Check-in counter
A check-in counter is a handling facility for check-in at a commercial airport . It is a kind of reception and is used to check in luggage, to check the identity of the passenger and to compare it with the data in the reservation system of the respective airline and to view the ticket . The passenger receives a boarding pass that entitles them to board the booked machine.
species
Depending on the size of the airport, there may be one or more check-in halls with one or more check-in counters. These check-in counters can be grouped according to different criteria:
- Handling a flight in a
- Non- Schengen country
- Schengen country
- by airlines, e.g. E.g. all Lufthansa check-in counters in one hall
- according to target areas, e.g. E.g. all long-distance flights in one hangar, all medium-haul flights in one hangar
- according to the type of flight:
- After transport category separately:
- Economy class
- Business class
- First class
- Travelers with frequent flyer status (e.g. Lufthansa Senator)
Appearance
A check-in counter usually consists of a counter of different widths and a lower platform or conveyor belt for luggage next to it. The visual design of a check-in counter depends on whether the check-in is carried out by the airline's own staff , by employees of the airport management company or by a third-party company.
To be able to process a flight more quickly, two switches are always built next to each other in practice.
The check-in counters are positioned in a straight row so that the baggage conveyor belt can run behind them. Checked-in baggage items are transported to the main conveyor belt using short conveyor belts and then transported further in a baggage sorting system (more or less fully automatic depending on the size of the airport) for the corresponding flight.
Furnishing
In addition to a check-in counter, a scale is integrated in the feeder conveyor belt. This records the weight of the item of luggage itself, as well as the total weight of the luggage, which in turn is part of the starting weight. The maximum weight allowed for baggage that a passenger can take with them free of charge, the so-called free baggage allowance , is stated on the ticket . If a heavier weight than the free baggage allowance is weighed, a surcharge must be paid for the additional weight.
In order to check the identity of the passenger and his ticket, the check-in staff have computers at their disposal which are connected to the data computer of the respective airline.
A printer is used to print out the boarding pass and the so-called baggage tag for the adhesive tapes with the barcode that are stuck around the handles of the luggage by the airport employee . These are used to identify the flight or, in the case of transfer connections, for further transport of the luggage to the machine to the final destination. At most airports, the barcodes are automatically read and the baggage is directed on conveyor belts to the appropriate collection point for the flight.
Screens or simple signs are usually attached above the counters, on which the airline or the flight number of the flight to be processed is displayed.
Computers are often lacking in remote airports in “exotic” countries. Book is still being kept by hand here. The boarding pass is also filled out manually.
Check-in machine
In order to save costs for the airlines and time for the passengers, check-in machines are being used more and more frequently at airports. These are machines that the passenger can operate himself: Seat allocation and information about pieces of luggage are carried out using touchscreen functions. Frequent flyer cards or electronic tickets are usually required .
Some machines allow automatic baggage acceptance, otherwise there are often appropriate counters specifically for baggage acceptance.
The use of check-in machines is sometimes criticized. Requirements for inputs in the machines are formulated in an incomprehensible manner and passengers' needs other than the norm cannot be recorded by the machines. Overall, as in other areas of life, automated check-in leads to a loss of service quality.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. Merlin Gunther: The Service Thought in the 21st Century , p. 93