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Home » Alaska Airlines » Alaska Airlines Will Ditch Check-in Kiosks. That Won’t End Well.
Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines Will Ditch Check-in Kiosks. That Won’t End Well.

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 19, 2023November 13, 2023 27 Comments

a man pointing at a device

I’m going to make a prediction at the outset: Alaska Airlines will ultimately restore check-in kiosks to its airport lobbies when it finds that many people persistently wish to check in at the airport.

Alaska Airlines Will Eliminate Check-in Kiosks As Part of Plan To Streamline Airport Check-In Process

Alaska says it wants to create a more “seamless travel experience” that will eliminate long lines at airports. The goal will be to get you through the airport lobby and to the security checkpoint in five minutes or less. To do so, it will eliminate traditional check-in kiosks, and install new self-tagging kiosks for checked baggage. Per Alaska, 3 out of 4 guests already arrive to airports checked in with their boarding pass(es) on their smart phones. The goal is for 90% of guests to arrive at the airports with boarding passes on their smart phones.

This experiment will first launch at Alaska hubs and focus cities, including:

  • Anchorage (ANC)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Portland (PDX)
  • San Francisco (SFO)
  • Seattle (SEA)

By late 2024, Alaska plans to introduce facial ID recognition which will streamline the process even further.

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My Prediction: This Will Not End Well For Alaska

I admire the boldness of Alaska Airlines’ plan. But I also note that people are creatures of habit. Furthermore, I know I am not the only one who checks in online (so I am part of the 75%), but virtually always stops at a kiosk to collect a paper boarding anyway. That’s not to be wasteful, but because sometimes phones malfunction or there are gate agent shenanigans. Having a physical boarding pass is tantamount to an insurance policy.

What I don’t understand is why not create a kiosk that quickly prints baggage tags, but also allows for check-in or the printing of boarding passes? Would that really destroy the new efficiency model?

Alaska says that its full-service agents will still be available at the counter for those who wish to check-in the old way, but like One Mile At A Time I wonder how long these lines will get?

Sure, Alaska is attempting to modify people’s behavior and it may well work (after all, everyone seems to have a smart phone these days), but I already see long lines every time I walk by the full-service Alaska counter at LAX.  Does Alaska really think that line will diminish when check-in kiosks are eliminated? I am not convinced.

CONCLUSION

Alaska Airlines is removing check-in kiosks in favor of a new generation of kiosks that simply prints baggage tags. The Seattle-based airline hopes that more passengers, nearly 90% to be exact, will arrive at the airport with a boarding pass already on their phone. While I admire the aim of making the check-in lobby experience more efficient, I question whether Alaska will actually improve the process by eliminating check-in kiosks.

Do you still print boarding passes or use check-in kiosks at airports or is it all done on your smart phone?


image: Alaska Airlines

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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27 Comments

  1. Carl Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 8:45 am

    Taking a screen shot of your boarding pass serves most of the same purposes as having a paper boarding pass (not dependent on cellular data or wifi to display the boarding pass, evidence in case of gate shenanigans)
    If there are lines in the ticket lobby, that’s the penalty for not checking in electronically before arriving at the airport.
    I’m not sure that I like the universality of facial recognition, but it appears that DHS has already put that in place without most of us noticing. I recall hearing boarding announcements before boarding an international flight last year stating that facial recognition was being used to board our flight and that we could opt out. When I said to the boarding agent that I wanted to opt out, she told me that my identity had already been verified and I was free to board.

    • Sco Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 10:32 pm

      That screenshot will do you no good if your phone display breaks or your phone runs out of battery or if there is a mobile scanner outage.

  2. DWT Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 9:05 am

    Ryanair already trained people to do this years ago in Europe, because they charge you to print a boarding pass at the airport. Here the penalty will be having to wait in line for an agent. People will adapt.

    • fixed Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 9:18 am

      difference being Alaska is not an ULCC like RyanAir….rip Virgin America

    • Exit Row Seat Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 9:22 am

      Great for Europeans who “Do Not Expect Any Type of Customer Service” from bargain airlines (Ryanair, Wizz) nor from legacy carriers (I’m pointing at you BA) nor from EuroStar (what a dump). And don’t look to the Kangaroo as a role model. It’s a national disgrace.

      In America, we expect a certain level of Customer Service. If not, we have a tendency to take our money else where. Even Spirit (which has been kicked around on this web site harder than a soccer ball) has full service kiosks.

