Delta’s new international check-in kiosks

Automated check-in kiosks have been around for years. Airlines like them because they save money. Customers (at least once they’re accustomed to the mechanics) like them because they save time.

Now, something relatively new from Delta Air Lines. The airline has just rolled out a slew of international check-in kiosks in the United States. The machines are debuting about the same time that Delta is engaged in a major expansion of international service. Increased international activity is one of the cornerstones of the carrier’s strategy to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The theory is that certain foreign flights yield more revenue than domestic ones.

What’s new about Delta’s international check-in kiosks is their ability to read passports. Kinetics, a subsidiary of NCR Corporation, employs an optical reader that permits passengers to swipe their passports.

“This … extends the benefits of self-service check-in already enjoyed by customers on domestic itineraries to those traveling internationally,” says Josh Weiss, Delta’s director of airport operations and strategy. “Customers can check-in and check their bags in just minutes and go right to the gate.”

Domestic check-in kiosks have become so popular that, at least at some airports, they’ve attracted a bit of a line. Lines should be shorter, at least initially, at the international iteration of the devices until travelers become accustomed to using them for foreign travel.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler