In message
, at
13:17:32 on Sat, 21 Feb 2009, Lord Truscott of Brownenvelope
remarked:
The carrier said that 75% of its passengers already checked in online.

That's fine, as long as you can check in well in advance.

Easyjet seem to allow you to check in as soon as you book, but BMI-Baby
only 48hrs in advance (until recently it was just 24hrs). The latter is
extremely impractical if you are doing a return trip.

Spokesman Stephen McNamara said the airline saw the move as the
"logical next step" in an effort to pass on savings to passengers
through reduced fares.

What, reduced even more than the "no check-in" fares they currently
offer? Surely the current check-in process is adequately funded by the
£15 fee for 2 minutes work.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary told the Daily Telegraph that
passengers will be able to leave their luggage at a bag drop but
otherwise everything will be done online.

Many airlines now encourage either online or "kiosk" check-in, followed
if required by a "bag drop". The problem being that the queues for he
bag drop are generally worse than for check-in. I have had very poor
experiences of bag-drops from BA (one of the first) KLM and
(surprisingly perhaps) Emirates. Easyjet bag drop has been fine.

"Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage," he
said.

That's a somewhat different agenda, and could be assisted by allowing a
much more generous carry-on allowance. Of course, the more luggage
people carry on board, the slower it gets. But if the end result is
cutting out all airline-inspired queues and going straight to security,
that has to be a good thing (as long as the hand baggage allowance is
enough for a week's clean clothes).
--
Roland Perry