Qantas has begun rolling out new next-generation self-service kiosks, with an initial trial at Sydney airport’s Terminal 3.
The carrier said that the new machines will primarily be used for printing bag tags, although they can also be used to purchase additional baggage allowance.
Qantas said that the new kiosks are up to four times quicker than the existing machines which they are replacing, with the printing process taking an average of 20 seconds.
Those passengers who arrive at the airport without having checked will need to scan a QR code to do so online, before receiving a digital boarding pass which will enable them to use the new kiosks – Qantas said that more than three quarters of its customers now check in online.
The carrier said that the trial would allow it to “fine tune the technology with customers”, before the kiosks are fully installed at Sydney by early June, followed by major domestic airports by September.
Commenting on the news Qantas Group chief customer officer Stephanie Tully, said:
“We have seen consumer preferences dramatically shift towards digital and being able to manage their own journey, so we’re investing more in our app and airport technology to make travelling easier.
“The existing kiosks were instrumental in reducing queuing for check-in at airport counters when they were introduced more than ten years ago, and these new kiosks will match the latest technology with customer preferences.
“Understandably, our customers want to move through the airport and get to the lounge or boarding gate as seamlessly as possible, and the new kiosks will help speed things up. We will incorporate feedback from Frequent flyers as the new kiosks are rolled out across the network.
“We know that some customers would prefer to speak to a person when they check in, so we’ll continue to have the same number of Qantas team members available in the terminal to help customers with enquiries as well as have check-in desks open.”
