ANA, Japan's largest domestic carrier, is removing its automated check-in kiosks from the 51 Japanese airports it serves, saying they're no longer needed because passengers can complete all necessary procedures on the airline's app.
The move, which is to take effect in April, is so far unique in an aviation world where carriers are moving more and more check-in functions from counters to kiosks, including printing of baggage tags. One of those is Japan Airlines, which responded to the ANA announcement by saying it will continue to use kiosks and will continue to revamp them for more touchless access.
"Smartphones will guide passengers smoothly (from booking to boarding)," ANA president Shinichi Inoue told a press conference. The app is also getting new functions to make the process easier. ANA says about 50% of its passengers are already using the app, and it expects that to rise to 90%. Those who still need help will still be able to get it from staff at airport counters.
In a move that both counters and follows ANA's move, Australia's Qantas is testing a new generation of kiosks at Sydney Airport that it says will make check-in four times faster. In essence, it does that trick by eliminating the long series of check-in screens and, for passengers who have checked in online, jumps straight to printing baggage tags.
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