters using Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) technology. This allows airlines to share counters based on schedule compatibility (one airline’s schedule peaks coinciding with another’s schedule valleys). These types of systems are often administered by Figure 42. Example of ratio approach using design hour originating passengers. Figure 43. Example of ratio approach using EQA.

airport authorities or joint airline operating companies. New standards incorporating both CUTE counters and Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks are in development by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and should be in place in late 2009. These Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) standards will resolve some commonality issues which have increased the costs and complexity of introducing common use equipment at many airports. • Dedicated ticket sales positions for foreign flag carriers. Many foreign carriers require separate counters for ticket sales because of internal training/accounting procedures and/or the use of non-airline personnel (handling agents) for the actual passenger check-in process. Space Allocation The number of forecast ECPs can be converted to conventional linear positions to establish the length of the ATO counter. As noted, locations for kiosks are a combination of airline pref- erence and the physical constraints of the ticket lobby. To determine the length of an ATO counter for future activity, assumptions are made as to the ratio of in-line kiosks as compared to those located elsewhere in the ticket lobby. The resulting number of in-line and staffed ATO positions determine the length of the counter. A Space Summary (Figure 44) is provided at the bottom of the spreadsheet model and will appear with the Curbside section. The dimensions that have been observed as normal or acceptable are described in the following paragraphs and although they are a good measure of what should work and be sufficient, careful observations of each individual airport are necessary to make adjustments on the use and allocation of space in the terminal. Typical Dimensions of the ATO Counter The ATO counter consists of the actual counter, agent work space, and the baggage conveyors. In most domestic and smaller airports, the conveyor is arranged parallel to the counter and the bags are taken from the counter bag well to the conveyor manually. The overall depth of this configuration is typically 10 feet from back wall to face of counter. The average width per agent varies from 4 to 5 feet depending on counter design and whether bag wells or bag scales are shared. Most domestic carriers can use a 6-foot double counter plus a shared 30-inch bag well for an average of 4.25 feet per agent. There are also typically breaks in the ATO counter to allow personnel access to individual ATO office areas, and end counters typically do not have bag wells. This increases the average ATO counter length for planning to approxi- mately 5.0 to 5.5 linear feet per position for most terminals. The width of an in-line kiosk can be less than that of a staffed counter, but is highly dependent on individual airlines’ equipment. For planning, all in-line positions are often assumed to require the same width. See Figure 45. Check-in/Ticketing Model 35 Figure 44. Space Summary section.

In many international terminals where bags are heavier, powered take-back belts (typically 24 inches wide) for each agent are used. The overall depth of this configuration is typically 12 to 15 feet including a parallel baggage conveyor. The average width per agent varies from 6 to 7 feet depending on counter design. This configuration has also been required by some larger domestic airlines. Typical Dimensions of Check-in/Ticket Lobby The ticket lobby includes the passenger queuing area for the ATO counter and the cross- circulation zone at the main entrance of the terminal building. Self-service kiosks can also be located within the passenger queuing area. Active Check-in Zone In front of the counter is space for the passengers who are being checked in and for circulation to and from the check-in positions. This space is recommended to be 10 feet deep, with 8 feet as a minimum. Passenger Queuing Area The total amount of passenger queuing area is ultimately determined by the number of pas- sengers expected to be in the queue and the width of the ticket lobby (number of check-in posi- tions). It has been found that 15 feet is typically the minimum depth for passenger queuing and is adequate for lower activity terminals. Medium and higher activity terminals typically require 20 to 25 feet for queuing, respectively. The model includes a LOS table with IATA-recommended areas per passenger which vary with the use of bag carts, etc. Queues may be a combination of single queues (one per check-in position) or multi-server serpentine queues. The minimum width of a queue is recommended to be 4.5 to 5.0 feet. At ter- minals with larger checked bags, heavy use of bag carts, and/or larger traveling parties, wider queues are appropriate. Queue ropes should be spaced to provide more space at turns, with 5 feet as the minimum and 6 feet recommended when bag carts are used. 36 Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design Source: Hirsh Associates Figure 45. Typical linear ticket lobby.