      The ever growing indignity of airline travel….

      • James Harper Reply
        April 19, 2023 at 9:38 am

        I don’t think anywhere in the world, full service carriers offer less than in the US. European low costs are clear about what they offer, far more clear than American, United or Delta.

        • Exit Row Seats Reply
          April 19, 2023 at 9:53 am

          Not too sure about that. Tried to get hold of Virgin Atlantic on behalf of an elderly couple. Absolutely no way to “talk” to anyone. Kept handing us off to pre-recorded messages. When they hit the 24 hr mark prior to departure, they received separate VA and DL confirmation numbers. A call to DL with the DL confirmation number resolved the issue in 10 minutes.
          Recommended to the couple to purchase their tickets directly with DL in the future. Elderly gentleman was in full agreement!!

    • Robert Reply
      April 23, 2023 at 12:39 am

      This is true, but as others have noted, Ryanair is a fairly different type of airline. If AS wants to start a model of offering $15 seat-only fares for 3 hour flights, they can start restricting airport BPs like Ryanair. (Not all of Ryanair’s fares are that cheap, but it’s not uncommon at all.)

      Ryanair also allows check-in up to 30 days in advance under certain fare families. Besides the fact that it’s a bit crazy, it does allow passengers an additional avenue (and huge window) to check in at their leisure. Some European holiday makers even check in for their return flight, before even departing their home country!

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        April 23, 2023 at 7:53 am

        Key point on Ryanair’s extended 30-day check-in.

  3. Exit Row Seat Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 9:10 am

    This is an inherit bias against the elderly!!

    Many still carry flip phones for convenience or rely on others to load boarding passes on their smart phone. If an elderly couple are on the return portion of a trip, Alaska won’t be around to help with the ticket process nor luggage.

    In the later years of his life, my father’s patience grew thin. If he would have encountered such a situation with Alaska, he would have walked across the terminal and bought a set of tickets for him and Mom at Delta (home town favorite) while cussing under his breath.

    • Mike Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 5:44 pm

      Cool story bro. Sounds like his problem

  4. Dennis Palmieri Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 9:40 am

    Totally agreed. I fly Alaska a ton. I check in online but always print a boarding pass at the kiosk. And I don’t care what anybody says, using your phone is a pain in the ass. And for those that say it isn’t….Standing behind you in the security and boarding lines while you mishandle your phone and it doesn’t scan would seem offer a different story, This a terrible idea. Moreover, Alaska has been cutting costs in all the wrong places for way too long. I have been gold or higher for 20 years in a row, and I won’t fly them transcon any more because the first class inflight amenities are just awful vs. AA flagship for the same price. Or even United with a lie flat seat (and crappy food) is better. Yo7 can’t even get a pillow for your back. No thanks!

  5. Too Many Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 9:44 am

    Penny wise, pound foolish.

    I’m sure there’s some associated costs to maintain the machines, but they’re already installed and working.

    The should have kept a small percentage in the airport next to the newer bag tag machines in case there is a need.

    Now everyone who needs a BP or some change that the kiosk could have done will need to wait for an agent.

  6. fixed Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 10:01 am

    This move is r word worthy
    50…40…30…20…RETARD, RETARD

  7. Carfield Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 11:09 am

    I will continue to use the premium check-in counters to get a printed boarding pass and have my bags tagged by an agent. I am sorry but it is really not asking too much to expect a full service airline to offer some kinds of service. I always get a printed boarding pass even at gates. You never know what will happen!

    • Willy Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 5:49 pm

      Carfield! My God! You’re alive! Miss your premium flight reviews.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        April 19, 2023 at 6:11 pm

        I do too, but he’s on Twitter!

  8. Jerry Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    There seem to be two arguments against this:

    1. I’m old: It sucks that you don’t have a smartphone and don’t use mobile apps. If you can’t DL an app, you were probably going to the counter anyway, so I don’t see any changes.

    2. I like a paper BP: Fine. You can still have one, but it’ll take a little longer to get one. I had a friend in college that preferred a check instead of direct deposit from his employer. They obliged, and he had to drive to the bank every Friday. If you elect to use an old technology, you may have to pay a penalty. On AS, your penalty is time, on Ryanair it’s money. I’ve probably taken 1,000 flights using a mobile BP and I can’t recall a single time I encountered a problem that would have been mitigated had I been in possession of a paper BP.

    AA got rid of the in terminal kiosks a while back. There’s clearly a cost to operating them. AS, as usual, is just ahead of the curve.

    • vietri Reply
      April 19, 2023 at 8:33 pm

      Interesting point about AA but it’s kind of a slap in the face to the elderly who will experience longer wait times but could have handled the kiosks. I see elderly every time I fly. They are part of the business. It’s hard enough for them to be on their feet and now they need to wait longer.

      Not everyone had adopted the technology of today, and with good reason. A good friend of mine is almost 70 and her voicemail message is “leave me a message on my brand new smartphone, and yes, I’m one of them now”.

      As someone who has often felt that they were an old soul and born in the wrong generation of technology, I respect peoples wishes not to adopt if they so choose. I wonder what Branson would say. He disapproved of the merger so I’d be interested to hear his opinion.

      I think if you want people to adopt mobile then figure out a better way-include incentive, free points, free drink or whatever. Marketing seems somewhat dry for many airlines and/or it’s just not reaching me.

      Plus take IRROPS. You have people needing to be rebooked but people who also just need a boarding pass they could have got at a kiosk?

      Yes, I know you can go through security without your boarding pass at many airports and get one at the gate (could also be a long wait) but again, to marketing, these things need to be communicated and encouraged to the public for adoption to even have a chance at occurring.

      • vietri Reply
        April 19, 2023 at 9:02 pm

        And while I haven’t seen AS mobile app functionality personally, it wouldn’t be LALF if we didn’t give props to United for theirs which was certainly ahead of the curve, if we are talking curves.

  9. Andy K Reply
    April 19, 2023 at 3:55 pm

    I guess I struggle to see what’s really changing — so check in kiosks will be replaced with bag-tagging kiosks?

    I would love to see an airline re-think the whole check in process by taking advantage of mobile technology. How about instead of machines, a dedicated agent with a tablet who can efficiently process and print bag tags in the kiosk area and take the process away from the “counter/desk” setting.

  10. rsb29 Reply
    April 20, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    Matthew can you elaborate on instance of ‘shenanigans’ here or in a future post? First or reliable second hand instances?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 20, 2023 at 2:12 pm

      Personal experience, though on United, not Alaska.

  11. Becky Reply
    April 29, 2023 at 11:35 pm

    A lot of older folks do not get how to use all features on a smart phone, myself included. Not having kiosks would be frustrating and add to the already long lines trying to get thru TSA by having to wait in a line to get help from an agent. More and more travel is a nerve racking experience already so why make it more so.

  12. Fluix Reply
    May 10, 2023 at 5:31 am

    I’m more inclined to think that digitization will benefit the airline, as paper tickets, for example, can also be lost or damaged, while electronic check-in methods will significantly speed up the boarding process.

  13. Sharon Hopson Reply
    July 30, 2023 at 11:30 am

    Their concept is good but what Alaskan Airlines didn’t realize is the LONG LONG lines to check your bags you have already tagged. True you can check in, print a boarding pass and baggage tags in BUT what does that do when you have to wait over a hour in a line to hand your suitcase off to a airline employee? I flew first class and was told by staff (2 different employees)to go wait in the long long neverending line to hand off my luggage. I waited over 67 minutes in this drop off line. Alaskan Airlines make everyone think it’s a simple hand your bags over and poof…you are on your way to security check in. Nope. Not one person ahead of me in line just dropped their bags off. It’s another involved process that takes approx 3 to 7 minutes for each passenger ahead of you. What a cluster.

  14. derek Reply
    November 20, 2023 at 8:50 pm

    Alaska wrote back to me….

    Dear Derek,

    Thank you for taking the time to contact us. It’s our goal to make sure every trip you have on Alaska goes smoothly. The best way for us to do that is to hear from you.

    Electronic devices have now been used for several years for check-in and going through the Transportation Security Administration lines. We understand your concern about no longer having a Kiosk available and apologize for the concern this causes you. Regretfully, the Kiosks are outdated and are no longer supported. Our intent is to have agents available to assist you in printing your boarding pass on arrival at the airport when this is needed. We have made this decision to streamline our lobby and assist the many guests who are now traveling with smartphones or other electronic devices.

    Derek, we value your patronage as a ________ Mileage Plan member since ____ and hope to welcome you aboard a future flight.

    Sincerely,

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