For stand-alone kiosks, 8 feet for the passengers and circulation is recommended. See Figure 46 for an illustration of check-in queuing dimensions. Cross-Circulation Zone A cross-circulation zone is needed behind the passenger queue. This zone should be free of obstructions and separate from seating areas, the Flight Information Display System (FIDS), advertising displays, and/or entrance vestibules. The width of this zone is recommended to be a minimum of 10 feet at lower activity terminals, increasing to 20 feet at higher activity terminals. Total Dimensions The combination of these three functions results in the following typical dimensions for the ticket lobby: • Low Activity Terminals: 35 feet • Medium Activity Terminals: 45 feet • High Activity Domestic Terminals (minimum): 55 feet • High Activity International Terminals: 50 to 70 feet Terminals with unusual conditions resulting in large surges of passengers such as charters, cruise ship activity, etc. may require deeper lobbies. In all cases, the ticket lobby should be as barrier free as possible, with enough space provided for cross-circulation flows so they do not trigger automatic openers for curb doors. Seating areas, entrance vestibules, and other functions would be in addition to these and typ- ically add a minimum of 5 feet to the overall depth of most lobbies. The linear/frontal configuration is the most common for domestic terminals, as well as many terminals handling international passengers with limited numbers of airlines. This con- figuration provides the most frontage as compared to the number of check-in positions. Pier Check-in/Ticketing Model 37 8FT / 2.4M minimun Typical Queue Lines Self-Serve Kiosks Source: Hirsh Associates 4.5-5FT / 1.4-1.5M wide (ADA min.=3.7FT / 1.1M) 5FT / 1.5M min. at turns 22FT / 6.7M8FT / 2.4M 8FT / 2.4M Figure 46. Typical queue dimensions.

or island configurations typically provide more check-in positions for similar frontage than linear configurations. Curbside Check-in Dimensions Curbside baggage check-in is popular at many airports. The dimensions for these facilities are similar to that of typical check-in counters. Figure 47 illustrates a two-position check-in podium with a bag belt to the side. This configuration minimizes the depth of the podium (8 feet). Depth can also be limited by locating the bag conveyor within the terminal front wall to allow a more conventional counter configuration. Passenger queuing and cross-circulation space is recommended to be a minimum of 12 feet, with greater depth for higher activity terminals where there may be more circulation along the curb edge. It is normally anticipated that queues will form parallel to the curb rather than toward the vehicle lanes. This results in a 30-foot recommended depth. The curb depth is also influenced by the presence of vehicle barricades that may be required at some airports for blast protection considerations unrelated to passenger processing. 38 Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design 8FT / 2.4M 30FT / 9M overall curb width Source: Hirsh Associates Figure 47. Typical curbside bag check area.

Next: Security Screening Model »
Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, Volume 2: Spreadsheet Models and User’s Guide Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 25, Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design comprises a guidebook, spreadsheet models, and a user’s guide in two volumes and a CD-ROM intended to provide guidance in planning and developing airport passenger terminals and to assist users in analyzing common issues related to airport terminal planning and design.

Volume 2 of ACRP 25 consists of a CD-ROM containing 11 spreadsheet models, which include practical learning exercises and several airport-specific sample data sets to assist users in determining appropriate model inputs for their situations, and a user’s guide to assist the user in the correct use of each model. The models on the CD-ROM include such aspects of terminal planning as design hour determination, gate demand, check-in and passenger and baggage screening, which require complex analyses to support planning decisions. The CD-ROM is also available for download from TRB’s website as an ISO image.

Volume 1 of ACRP Report 25 describes the passenger terminal planning process and provides, in a single reference document, the important criteria and requirements needed to help address emerging trends and develop potential solutions for airport passenger terminals. Volume 1 addresses the airside, terminal building, and landside components of the terminal complex.

Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below.

Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image

Download the .ISO CD-ROM Image

(Warning: This is a large and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection.)

View information about the TRB webinar on ACRP Report 25, Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design, which was held on Monday, April 26, 2010.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!